Pay for supports, the price guide, and payment requests. Once you receive your support, pay your provider with your own money and get a receipt. Our study found that people who live in low socioeconomic areas are less likely to successfully use their NDIS budgets than those who live in more prosperous areas. This points to the very real possibility that the NDIS, in its current administrative and bureaucratic structure, is reinforcing social inequalities.
While more in-depth qualitative research is needed on what is happening with participants in low socioeconomic areas and what is causing a worse use of the budget, quantitative data and national findings indicate that more specific support is needed for budget execution in lower socio-economic areas. This study aimed to understand how socioeconomic position can affect the allocation and use of individual funds in the NDIS, as a means of investigating both the specific issues of the NDIS related to equity and the broader emerging issues of personalization and inequality. If you can afford it within your self-managed support budgets, you can choose to use part of the NDIS funds for professional advice and assistance in setting up and managing the budget of your NDIS plan and paying your providers. The ACT is counted as an NDIS service area, while other states and territories include at least 4 service areas where budgets are averaged.
However, it's worth noting this substantial increase in approved funding and calling for more research if addressing socioeconomic inequality is a concern for the NDIS program. These NDIS budgets are then available for the person with disabilities or their agents to spend in the disabled care market, in accordance with the standards established by the NDIS. Before engaging with an NDIS service provider, it's important to ask questions and be fully informed.
