NDIS Plan Management Changes: What Participants and Families Need to Know
By Jade Schultz | BMe Supports
Updated: 7 October 2026
NDIS plan management is changing. The Australian Government has announced a new plan management provider panel, planned to begin in October 2027, with a transition period continuing into April 2028.
For NDIS participants and families, this raises practical questions: Will you need to change plan managers? What happens to outstanding invoices? Will you still be able to choose your disability support providers?
BMe Supports helps participants and families in Geelong, Bannockburn and surrounding communities understand their supports and navigate NDIS changes. This guide explains the announced plan management reforms, upcoming claiming deadlines and steps you can take to prepare.
What is changing with NDIS plan management?
The NDIA plans to introduce a selected panel of plan management providers. Following the transition period, participants using plan-managed funding will need a plan manager from that panel.
Plan management will continue, but the process for selecting and overseeing providers will change. Government guidance says panel providers will need to meet strict quality, regulatory and monitoring standards.
The stated aims include improving service quality, strengthening payment integrity and reducing fraud.
Official information: NDIS: Changes to plan management
What does an NDIS plan manager do?
An NDIS plan manager helps administer your plan-managed funding. Their role includes:
Checking invoices and submitting NDIS claims.
Paying your disability support providers.
Monitoring spending against your available budget.
Keeping financial records.
Providing statements and funding updates.
Helping you understand the rules about using NDIS funding.
You remain involved in decisions about your supports and responsible for understanding your budget, authorising claims and avoiding overspending.
Regular statements help you check what has been paid, identify unfamiliar charges and understand how much funding remains.
Official guide: NDIS: What is a plan manager?
What is the difference between plan management and support coordination?
Plan management focuses on the financial administration of your NDIS funding. Support coordination helps you understand, connect with and organise your supports.
For example, a support coordinator may help you connect with a behaviour support practitioner or support worker. A plan manager checks and processes invoices for eligible supports delivered under your plan.
Some participants have funding for both services. Understanding these different roles can help you contact the right person when you need assistance.
When do the NDIS plan management changes start?
The NDIA has published the following implementation timetable:
From October 2026: Provider feedback is planned through a request for information on AusTender, open for five weeks.
From April 2027: A request for tender is planned to open, setting out requirements for businesses applying to join the panel.
From June 2027: The tender is planned to close. Applications will be assessed and providers notified.
October 2027: The plan management panel is planned to launch. A six-month transition will support participants whose existing plan manager is not selected.
From April 2028: The transition period ends. Plan management must then be delivered by a panel provider.
These are the NDIA’s published dates. Check official updates before making decisions based on future deadlines.
Read the timetable: NDIS: Plan management changes and transition dates
Do I need to change my NDIS plan manager now?
You do not need to change plan managers now simply because the future panel has been announced.
Whether you need to change later will depend on whether your current plan manager is selected for the panel. If they are selected, a change may not be necessary. If they are not selected, the announced transition arrangements provide time to move to a panel provider.
The NDIA says participants can continue using their plans and supports as usual while reforms are introduced, and will be informed when changes affect them.
A useful question to ask your current plan manager is:
“How will you keep me informed about the panel process, and what assistance will you provide if I need to transition?”
Official overview: NDIS: Securing the NDIS for future generations
What are the new requirements for plan management providers?
The 2026 legislation creates a requirement for a deed of arrangement between a plan management provider and the NDIA.
The deed must address matters including:
Governance and integrity standards.
Staff and key personnel requirements.
Verification and submission of claims.
Technology and information systems.
Related parties and conflicts of interest.
The new framework also separates plan management from other NDIS service delivery. It includes a condition that registered plan management providers must not deliver other NDIS supports or services, with transitional provisions.
Businesses should examine their ownership, associated entities and key personnel arrangements when preparing for the new requirements.
For participants, transparent and independent financial administration should support informed decisions about how their funding is used.
Read the legislation: NDIS Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Act 2026
Will NDIS plan management fees change?
The NDIA says the reform will change how plan management services are priced, designed and delivered. However, this does not establish a final future fee or confirm every participant’s future arrangements.
Under current arrangements, plan management funding is included separately from your other NDIS supports and can only be used for plan management.
Ask your plan manager to explain their charges and service agreement clearly. Treat predictions about future fees cautiously until official details are published.
