Using your NDIS funding to connect with supports

A mother playing with her daughter with Down syndrome.

Here we are — from applying for the NDIS to having your first NDIS meeting to getting your NDIS plan approved, you are finally ready to put your plan into action by using your NDIS funding to find the best support for yourself or your loved one.

The question is: How do you find support using your NDIS funding?

To answer that question, you first need to answer: How do you manage your NDIS funding?

NDIS plan management options

There are three ways to manage your NDIS funding: self-managed, plan-managed and NDIA/agency-managed. Find out in detail what each style of management involves.

If you are self-managed or plan-managed, there are different ways to build a support team of independent support workers on Mable.

NOTE: If you’ve chosen to have your NDIS plan managed by the NDIA (also referred to as agency-management), the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) is responsible for managing payments and keeping payment records of spending using your NDIS plan funding. If your NDIS funding is managed by the NDIA, you can only use NDIS-registered providers for your support. This means you cannot use Mable to book support.

Finding support if your NDIS funding is plan-managed

If you have a plan manager assisting you with your NDIS plan, you can create your own profile on Mable and inform your plan manager that you’d like to find support through Mable. If you don’t have a plan manager yet but want to get one, find out what to look for when choosing a plan manager.

When organising your support through a plan manager, you will need to stick to the NDIS price limits. This means when you connect with an independent support worker on the platform, you will need to both agree to an hourly payment rate that falls within the NDIS line item price limits relevant to your plan.

Finding support if your NDIS funding is self-managed

By self-managing your funds, you can create your own Mable profile, begin booking support workers, and pay for your supports from your chosen bank account. 

When you self-manage your funding, you do not have to adhere to NDIS line item price limits, meaning you and your worker can work together to choose an hourly rate that suits you both.

If you’d like to have more control over your disability support system, you can always contact your planner or Local Area Coordinator (LAC) to organise a review of your current management plan. To get in touch with your LAC, you should visit the NDIS portal on myGov.

Is Mable registered with the NDIS?

Mable is not a traditional support provider organisation, it is an online platform. Mable does not provide support, so it does not fit into any of the currently available provider registration categories.

Mable is an online platform that uses technology to connect people – including older Australians, people with disability or their carers – with independent support workers and support service providers in their community. These sole traders and small businesses may or may not be NDIS-registered.

By providing an online platform with safeguards where people can find, connect and manage their support teams, they have more choice and control over the support they receive and can pay lower hourly rates for support than NDIS reference rates. You can pay less and workers can earn more. Learn how Mable’s pricing works for everyone.

How to pay for supports received through Mable

After you’ve found a support worker on Mable, your worker will send you a service agreement to review and, once accepted, you can begin receiving support. After a support session, your worker will submit support hours which, once approved, are converted into an invoice by the Mable platform.

Mable will invoice your plan manager each week for any support hours that have been approved in the previous week (7-day payment terms) and they’ll make payments on your behalf or, If your plan manager requires your approval before paying invoices, we’ll invoice you directly and you’ll forward invoices to them. Then, once we’ve received payment from your plan manager, we’ll process the payment and send it to your worker within two business days.

Start connecting with supports through Mable

You can connect with support workers by either posting a job in the online community or by searching for workers in your local area who suit your support requirements. You can learn more about how to book support workers in this article.

Want more information about how Mable can help you use your NDIS funding to get the right support? Give us a call on 1300 73 65 73.