Explore our Financial Literacy for NDIS Self-Managers resources, created to help improve financial skills and confidence for people who self-manage their NDIS plans.
Funded by Ecstra Foundation and developed by the Australian Federation of Disability Organisations (AFDO), this project aims to break down barriers and provide practical, accessible tools for NDIS participants, their carers, and families.
These resources were created together with people with disability to make sure they are useful, easy to understand, and meet the needs of the community. This helps ensure the tools are helpful and work well for people self-managing their NDIS plans.
The resources include easy-to-follow guides, short financial literacy videos, and a comprehensive Learning Management System (LMS) designed with input from people with disabilities to ensure relevance and accessibility. These resources are offered here, along with a variety of helpful tools to support your financial literacy and the self-management of your NDIS plan. The resources are organised into the ABCs of Self-Management, providing an easy-to-navigate format that helps you explore and find support for specific areas of need.
After accessing and using the resources, please take the time to complete our survey. Your feedback is invaluable in helping us improve and develop more resources to better support self-managing NDIS participants. You can take the survey by clicking here, and an Easy Read version is available by clicking here.
Please Note: These resources were accurate at the time they were created. With recent changes to NDIS legislation, some information may change over time. We encourage you to regularly check the NDIS website to stay up to date with the latest information about self-management. Our aim is to provide practical and accessible tools to support you in managing your NDIS plan with confidence.
Video Series for NDIS Self-Managers
This video series features facilitators with lived experience of disability. Each video has been translated into Auslan by a Deaf translator, ensuring that complex financial literacy terms are explained in greater detail. The videos are available below.
Online Course: Building Financial Skills
This online course created by AFDO helps people with disability learn how to manage their NDIS plan. It covers things like understanding your funding, choosing supports, and handling the responsibilities of self-managing. The course is designed to make self-management simple and give you the skills to achieve your goals. You can access the course as a guest here: https://afdo.moodlecloud.com/course/view.php?id=9
Fact Sheets for NDIS Self-Management
Our written resources provide clear and practical guidance to help you build financial skills and confidence as a self-managing NDIS participant. You can explore the full list of guides and fact sheets here. These resources are also available below, alongside tools and information from a range of credible sources.
ABCs of Self-Management
| Accessibility | Information and tools for making digital interactions accessible for people with disabilities. | Making Android Phones Accessibility Easy (Good Things) |
| Assessments and Reports | Guidance on creating and discussing reports for NDIS assessments. | Reports from a Professional |
| Audits and Reviews | Resources for preparing and understanding NDIS audits and reviews. | Preparing for Audits and Reviews (NDIS Financial Literacy Video Series)
Preparing for an Audit |
| Auslan | Resources and guides in Auslan (Australian Sign Language) about support for NDIS participants. | NDIS Financial Literacy Auslan Videos (Coming Soon!) |
| Bank Account | Information on opening a bank account | Guide to Opening a Bank Account in Easy Read (Australian Banking Association)
Setting Up a Bank Account |
| Bank Statements | Guidance on understanding and managing bank statements related to NDIS. | How to Understand a Bank Statement |
| Bookkeeping | Tips on managing records, invoices, and organising NDIS documents. | Bookkeeping for NDIS Self-Managers – NDIS Financial Literacy Video Series
Keeping Records |
| Budgeting Tips and Tricks | Learn how to track your spending and use the NDIS budget calculator to estimate the amount of support you can access within your plan’s funding and timeframe. | Creating a Spending Tracker |
| Can I Buy It? | Guidelines on what can be purchased using NDIS funds. | What Can I Buy with my NDIS Plan? (NDIS Financial Literacy Video Series)
I’m Self-Managing – Can I Buy That? (My Care Space) I’m Self-Managing – What can I spend my NDIS funds on? (My Care Space) |
| Changes to the NDIS Legislation | Details on the recent changes to NDIS legislation, what supports are funded, and how to adjust your plan. | Summary of legislation changes (NDIS) |
| Complaints Process | Steps to address complaints or dissatisfaction with NDIS services. | Feedback and complaints (NDIS)
Complaints about a provider or worker (NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission) The complaints process (NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission) |
| Creating a Budget | Tools and tips for creating a budget with NDIS funding. | Plan budget and rules (NDIS) |
| Creating a Spending Tracker | Resources for tracking NDIS spending. | Creating a Spending Tracker |
| Digital Literacy | Courses and resources for improving digital skills for NDIS participants. | Be Connected – Free Online Learning of digital skills
Be Connected – Introduction to myGov, Medicare and finance apps |
| Disability Related Health Supports | Information on health supports available through NDIS. | Disability-related health supports (NDIS) |
| Disability-Related vs Everyday Items | Resources to help you tell the difference between disability-related and everyday items. | Everyday or Disability Related?
