Are you a provider? Do you want to join the PlanCare ONEteam
Partnership Program? See how it works
Join our provider directory. We sometimes get asked to recommend providers for specific services/locations. Tell us who you are.
In-kind supports refer to supports that the government (state/territory or federal) has already paid to a provider for a service you receive. Back before the NDIS, this was how the system worked for people with a disability, however now that the NDIS is fully rolled out this is no longer the case.
For people who transitioned onto the NDIS, but still use some pre-paid supports, these are referred to as in-kind supports and aren’t purchased using the funds from your NDIS plan. Some examples of in-kind supports that have existed in the past (and some which still exist) are costs relating to hearing impairments (e.g. the costs of hearing aids or audiologists), the cost of personal care in schools, some health related supports (such as ventilators) and transportation.
Most in-kind supports are now part of NDIS, or will be very soon – they’re now paid for using the funding in your plan, like you would pay for any other support. You can also opt to have the support managed differently – self-managed, plan-managed, or you can choose to keep it NDIA-managed if you like. When you have your planning meeting, your LAC or planner should consider the in-kind supports you were using, and make sure that the right amount of funding is included in your plan for you to continue to use the service.
If you have in-kind supports in your plan, they will have to be NDIA-managed as the government has already paid for them. If you’re not happy with the in-kind supports that you have, you can choose to use another provider and pay them with the funds you have in your NDIS plan however you’ll need to ensure that you have enough funding for your other supports too.
If you’re receiving in-kind supports, and they’re about to end, then NDIA will let you know beforehand – you can also contact the provider of the in-kind supports too.