What to look for in Selecting a Plan Manager
August 22nd, 2021 
Selecting an NDIS Plan Manager
A recent court case in Sydney has highlighted risks. With the NDIS offering greater choice and independence, clients can often become exposed to additional risks. However, these risks can be reduced by setting a few criteria to use when assessing and sourcing the best NDIS plan manager best suited to your circumstances and needs. Your financial intermediary/plan manager should have the following systems in place to protect you, the client:
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| Transparency – you should have full visibility of your expenditure and remaining budget. | |
| Choice – your plan manager should be able to work with any supplier you choose that has an ABN. | |
| Fast Payments – businesses you engage for your needs should be paid quickly and efficiently. | |
| Separation of Administration from authorisation – the person authorising the payment should be separate from the person making the payment. Therefore, neither of them should be the payee. | |
| NO Charge – under the NDIS there is no charge to the client for the management of their financial plan. | |
| Availability – you as the client should be able to contact your local plan manager readily and be able to rely on their advice. | |
| Security – your plan manager should have systems in place to ensure client’s funds and details are safe from hackers and malicious software. | |
| Budgetary experience – your plan manager should be able assist you with budgeting to ensure you get maximum benefit from your plan. |
We recommend using this checklist as a starting point to establish the bona fides of potential plan managers and make like-for-like comparisons. Selecting an NDIS Plan Manager and working with the right one to maximise your NDIS funding can be of great benefit for any participant. Plan management is free (you just need to ask for it to be added at your planning or review meeting).
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