What can I do if I am running out of funds for my required supports?

Feeling like you are running out of money for your supports can be a stressful situation to find yourself in. 

The NDIA may approve extra funds in the event of an emergency, however, if the issue is due to budgeting, then they most likely will not. In this case, you may have to cover any extra costs out of pocket. The first thing to do is work out why this might be the case. There are a number of reasons you may be running out of funds early.

The first possible reason is a mistake in budgeting or overspending. 

Inaccurate budgeting may have occurred if you didn’t keep an eye on your funding, are unsure about how much your providers actually charge, or there was an oversight on any hidden costs or extra supports that you used. It’s important to ask for the most recent and up-to-date invoices from all of your providers, to assess if there are any changes in pricing or extra costs that you were unaware of. Setting up clear service agreements with providers can also make sure you avoid any surprise costs and help you to budget more efficiently. Make sure that all associated costs are included in the service agreement, such as travel, resources and adjustments for weekend and public holiday rates. 

Another important question to ask is if you’re spending your funding at a reasonable rate. 

Or, can some supports potentially be less frequent? If your funding is definitely running out, you may need to prioritise your supports and potentially put some on hold or reduce the duration or frequency of the support. Prioritise what you need to live safely first, and also what is essential to achieving your goals. There is also some flexibility in the Core Supports category within your plan. You may be able to rearrange some of the funding from one area to another core support area to cover those costs. 

It is possible that your circumstances have changed, and now your budget is no longer adequate. 

The NDIA allocates funding to you based on what they deem to be reasonable and necessary to assist you in reaching your goals. If your circumstances have changed and you now need extra or different kinds of supports, your funding may no longer be sufficient to cover the costs. If this is the case, it is important that you request a plan review as soon as you can. You should let the NDIA know right away and fill out a change of circumstances form. If the change in circumstance is deemed to be an emergency, the NDIA may be able to provide you with some emergency funding to cover these extra costs until your plan is reviewed. It should be noted, though, that you may need to pay these back, so it’s not a good idea to rely on this. 

If you find managing all of the budget planning, fund allocation and invoicing to be overwhelming, an effective plan manager might be the solution for you. 

Plan management is when a registered provider takes care of all of your budgeting, invoicing and essentially the entire financial side of your plan for you. They act as your personal bookkeeper, supporting you to enjoy the benefits of your supports by taking the stress out of managing your funding. Plan Management is of no cost to the participant and is covered by the NDIA. A good plan manager will ensure that you never go over budget without being forewarned, whilst keeping all of your providers paid on time. 

All Disability provide personalised plan management.  

We match you to your own personal plan manager, who you will have direct access to via your preferred method of communication. You’ll also receive your own custom dashboard to view and monitor your budget 24/7. You’ll also be able to choose service providers that best suit your needs, whether they are registered or non-registered. If you’d like to never worry about running out of funds again, get in touch, and we can put together an easy and effective plan management solution for you.