Self-Managing Funds for Supports in My Plan

Self-managingfundsforsupportsinmyplan

Inyourdiscussionwithyourplanneryouwillhavetalkedaboutwhether youwouldliketoself-managefundingofthesupportsinyourplan.

Self-managingfundingofsupportsinyourplanmeansthatyouwillberesponsiblefor:

•sourcingandarrangingyoursupports;

•makingpaymentstoyourchosenproviders,includingensuringthatprovidersreceivetheirpaymentontime;

•managingyourplanexpenditure,includingsubmittingMyPlanPurchasesformstotheNationalDisabilityInsuranceAgency(NDIA);and

•keepingrecordsofallyourplanpurchasesandprovidingthesetoNDIA

Pleasenote:theinformationinthisfactsheetalsoappliestonomineesandpersonsrepresentingaparticipantwhoisachild.

Arrangingmysupports

Ifyouareself-managingfundingofthesupportsinyourplanyoucanchoosetoreceiveyoursupportsfromregisteredproviders,aswellasproviderswhoarenotregisteredwiththeNationalDisabilityInsuranceScheme(NDIS).FormoreinformationonthisseetheChoosingaProviderfactsheet.TheNDISwebsitehasalistofregisteredprovidersinyourlocalarea.

Youareencouragedtosignanagreementwithyourprovidertoensurethatyoubothhaveaclearunderstandingofhowyoursupportswillbedelivered,andhowyouandyourproviderwillmanagethedeliveryofyoursupports.AmodelagreementisprovidedontheMakinganAgreementwithyour Providerfactsheet.

Ifyouareself-managingthesupportsinyourplanyoucanchoosetodirectlyemployyourownsupportworker.Therearelegalrequirementsthatyouneedtobeawareofbeforeemployingyourownworkers.FormoreinformationonthispleaserefertotheEmployingaSupportWorkerfactsheet.YoumayalsowishtoaccesssomeofthefreeresourcesdevelopedunderthePracticalDesignFundforpeoplewhochoosetomanagethefundingfortheirsupports.

Payingforsupports

Forsupportsinyourplanthatareidentifiedasbeing‘flexible’supports,theNDISwillprovideyouwithaninitialamountpaidintoyournominatedNDISbankaccounttoenableyoutopayforsupports.ThismustbeaseparatebankaccountusedonlyforpaymentsfromtheNDISandspentonlyonsupportslistedinyourplan.

Youradvancepaymentisaone-offpaymentthatisbasedonanestimateofonemonth’scostoftheflexiblesupportitemsinyourplan.Thepaymentismadetoensurethatyoudonothaveanyout-of-pocketexpensestoclaimbackfromtheNDIS.

Youwillneedtosubmita‘MyPlanPurchases’formtogenerateyournextNDISpayment.Onthisformyouwillprovidedetailsofthesupportitemsboughtandtheamountspent.Yournextpaymentamount

willthenbepaidintoyournominatedNDISbankaccount.Youcansubmitthisformasregularlyasyouwish.The‘MyPlanPurchases’formcanbedownloadedfromtheParticipantPortal.

Youwillnotneedtoattachreceiptsforexpenditureonflexiblesupportsitemsinyourplan.Foritemsthatareidentifiedas‘fixedsupports’,youshouldprovideaquoteorinvoicewiththe‘MyPlanPurchases’ formtoreceivepayment.Pleaserefertotherecordkeepingsectionbelowformoreinformationonthefilingofreceiptsforpayments.

Forsupportsidentifiedasbeing‘fixedsupports’youwillneedtogetaquoteorinvoicefortheitembeforeyourNDISfundscanbepaidtoyou.Youwillneedtoattachthequoteorinvoicetothe‘MyPlanPurchases’form.

PaymentsfromtheNDISforapprovedreasonableandnecessarysupportsarenotconsideredincomebytheAustraliaTaxationOfficeandthereforeareexemptfromtax.Formoreinformationvisitthe AustralianTaxOfficewebsite.ThesepaymentsarealsonottreatedasincomeifyouarereceivingCentrelinkpaymentsorforthepurposesofChildSupportBenefit.

AnyinterestearnedontheNDISfundsinyournominatedbankaccountistreatedasincomeandmustbereportedtotheAustraliaTaxOfficeaspartofyouryearlyincome.Inaddition,anybankchargesthatareincurredonyourbankaccountareyourresponsibilityastheaccountholder.

Beforepayingaprovideryouwillneedtoensurethattheinvoiceyoureceiveaccuratelychargesyouforthesupportsyoureceived.Ifyouhaveanyconcernsabouttheinvoicepleaseraisethemdirectlywithyourprovider.

IfyouareunabletoresolvetheissuewithyourprovideryoumaywishtogivefeedbacktoNDISthroughtheNDISfeedbackpage.

Managing yourplanexpenditure

The‘MyPlanPurchasesForm’willhelpyoukeeptrackofplanexpenditure.Youwillalsoreceivea‘MyPlanStatement’thatwilloutlinethepaymentsmadeforsupportsinyourplan.Pleasecheckthatexpenditureonthe‘MyPlanStatement’isconsistentwithyourownrecords.Ifyouhaveanyconcernsaboutyour‘MyPlanStatement’youshouldcontactyourlocalNDISofficeon1800800110.Formoreinformationseethe‘MyPlanStatement’factsheet.

Itisyourresponsibilitytoensurethatyouspendyourfundsonlyonthesupportsidentifiedintheplan.IffundshavenotbeenspentinaccordancewithyourplanyoumayincuradebttotheNDIS.

Ifyouhaveanyqueriesaboutwhatisorisnotincludedintheplan,pleasetalktoyourPlanner.YoumustnotifytheNDIAatanystageifthereareanychangesinyourcircumstancesthatmayaffectthesupportsinyourplan.

Recordkeeping

YouneedtokeepreceiptsofexpenditureofplanfundstoproducetoNDIAifrequired.Thesereceiptsneedtobekeptforfiveyears.Thisincludesanyinvoicesorreceiptsforcashpayments.

Forpaymentsthatdonothavereceipts,youwillneedtokeepappropriaterecords.Forexample,forsupportsthatincludemileageyouwillneedtokeepanAustralianTaxationOfficeapprovedlogbook,recordingallthetripsthatyouhaveclaimedfor.

TheNDISmayconductauditsonyourpaymentsandyouwillneedtobeabletoprovidesupportingrecordsofexpenditureofyourfunds.