NDIS Plan Management: What a Plan Manager Does, What It Costs and How to Choose One
By FindMyHelp Editorial Team · Reviewed against official sources on
NDIS paperwork can take over your week: invoices, claims, receipts, checking what's left in each budget. A plan manager takes most of that off your plate, while you keep choosing who supports you. It's one of the most popular ways to manage an NDIS plan. In the 6 months to December 2025, about 65% of active participants used a plan manager to process NDIS payments (NDIS Annual Pricing Review 2026-27).
This guide explains what plan management is, what it costs, and how to pick a plan manager that suits your family.
What is NDIS plan management?
There are 3 ways to manage NDIS funding (NDIS - Guide to your management options):
- Self-management: you, your nominee or representative pay providers and keep the records.
- Plan management: a registered plan manager pays your providers and manages the financial records for you.
- NDIA-management: the NDIA pays providers and manages the records (sometimes called Agency-managed).
You can mix them. For example, your core supports could be self-managed while your capital supports are NDIA-managed. And you can ask to change how your plan is managed at any time. You don't have to wait for a new plan.
Not sure which suits you? Our guide Self-Managed vs Plan-Managed vs NDIA-Managed compares all 3.
What does a plan manager do?
A plan manager will (NDIS - What is plan-managed funding):
- keep records of your NDIS supports, like invoices and receipts
- use the NDIS portals to pay your providers from your plan
- give you a report on how you're spending your funding
- help you build your own skills to manage your plan.
The NDIS also expects plan managers to (NDIS - How to support a participant as a plan manager):
- check each claim is in line with your plan and budgets, and get your approval for claims
- pay providers or reimburse you promptly, which the NDIS says should be within 2 business days of the plan manager receiving payment from the NDIS
- give you a monthly financial statement showing what you've spent, what's left, and whether you're on track
- help resolve payment disputes.
What a plan manager doesn't do
A plan manager isn't a support coordinator. They handle the money side, not finding services or coordinating your supports. If you need help connecting with providers, that's support coordination.
And even with a plan manager, you're still responsible for (NDIS):
- knowing how much you've spent, and only buying NDIS supports in line with your plan
- choosing your providers, including your plan manager
- authorising claims
- making a service agreement with your plan manager
- managing the relationship, and raising issues with them if you're unhappy.
Why families choose plan management
You can use registered and unregistered providers
With plan-managed funding, you can choose providers who are registered or unregistered with the NDIS Commission (NDIS). NDIA-managed funding can only pay registered providers (NDIS - What is NDIA-managed funding). Not sure of the difference? See Registered vs Unregistered NDIS Providers.
Price limits still protect you
The maximum prices in the NDIS pricing schedules apply to plan-managed and NDIA-managed funding. Providers can't charge more than the price limit, and the NDIA can't pay claims above it (NDIS - Pricing arrangements). You can still negotiate a lower price. Look up any support item in our NDIS price guide.
Less admin
Your providers send invoices to the plan manager, not to you. The plan manager does the claiming and keeps the records.
How much does a plan manager cost?
The 2026-27 price limit
| Support item | Item number | Price limit (national, remote and very remote) |
|---|---|---|
| Plan Management - Monthly Fee | 14_034_0127_8_3 | $104.45 a month |
Source: NDIS Pricing Schedule 2026-27, effective 24 September 2026, Appendix 7.
That's up to $1,253.40 a year (12 x $104.45).
There's no set-up fee any more
The one-off plan management establishment fee was removed from 1 July 2025, along with the higher remote and very remote rates. Plan management is now a single flat national monthly fee (NDIS Annual Pricing Review 2026-27, section 10). If a plan manager asks you for a set-up fee, ask them to explain it.
It doesn't come out of your support budgets
If your budgets are plan-managed, the NDIA includes separate funding in your plan to pay a plan manager. It sits in your capacity building supports budget and is a stated support, which means it can only be used for plan management. Your plan will describe it as "Supports to help you manage your plan funding and pay for services using a registered plan manager" (NDIS - How to plan-manage your funding).
How to get a plan manager: 7 steps
Based on the NDIS's own steps (NDIS - How to plan-manage your funding):
- Review your plan. Check which budgets say "This funding is plan managed". If you want plan management and don't have it, tell your planner at your plan meeting, or talk to your my NDIS contact. You can ask at any time during your plan.
- Choose a plan manager. They must be registered with the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission.
- Create a service agreement setting out what they'll do, how, for how long and what it costs. Our NDIS service agreement checklist can help.
- Record them as a "my provider" in the my NDIS participant portal, at your plan meeting, or by calling 1800 800 110. Plan managers must be recorded as a my provider to be paid.
- Choose your providers and tell them where to send invoices.
- Work with your plan manager. Raise issues with them first. If that doesn't fix it, you can complain to the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission.
- Track your spending in the participant portal or my NDIS app, alongside their monthly report.
Questions to ask before you choose
The NDIS suggests covering these at your first meeting (NDIS). We've added a few practical extras:
- How do I send invoices, and how quickly do you pay providers?
- How often will I get a report, and what will it show?
- How much will you charge? (It shouldn't be more than $104.45 a month.)
- What will I consent to you seeing in my plan?
- Do you have any conflicts of interest, such as financial or personal links to other providers?
- Who do I contact if something goes wrong, and how fast do you respond?
- Can I see my balance and paid invoices online?
Changing your plan manager
You can change your plan manager at any time during your plan. Tell your current plan manager first, then let the NDIA know through your my NDIS contact, the National Contact Centre on 1800 800 110, or the service hub (NDIS).
A few things to know:
- Only your current plan manager can submit claims, including for supports delivered before they took over. Your old plan manager should pass outstanding invoices to the new one.
- If a plan manager wants to end the arrangement, they need to give you 28 days' notice.
Frequently asked questions
What is NDIS plan management?
It's when a registered plan manager manages your NDIS funding for you: paying providers, keeping records and reporting on your spending. You still choose your providers.
How much does an NDIS plan manager cost in 2026?
The price limit is $104.45 a month (2026-27 NDIS Pricing Schedule, effective 24 September 2026). It's paid from separate funding in your plan, not from your support budgets.
Is there a plan management set-up fee?
No. The one-off establishment fee was removed from 1 July 2025.
Can a plan-managed participant use unregistered providers?
Yes. Plan-managed funding can pay registered or unregistered providers. NDIS price limits still apply.
Does a plan manager have to be registered?
Yes. Your plan manager must be registered with the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission.
Can I switch from self-managed to plan-managed?
Yes. You can ask to change how your plan is managed at any time, without waiting for a new plan. Talk to your my NDIS contact or call 1800 800 110.
What's the difference between a plan manager and a support coordinator?
A plan manager looks after the money: paying invoices, claims and reports. A support coordinator helps you find, connect with and coordinate your supports. Some people have both.
Find a plan manager near you
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This guide is general information. Price limits are as of 28 October 2026 and can change. Check ndis.gov.au or call 1800 800 110 for your situation.