Comments on: What’s going on with the float for people who self-manage their NDIS funds?

By: Dell Stagg

Dell Stagg — Fri, 21 Oct 2016 08:35:48 +0000

Breaks my heart to hear about all of this. We were so sure it would be the best thing since sliced bread.
We could be independent and not answerable to bloody agencies which often get into disability support to “make a fine living out of our misfortunes”.
Now this Liberal mob just wants to turn the screws even harder.
Shame on you all.
YOU WOULD CRAP YOURSELF IF EVERYONE IN THE SCHEME DEMANDED EXPENSIVE DISABILITY ACCOMMODATION

By: Glenda Lee

Glenda Lee — Mon, 19 Sep 2016 06:25:07 +0000

The bill for my support workers is around $4000 per month. The DSP is around $1800 per month. Which wipes out the idea of Self Managing altogether. NDIA management are living in dreamland and turning our lives into nightmares. Disgusting.

By: Glenda Lee

Glenda Lee — Mon, 19 Sep 2016 06:20:04 +0000

This is untenable and totally unmanageable by either us or the NDIA. Self Managed Funding has been in place here in SA for well over 5 years. We have our approved funding put into our bank every month as a 12th of the total. I keep all receipts and do an acquittal of the funds spent at the end of the year and send that in with all of the receipts. It works without a problem.

WHAT IS WRONG with these people. Do the people in charge of the NDIS have to run for approval for the basic things they need. I am so angry about this.

CHOICE & CONTROL? What a bloody nasty joke. Liars Liars Liars!!! Arrogant and demonstrating the filthy bigotry of low expectations.

Ian Maynard, you should be ashamed. How stupid and ridiculous are you. Do some research FFS.

By: Libby Ellis

Libby Ellis — Thu, 01 Sep 2016 09:28:51 +0000

Hi Mary, thanks very much for a great question that I’m sure many others are wondering about. I hope this answer helps. Firstly, when we talk about ‘Agency’ and ‘Agency managed’ we mean the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA). We don’t mean service providers. The NDIA can manage your NDIS funds, you can self manage and you can use a Plan Manager. We have a couple of other blogs about these choices and what they mean on our site. Check under Resources. If you choose to have the NDIA manage your funds in the first year, you can absolutely change in the second year, and after that as well. During the year of your plan you can use your funds to engage any service providers you wish and you can also change service providers. Sometimes they might request notice of this and so you should check their service agreement thoroughly. If you want to try self management, we suggest a couple of things. You could try self managing a small or manageable part of your plan in order to gain experience for the second year. You can ask for some assistance to learn how to do it and you might be provided with some hours for training and support, so that you can engage someone in your first year to provide more information and assistance. You could also try Plan Management, which provides someone to assist with the financial side of things but with many of the benefits of self management. You will need to ask for these in your planning meeting. We cannot guarantee what the NDIA will decide, but we always recommend asking.

By: Mary Austin

Mary Austin — Mon, 29 Aug 2016 22:21:45 +0000

Hi Belinda
I’m just wondering if we go with an agency to manage the funding for our plan for the first year, will it be possible to change agencies or even decide to self manage after that initial year?
Will the NDIA policy allow us to do that or do we have to stay with the same agency indefinitely and never be able to self manage after being locked into one agency.

By: Peter Batini

Peter Batini — Wed, 24 Aug 2016 00:20:26 +0000

This is yet another example of the government agency (NDIA) transferring the financial risk, from the government, to the individual with disability or to the service providers involved. A devolution of risk that increases the administrative and bureaucratic burden on individuals and service providers

The cash flow issue is more easily managed at the systemic level rather than expect thousands of individuals to manage the potential cash flow issues involved at the personal level. For the NDIA the principle of financial sustainability is far more important than the principle of choice and control. Their priorities are seriously skewed.

By: Kathy Rees

Kathy Rees — Mon, 22 Aug 2016 05:39:36 +0000

Thank you for your update on this important topic. As you say, the reinbursement model directly affects & discriminates against people with disability who want to self-manage. This approach also makes it very difficult for family members as well. This approach needs to change ASAP so people have the choice about managing their own life. Otherwise, the NDIS is just service delivery with another name i.e. ‘same old, same old’ & people with disability continuing to be disempowered, devalued & demeaned all over again.