How to Switch NDIS Providers Without Losing Support

You can change your NDIS provider at any time. Check your service agreement for notice and cancellation terms, find your new provider before you leave the old one, tell your current provider, then update your NDIS portal records. Doing it in that order avoids a gap in your supports.

Key Takeaways

The order matters: check your service agreement, line up the new provider, tell your current provider, then update the NDIS portal.
A cancellation fee can apply if you end an agreement without the notice it sets, so read the agreement before you say anything.
Unhappy with a provider? You can switch and you can also report the problem to the NDIS Commission. They are two separate steps.
Want to talk through a change in the Canterbury-Bankstown area? Call Care Steps Australia on (02) 8201 3100, Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm.

Where to start, by situation

Your situation	What to do first
You are happy but want a different provider	Read your service agreement for the notice period
You are unhappy with the service	Raise it with your provider, then decide whether to switch
You feel unsafe or are treated poorly	Contact the NDIS Commission
You also want a new plan manager or coordinator	Treat it as a separate change and tell them about the provider switch

Source: NDIS, "How to change providers".

Can you change your NDIS provider at any time?

Yes, you can change your NDIS provider at any time. The NDIS says you can add, change or remove providers whenever you need to, through your my NDIS contact or by calling 1800 800 110. That includes switching in the middle of a plan, and the rule is the same in NSW as anywhere else in Australia.

Your service agreement is a separate document from your NDIS plan, according to the NDIS. So ending an agreement ends your arrangement with that provider. It does not end your plan. The risk in switching is not the plan itself, it is a gap between one provider finishing and the next one starting. The steps below are built to prevent that gap.

What are the steps to switch NDIS providers?

There are five steps to switch NDIS providers: talk to your current provider, check your service agreement, find the new provider, tell your current provider you are leaving, and update the NDIS portals. The NDIS guide to changing providers sets out this same order.

Talk to your provider. If something is not working, raise it first and ask for changes. Your my NDIS contact, support coordinator or a trusted person can help you do this.
Check your service agreement. Find the notice period and any cancellation terms.
Find a new provider before you leave. Meet them and get a written service agreement.
Tell your current provider. Ask about their process, clear any outstanding payments, and tell your support coordinator or plan manager.
Update the portal. Make sure the service booking and provider relationship match your new arrangement.

The next three sections take steps two, three and five in detail, because that is where most gaps in support happen.

How do you check your service agreement before you leave?

Read your service agreement for two things: how much notice you must give, and what happens if you give less. The NDIS says an agreement sets the notice period and that a cancellation fee may apply if you end it without that notice. NDIS pricing arrangements set the rules for these fees.

The NDIS pages do not state a standard number of days or a fee amount, so your own agreement is the only place to find yours. Per the NDIS, a service agreement is a written agreement between you and your provider that should cover:

what supports are provided and how
how much they cost and how the provider is paid
important dates and reviews
your rights and responsibilities and the provider's
what to do if you disagree or something goes wrong

A service agreement is required for specialist disability accommodation (SDA) providers and encouraged for supported independent living (SIL). For other supports it is not required, but the NDIS recommends one when you start with a new provider or your needs change. If you never signed one, you may have nothing in writing about notice, which is a good reason to put the next one on paper. The NDIS explains the details on its service agreement page.

If the agreement is unclear, ask your support coordinator or my NDIS contact to read it with you before you contact the provider.

How do you find a new provider without a gap in support?

Arrange your new provider before you leave your current one, so your supports do not lapse. The NDIS suggests using its Provider Finder, asking your my NDIS contact or support coordinator, checking reviews, and asking friends or family. Meet the provider before you start, and get a written service agreement.

Registration is worth understanding while you compare. Some supports must come from a registered provider and some can be delivered by an unregistered one, depending on how your plan is managed. Our guide to registered vs unregistered NDIS providers explains how that works. Your plan's management type also affects which providers you can use, which we cover in the section on plan managers below.

If you live in Punchbowl, Bankstown, Liverpool, Campbelltown, Campsie, Lakemba or Greenacre, ask each provider you meet which of your suburbs they actually cover and who would be your regular worker. Coverage and worker availability are practical details that decide whether the new arrangement holds up. When you have a shortlist, you are ready to plan the handover.

What is the handover checklist when changing NDIS providers?

A handover checklist is a short list of things to settle between the old and new provider so your supports carry on without a break. This is practical good practice, not an NDIS requirement, so adapt it to your own supports. Most of it comes down to dates and information.