Official guide: NDIS: Guide to your funding management options
Can plan-managed participants still choose their support providers?
Current NDIS guidance says participants with plan-managed funding can choose registered or unregistered support providers, subject to the requirements for particular supports. Your plan manager must be registered.
The plan management panel concerns the businesses administering plan-managed funding. It should not be interpreted as a blanket instruction to replace every therapist, support worker or other provider in your support team.
You must still purchase NDIS supports that fit your plan and funding. Provider registration requirements also continue to apply where relevant.
Official guide: NDIS: What is plan-managed funding?
What is the new 90-day NDIS claiming deadline?
A separate change is due before the plan management panel begins.
From 1 December 2026, the government says the claiming timeframe will reduce from two years to 90 days. The NDIA describes this as submitting claims within 90 days of delivering a support.
This is a deadline for submitting claims, rather than a guarantee that invoices will be paid within 90 days.
To prepare, we recommend:
Sending invoices and reimbursement information promptly.
Checking statements regularly.
Responding quickly to requests for missing details.
Following up outstanding invoices early.
Asking how older invoices will be handled during the transition.
Sending an invoice to a plan manager does not necessarily mean the claim has already been submitted to the NDIA. If payment is delayed, ask what stage the claim has reached and whether further information is required.
Official information: NDIS: Upcoming changes to claiming timeframes
How do I record or endorse my NDIS plan manager?
Signing a service agreement and recording a provider relationship are separate steps.
Current NDIA guidance says your plan manager must be recorded as a “my provider” for your plan. Claims for specified supports, including plan management, can be rejected if the provider relationship is not recorded correctly.
You can update provider relationships by:
Speaking with your NDIS contact.
Calling the NDIA on 1800 800 110.
Submitting an enquiry through the NDIA service hub.
Provider relationship requests can also be accepted or declined in the my NDIS participant portal.
If invoices are not being paid, ask whether your plan manager’s relationship is active for the relevant plan and dates. This can help identify administrative issues that checking an invoice alone may miss.
Official guide: NDIS: Recording and changing my providers
How do I choose an NDIS plan manager?
A suitable plan manager should help you understand your funding and communicate in a way that works for you.
Before signing up, consider asking:
How often will I receive budget statements?
How will you communicate with me?
Can you adapt information to my communication or accessibility needs?
What happens if an invoice is incorrect or a claim is rejected?
How do you obtain my approval for claims?
Will you alert me if my spending is moving off track?
How can I raise a concern?
How will you communicate future panel and transition updates?
An online portal may be helpful, but consider the support available when you need a person to explain something.
Official guide: NDIS: How to find a plan manager
How do I change NDIS plan managers without interrupting payments?
Under current arrangements, you can change plan managers during your plan. You do not have to wait until your plan ends.
Check the notice requirements in your service agreement and arrange the new service before ending the existing one.
Our suggested handover checklist is:
Confirm the old provider’s finish date and the new provider’s start date.
Identify outstanding invoices and agree who will process them.
Obtain a current statement and details of pending claims.
Check that provider relationships are updated.
Tell your support providers where to send future invoices.
Keep written confirmation of the handover arrangements.
Clear communication helps prevent confusion about who is responsible for processing payments.
Official guide: NDIS: How to change providers
What details are still being developed?
The published timetable does not yet provide a final panel list, a final number of providers or every detail of the future pricing and service model.
Being a registered plan manager does not automatically confirm a place on the future panel. Ask for official confirmation when selection results become available.
Participants and families should continue asking about accessible communication, service continuity and assistance during a transition.
NDIS support coordination and disability supports in Geelong and Surrounds
For NDIS participants and families in Geelong, Bannockburn and surrounding communities, our recommendation is to start with practical steps: understand your budget, check invoices, keep your contact details current and ask your plan manager how they are preparing.
BMe Supports is an NDIS-registered provider offering individualised, neuro-affirming disability supports, including:
Support coordination to help participants understand and connect with services.
Positive behaviour support focused on understanding needs and improving quality of life.
Early childhood intervention supporting children and families.
Support work tailored to everyday participation and individual goals.
If you would like assistance understanding how NDIS changes may affect the organisation of your supports, contact BMe Supports.
You should have clear information, opportunities to ask questions and an active role in decisions about your support.
Official NDIS and Australian Government resources