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MAY 2022
What is and isn’t funded from the different types of budgets in an NDIS plan can sometimes be confusing.
Plan Management is under a budget called CHOICE & CONTROL and that’s exactly what we support our customers to have – their choice and the control over what they spend their budget on (in line with their goals of course!).
Plan Tracker’s commitment to customers to make sure they have a choice and keep control, together with our NDIS and Plan Management experience, makes us a little different to some plan managers. One of the ways we do this is through our MY CHOICE TOOL. It’s a great way to help make a decision, by asking yourself important questions that lead you back to the goals in your plan. You can use the tool as many times as you like. In fact we encourage customers to use it whenever they’re trying to decide on support or service. You can find the tool here – and you can fill it in online or download it.
Case Study:
Jenny* wanted to buy and install four raised garden beds in her backyard so she could plant flowers, herbs and vegies. Each garden bed cost around $500 each.
Spending around $2000 from her core budget on garden beds would mean less money for other important day-to-day supports for Jenny, which may have had a negative impact in the longer term. Talking with Jenny about her love of gardening and the benefit of having raised beds, and knowing that it met her Plan goal, we encouraged Jenny to use the My Choice Tool. Having gone through the questions, Jenny decided that maybe one garden bed would be a good start. That way she could see if she used it and enjoyed it first, without spending a large amount from her core budget.
By taking the time to explain the process and the My Choice Tool with Jenny, she was empowered to make an informed (self-directed) decision. She compromised and decided to start with two garden beds, knowing that in following plans she may be able to add more beds to her garden at a later stage.
Throughout this process, Jenny retained CHOICE and CONTROL over how to spend her budget. And now she gets to enjoy fresh vegies and herbs from her garden, without compromising on the important day-to-day supports she needs.
*name changed to protect privacy
When you’re making choices about how to spend your funding, sometimes it’s helpful to record your thought process. We’ve created this FREE tool, with a list of questions to consider, to help make your decision My Supports, My Choice Tool – Plan Tracker
You can find more helpful information including case studies, visit the NDIS Support budgets in your plan | NDIS
Questions?
If you are supporting a Participant who is Plan Managed, we have a page just for you. Check out our ‘Information for Providers’ page here or give us a call 1800 549 670.
Important Note – It’s important always to seek independent financial advice from your accountant or financial advisor.