How To Avoid Overspending Your NDIS Budget
It’s crucial to keep to a budget when it comes to NDIS funding because it allows you to stay on track with your spending and is also important for maintaining your NDIS funding.
This guide explains what can happen if you overspend your NDIS budget and provides tips on keeping your NDIS spending in check.
What happens if I overspend my NDIS budget?
Overspending may happen from time to time if immediate needs come up that haven’t been anticipated. As a one-off event, overspending may not be a major concern, but you don’t want to get into the habit of spending beyond your budget since this can have serious consequences.
If you routinely overspend, you may end up having to front costs yourself without knowing whether NDIS will reimburse you. Continually going beyond your budget could put your NDIS status at risk to the point where they may withdraw certain services may be withdrawn or your participation may be suspended.
Ultimately, overspending doesn’t do you any good as an NDIS participant - but it’s simple to avoid if you budget and plan well in advance.
How can I overcome budget struggles?
If you’re struggling to stay on budget, there are some simple adjustments you can make to help you get back on track:
- Maintain relationships with providers. Your providers are important players on your NDIS team. They want to see you succeed and they’ll do their best to make sure they’re helping you reach your NDIS goals. This includes providing services that fit within the limits of what your plan allows and making sure you’re aware of all costs involved with their services.
- Set up service agreements. Service agreements are critical for managing your funds and making sure all your bases are covered. As a participant, you should set up service agreements with your providers as soon as you start working together. These agreements detail what services they’re providing, the cost of each service, and important terms and conditions related to working with them. Service agreements provide protection for both parties in the relationship since they detail costs and expectations.
- Make sure people are aware of your plan. You, your support coordinators, and anyone who assists you with planning should be well-versed in all aspects of your NDIS plan. This is important since the people you rely on are able to make sure you’re on track and prevent issues of overspending. It’s worth noting that service providers may ask to see your plan, but you don’t have to share all of the budget specifics with them. Instead, you can focus on building service agreements with each provider so that your costs are detailed in writing.
- Use plan management for help. At All Disability Plan Management, we conduct bi-monthly check-ins with participants to ensure that their spending is in line with their budget. These frequent reviews are helpful to avoid unnecessary charges that can quickly add up.
What should I do if I overspend?
NDIS realises that participants may occasionally spend more than they’re allotted. To that end, you have options for getting help if you exceed your NDIS budget.
You can apply for manual claims to see if NDIS will reimburse you for the excess expenditures. During this process, you may need to justify the expenses, so be sure to prepare documentation that demonstrates why the costs were necessary.
If you’re consistently spending too much or can tell that you’ll soon be out of funds, you can request a larger budget during an NDIS plan review. Keep in mind that you’ll want to plan far in advance since this process can take a long time, and there’s no guarantee that your funding will be increased. If you take this route, be ready to explain why you need the additional funds.
If you need help managing your funds, get in touch with All Disability Plan Management. We work with participants, representatives, and providers across Australia. Our focused approach ensures that you always get independent, professional, and reliable service. If you would like to know more, please get in touch with us today at [email protected].
