You’ve delivered a great service to your National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) client – check. You’ve sent off your invoice – check. Now, you need to wait for the payment to land.
But did you know there are a few simple things you can do to help speed that process up?
At My Plan Manager, every invoice we receive goes through more than 30 checks before it’s submitted to the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA). Then, the NDIA does its own review to make sure the claim meets all its rules. If it all checks out, the Agency releases the participant’s funding to us, and we send the payment your way.
But if something doesn't quite match up along the way it can mean delays – and no business wants that.
To help you get paid faster, we’ve pulled together some practical tips you can use before you even wrap up with your client. These small steps can make a big difference in keeping your payments smooth and quick.
Before you start working with a client, it’s important to check they’ve got the right funding in their NDIS plan to cover your services. It’s their choice whether they want to share their plan with you, but having a chat about their funding – and asking to see the relevant part of their plan – can help avoid payment issues later.
Make sure the correct budget categories are included in their plan, there’s enough funding to cover the services you’ll be providing, and you’re aware of any funding periods that might limit how often you can deliver services or how much support you can provide.
A service agreement sets out in writing what a client can expect from you and what you can expect from them. It includes the type, quantity and cost of the services you’ll provide.
By putting the terms of your relationship in writing and setting out the fees that apply, you can reduce the likelihood of a disagreement or dispute leading to a payment pause.
Service agreements are also used by the NDIA to substantiate claims. If your invoice is ever reviewed, having a signed agreement gives you a solid basis to justify your charges.
With funding periods reshaping how NDIS budgets are managed and supports delivered, updating your service agreements to reflect these changes is essential. While funding periods don’t change the overall budget allocated in an NDIS plan, they do determine when funds can be spent and claimed.
Using the right line item (also known as support item) numbers on your invoices can speed payments up too. Things can change often in the NDIS, so it’s a good idea to check the latest NDIS Pricing Arrangements and Price Limits before submitting a claim. If the code is wrong or outdated your claim might be rejected, which means slower payments for you.
Need help choosing the right line item? Read through our little black book of line items.
Whether you're an NDIS registered provider or not, if you're providing services to plan managed or Agency managed participants, then your charges can’t exceed the prices set out in the NDIS Pricing Arrangements and Price Limits.
If an invoice for one of our clients includes an hourly rate that exceeds the approved limits, we’ll ask you to change it and resubmit the invoice. This also applies to invoices that include GST.
The total cost of a claim, including GST, must fall within the NDIS Pricing Arrangements and Price Limits. Getting it right the first time means fewer delays, faster payments, and less back-and-forth for everyone.
Submitting a clear invoice is important for avoiding unnecessary delays in payment, because we can't process an invoice without some very important details being included.
Invoices must include information about your business (like your business name and ABN), your client’s information (e.g. their full name, NDIS participant number, and address), and the dates and details of the service you provided, including support line items.
You also need to make sure you include a separate line item for each service or support provided, the unit price for each item, and the quantity of services or supports. An invoice can only be for one participant, but it can include multiple supports.
If the supports you’re providing are a little more complex, adding a brief description can help clarify how your client received them. This extra context can make a big difference in helping us and the NDIA understand your claim, so your invoice can be processed and approved quickly.
Check out our template for an example of an invoice that covers off on all the NDIA and ATO requirements. If your clients are plan managed by us, you can even use it for your own claims by simply filling in the blanks and either emailing us at accounts@myplanmanager.com.au, or submitting it to us via our provider portal.
If you haven’t yet used our provider portal, you can sign up here to make NDIS claiming even quicker.
Here’s an example of a compliant NDIS invoice.
If your client likes to have control over their invoices by seeing and approving them before they’re sent to us – or if they sometimes have questions about invoices and what they mean – you may want to send your invoices to them first. That way, any queries can be addressed before the invoice comes to us and we can submit your claim to the NDIA much faster.
Prepayment is generally not permitted for NDIS supports and claims should only be submitted after services have been provided. There are some exceptions to this rule, such as where the NDIA provides prior written approval (including conditions), or where higher cost supports are involved. It’s best to check with the NDIA first or call us for advice.
Checking the NDIS Pricing Arrangements and Price Limits (and searching for ‘prepayment’) is also a good idea.
We can only process invoices — not statements, quotes, or other documents. NDIA rules require a valid invoice to release payment.
If you send us a statement, we need to contact you to request an invoice instead, and that means there’s an extra step to take before you get paid. To keep things moving quickly, make sure you send a proper invoice with all the required details.
We often receive invoices more than 90 days after a plan has ended, and when that happens, the claim needs to be manually processed by the NDIA in a national queue – and a manual claim can take several months.
As plan managers, we need to wait for funds to come through from the NDIA before payments can be made, which can put a strain on both clients and providers.
The best way to avoid this is to send us your invoices as soon as possible – within 14 days is ideal.
Sometimes the NDIA needs more information before approving a claim. When a claim is scrutinised by the NDIA’s prepayments team, it may be flagged as non-compliant, or the Agency may request changes or ask for extra details. If more information is needed, we’ll contact you – and to speed the process up, you should provide the information or amended invoice as quickly as you can.
Your claim will remain on hold with the NDIA until it has everything it needs to validate it, at which point, we’ll be told when to expect the funds, and we’ll be sure to let you know.
If your claim remains on hold for a long period, even after you've responded to an NDIA request, you can contact the Agency directly through an enquiry or complaint. However, be sure to speak with us first, because we may be able to assist you.
If the NDIA decides to cancel a claim, or part of a claim, that decision isn’t reviewable – which means you can’t seek to change it. However, if you want to provide the Agency with feedback about its decision or any other information relevant to a claim, you can do that.
If you’re looking for help with submitting a claim to My Plan Manager, this page on our website will be handy. Bookmark it for the future too!
If you have questions about invoicing, you can email us at enquiries@myplanmanager.com.au or call us on 1800 592 405 from 8am-5.30pm (SA time), Monday to Friday.
17 September 2025
