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Self-Managing Your NDIS Plan – Is It Hard?

Self Management icon

As a participant in the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), you have the option to self-manage your plan. Self-management means that you take on the responsibility of managing your NDIS funds, including paying your service providers and keeping track of your budget. While self-management can offer greater flexibility and control over your plan, it can also be challenging. In this article, we’ll explore whether it is hard to self-manage your NDIS plan.

 

The Pros

Self-management can offer a number of benefits, including:

  1. Greater control: Self-management allows you to have greater control over your NDIS plan, including choosing your service providers and deciding how your funds are spent.
  2. Flexibility: Self-management can offer greater flexibility in terms of when and how services are provided.
  3. Cost savings:  Self-management can be more cost-effective because you do not have to be restricted by the price guide and funding categories. You can use your funds to cover the supports and services from different funding categories as long as the supports help you achieve your NDIS goals. For example, let’s say you have limited funds for therapy. In this situation, you can use your social and community funds to hire an Occupational Therapist. They will help you work on improving your social skills through occupational therapy.

 

The Cons

While self-management can offer benefits, it can also be challenging. Some of the potential challenges include:

  1. Administrative burden: Self-management requires a significant amount of administrative work, including keeping track of your budget, paying your service providers, and submitting claims to the NDIS.
  2. Lack of support: Self-management can be isolating, as you won’t have the support of a plan manager to help you navigate the NDIS system.
  3. Risk of overspending: Self-management requires careful budgeting and planning to ensure that you don’t overspend your NDIS funds.

 

Is self-management right for you?

Whether self-management is right for you will depend on your individual circumstances and preferences. If you are comfortable with administrative tasks and have a good understanding of the NDIS system, self-management may be a good option for you. However, if you prefer to have support and guidance in managing your plan, a plan manager may be a better choice.

It’s important to note that self-management doesn’t have to be an all-or-nothing decision. You can choose to self-manage some aspects of your plan while using a plan manager for others. For example, you may choose to self-manage your CORE Consumables while using a plan manager for your other support needs.

Here are some top tips from Kristy Macnamara, General Manager at Plan Navigators.

“My advice to participants who want to self-manage their own NDIS plan is to start small.

1. Pick a section of your plan that you may need more flexibility with such as CORE Consumables. This way you are able to develop your skills to learn how to use the NDIS portal or NDIS app.
2. Reach out and ask for help from someone who is already self-managing or ask your support coordinator / local area coordinator to walk you through the steps.
3. Get help to setup a budget for this funding and plan out what the cost will be for each item you need to buy.
4. Use the NDIS guide to self-management and NDIS Booklet 3 as this help you to understand if you can buy it or not.”

Self-management can offer greater control and flexibility over your NDIS plan, but it can also be challenging. It’s important to carefully consider your options and choose the approach that works best for you. If you’re unsure whether self-management is right for you, chat with a registered NDIS provider about your NDIS plan and support needs.

Visit the NDIS website for more information and helpful resources about Self-management.

Posted July 2023 in News