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| Easy Read | Resources available in Easy Read format to make NDIS information more accessible. | Being safe online – Easy Read (eSafety Commissioner)
NDIS Self-Management Guide – Easy Read (NDIS) Easy Read resources (NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission) |
| Financial Literacy | Resources to improve understanding of financial aspects of NDIS self-management. | Useful Financial Terms
Financial Literacy for NDIS Self-Managers What does ‘Cost Effective’ Mean? National Disability Insurance Scheme (Australian Taxation Office) |
| Finding Service Providers | Resources for finding and selecting NDIS service providers. | Finding Providers and Supports for your NDIS Plan (NDIS Financial Literacy Video Series)
How do I find and choose my NDIS service providers? (My Plan Manager) Find a registered provider (NDIS) Find a registered provider (NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission) |
| Getting Started with Self-Managing your NDIS Fund | Guidance on self-managing your NDIS plan, including choosing supports, understanding your responsibilities, and effectively using your funding to achieve your goals. | Building your Confidence as a Self-Manager (NDIS Financial Literacy Video Series)
NDIS Self Management vs Plan Management: a guide (MyCareSpace) How to – Self-Managing your NDIS Plan (NDIS) (Video) Learning to self-manage your plan (NDIS) Self-managed NDIS funds: tips for parents (Raising Children Network) |
| How to Buy Supports | Guidance on purchasing supports with NDIS funding. | How to Buy Supports
Negotiating Costs for your NDIS Plan (NDIS Financial Literacy Video Series) |
| How to Find Providers and Supports | Advice on locating NDIS-approved providers and support services. | Provider finder (NDIS)
Find a registered provider (NDIS) How do I find and choose my NDIS service providers? (My Plan Manager) |
| Invoice and Bills | Resources for handling invoices | Unregistered Provider Invoice Checklist
Paying for your supports (NDIS) Information about self-management evidence requirements (NDIS) |
| Keeping Records | Information on maintaining records for NDIS-related transactions. | Keeping Records |
| Managing NDIS Funds Without Feeling Overwhelmed | Strategies to help manage NDIS funds without stress. | Managing NDIS Funds Without Feeling Overwhelmed (NDIS Financial Literacy Video Series) |
| My NDIS Participant Portal and App | Includes video explanations and Easy Read function. | my NDIS participant portal and app (NDIS Improvements) |
| Navigating the Transition to Self-Management | Resources to assist in transitioning to self-management of NDIS funds. | Where to Start
Financial Literacy for NDIS Self-Managers |
| Online Safety | Resources to help NDIS participants stay safe online. | Being safe online – Easy Read (eSafety Commissioner)
Online safety for young people with intellectual disability (eSafety Commissioner) Living with disability (eSafety Commissioner) |
| Peer Support | Resources for finding peer support networks for NDIS participants. | Find a Peer Network (Peer Connect)
NDIS and Peer Support for Mental Health (Kinder Caring)
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| Plan Reassessments | A checklist to prepare for NDIS plan reassessment. | Preparing for your plan reassessment (NDIS)
Preparing for Audits and Reviews (NDIS Financial Literacy Video Series) |
| Pricing Arrangements | NDIS price limits and how self-managers can negotiate support costs. | Providers and pricing (NDIS) |
| Reports from a Professional | Information on obtaining and using professional reports in NDIS planning. | Reports from a Professional
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| Reasonable and Necessary | Understanding the supports funded by the NDIS, and how a support or service is deemed reasonable and necessary. | Reasonable and necessary supports (NDIS)
Does the support meet the reasonable and necessary criteria? (NDIS) Understanding reasonable and necessary supports when developing an NDIS plan (NDIS) |
| Rights as a Consumer | Information on NDIS participants’ rights as consumers. | Your Rights as a Consumer |
| Service Agreements | Information on creating and understanding service agreements with NDIS providers. | Service Agreements |
| Supports Funded by the NDIS | Help understanding what supports you can and can’t spend your NDIS funds on. | Supports funded by the NDIS | NDIS |
| Useful Terms | Common financial and NDIS terms to help you better understand and manage your plan | Useful Financial Terms
Useful NDIS Terms |
| Wellbeing | information and services to support the mental health and wellbeing of individuals with disabilities, including crisis helplines and state-specific resources. | Mental health and wellbeing (Disability Gateway) |
| When Something Goes Wrong | Help to address issues with service providers, support coordinators, or NDIA staff, with steps to resolve concerns, make complaints, and access support services. | When something goes wrong (NDIS) |
| Working with Providers | How to work with NDIS providers, including choosing, managing, and negotiating support services, in both standard and Easy Read formats. | Factsheet: Working with providers (NDIS) |