Agree the dates. Settle your last day with the old provider and your first day with the new one. Where you can, let them overlap by a visit or two so nothing is missed.
Write down your routine. Note the times, preferences and things that matter to you, so the new provider does not start from zero.
Say what worked and what did not. This helps the new provider avoid the same problems.
Confirm any information sharing. Decide what you want passed to the new provider and agree it in writing.
Clear what you owe. The NDIS lists clearing outstanding payments as part of leaving.
Confirm who ends the service booking. Ask the provider whether you or they will do it (see the next section).
Keep a copy of your new agreement. Put the start date and the notice terms somewhere you can find them.

If you use a support coordinator, they can often handle the back and forth between providers. Our article on NDIS support coordination explains what that role covers.

How do you update the NDIS portals after you switch?

After you switch, you update your portal records so the NDIS shows who your provider is now. The NDIS says to ask your provider whether you or they will end the service booking in the myplace portal and the "my provider" relationship in the my NDIS portal, as they may do it through the provider portal.

For a new provider, you can accept or decline a relationship request in the my NDIS portal and choose what information to share. The NDIS says you will be notified when a provider sends a new request or asks to end or extend a relationship. When a provider asks to end a relationship, the NDIS will contact you to confirm your new provider and whether you need a future relationship set up.

If you are not sure what is showing on your account, ring the NDIS on 1800 800 110 or ask your my NDIS contact. The NDIS how to change providers page lists the portal steps in the same order. Sometimes the reason you are switching is bigger than a portal task, and that is covered next.

What if you are unhappy with your current NDIS provider?

If you are unhappy with your provider, start by raising it with them and asking for changes. If you do not feel comfortable doing that, or they treat you poorly, you can contact the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission. Switching and complaining are separate steps, and you can do either or both.

The Commission says participants, family, friends, advocates and members of the public can all report a concern. You can call 1800 035 544 on Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm outside Western Australia, or report online. If someone's life is at risk or a person with disability could be seriously hurt, call 000. You can report anonymously, but the Commission then cannot send you updates, so you can ask for a confidential report instead. The Commission also says providers must deal with complaints effectively and must not punish you for raising them.

Some issues belong elsewhere. Plan and funding decisions go to the NDIA, and unpaid invoices are outside the Commission's scope. The Commission's report an issue page explains what it can and cannot handle.

Do you need to change your plan manager or support coordinator too?

Not automatically. Changing a provider, a plan manager and a support coordinator are three different changes, and one does not force the others. What you must do is tell your support coordinator or plan manager that you are changing providers, because the NDIS lists this as one of the steps.

If you also want a new plan manager, that is a separate decision tied to how your plan is managed. Our comparison of self-managed, plan-managed and NDIA-managed plans explains what each type means for provider choice and paperwork. Check the process for changing a plan manager or coordinator with your my NDIS contact before you assume it works like a provider switch.

Can you have two NDIS providers?

The NDIS says you choose your providers, and the pages we checked do not set a rule either way on using more than one. Because your service bookings and agreements decide who delivers what, the practical question is whether the arrangements overlap.

The safest approach is to keep each support with one provider on paper, so there is no doubt about who is delivering and being paid for what. If you are unsure whether your plan allows a particular split, ask your my NDIS contact or call the NDIS on 1800 800 110 before you sign anything.

What should you ask a new provider before you sign?

Ask any new provider the same few questions before you sign: what notice they require, what cancellation terms apply, who your regular worker will be, how they handle changes to your routine, and how they will deal with a complaint. These answers show how an agreement works before you are tied to it.

Compare the answers across the providers on your shortlist and get the final terms in writing. The same questions are fair to put to us if you are considering a move. A provider who is happy to answer them clearly is usually easier to work with later.

Need NDIS support in Canterbury-Bankstown?

Care Steps Australia is a registered NDIS provider based in Punchbowl, NSW. We support people across Sydney's south-west, and you can read about our NDIS support services or see our pages for Bankstown, Liverpool, Campbelltown and Campsie. Our directors have more than 10 years of experience in aged care and clinical nursing.

Decisions about your plan and funding sit with the NDIS, so contact them for those. If you want to talk through a change of provider, or just ask what to look for, you can contact our team and we will talk it through.

Care Steps Australia
48 Lancaster Avenue, Punchbowl NSW 2196
Phone: (02) 8201 3100
Email: info@carestepsaustralia.com.au
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