What is Self-management?
Self-management is where an NDIS participant, or their nominee, manages their own plan funding. They choose and pay providers directly, claim payment from the NDIA, and keep records and receipts. Self-managing participants can use registered or unregistered providers, and the NDIS price limits do not apply to self-managed funding.
Self-management offers the widest choice and flexibility, including employing support workers directly. The trade-off is administration: the participant is responsible for records, receipts and claim accuracy, and may be asked to show how funding was spent.
A provider serving self-managing participants invoices the participant directly, and carries the credit risk that agency-managed or plan-managed arrangements do not.
What self-managing involves
A self-managing participant, or their plan nominee or child representative, receives the funding, arranges supports and pays providers on time. They must:
- spend funding only on NDIS supports in line with the plan
- stay within the funding periods and funding component amounts
- keep invoices and receipts for 5 years and show how funding was used if the NDIA asks
- meet employer obligations if they employ staff directly or use a contractor.
Participants can self-manage all of their plan or only part of it.
Prices and provider choice
Self-managed participants can negotiate prices above or below the NDIS pricing schedule, as long as their funding lasts each funding period. They can generally use any provider, but must use a registered provider for:
- specialist disability accommodation
- supported independent living
- behaviour support
- supports where restrictive practices occur or are likely to occur
- NDIS digital platforms.
If a participant chooses an unregistered provider, the NDIA says they should check the provider has the right qualifications, training and safety checks, and they can ask workers to get an NDIS worker screening check.
When the NDIA will not allow self-management
A participant, plan nominee or child representative cannot self-manage if they are bankrupt or insolvent under administration, or if the NDIA is aware they have been convicted of an offence punishable by 2 or more years in prison or involving fraud or dishonesty. The NDIA can also refuse if it thinks funding is unlikely to be spent only on NDIS supports in line with the plan, or if self-managing would be an unreasonable risk to the participant.
Working with self-managed participants
- Agree the price in writing, because the pricing schedule does not cap self-managed supports.
- Invoice the participant or their nominee, not the NDIA.
- Keep your own records of the date, duration and type of each support, since the participant may need them for an NDIA check.
Questions people ask
Can self-managed NDIS participants pay more than the price limit?
Yes. Self-managed participants can negotiate costs above or below the NDIS pricing schedule, but they must make sure their funding lasts for each funding period.
How long must self-managed participants keep NDIS receipts?
Invoices and receipts must be kept for 5 years.
Can self-managed participants use unregistered providers?
Generally yes, except for SDA, SIL, behaviour support, supports involving restrictive practices and NDIS digital platforms, which need a registered provider.
Can you self-manage only part of an NDIS plan?
Yes. Participants can mix self-management, plan management and Agency management across different parts of their plan.
Checked against the official sources on 2 October 2026. Rules change: confirm the current position with the agency before you rely on it.
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