Why NDSP Won’t Process Some Invoices and How We Guide You Towards Approval

As your plan management specialist, NDSP is diligent in ensuring your invoices are accurate and compliant before they go to the NDIS for approval. This saves you time, stress, and allows you to make fuller use of your funding.

However, there are some circumstances where we are unable to process your invoice, and therefore cannot send it on to the NDIS. In this article we will address the common reasons for this, and how NDSP helps you with resubmission or other next steps.

Why are some NDIS invoices not processed?

Beyond basic administrative errors such as incorrect participant or provider information on the invoice, there are two major reasons we might query invoices:

1. Compliance with NDIS Pricing Arrangements

If you are Plan-Managed or agency-managed, the supports you engage must comply with the NDIS Pricing Arrangements and Price Limits (previously known as Price Guide). 

Should you wish to engage supports that are not compliant with NDIS Pricing Arrangements and Pricing Limits, there is the option to self-manage your plan. If you choose this self-managed option you will be liable for keeping records, budgeting, and paying your providers. You may sometimes need to do this out of pocket, and in advance of any NDIS funds being released. This is not ideal for many participants.

The Pricing Arrangements are regularly updated by the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) and place a maximum price on specific supports. This is done to regulate the prices participants are charged, which helps ensure you get value for money. 

If the provider’s invoice does not meet these requirements it will be rejected by the NDIS. Because we have our own stringent process to catch errors beforehand, it is likely the invoice will not be processed by us at that point (prior to NDIS submission).

2. Alignment with NDIS Plan Funding

This refers to the specific funding allocated to you in your NDIS plan. If your service providers do not have a real-time overview of your budgets, it may be difficult to keep track of how much funding you have available across various support categories.

NDSP will be unable to process your invoices if one or more of the following reasons occur:

• The funding for categories or items is not outlined in your NDIS Plan. For example, your plan includes funds for a pre-specified Assistive Technology (under Capital Supports). However, Capital Supports are not flexible. You cannot try to use these funds to pay for different technology than what has been specified in your plan, or use these funds to boost a different Supports budget.
• Funds are unavailable in your plan. Overspending on your budgets exposes you to the risk of receiving a bill to pay it back later, so if you do not have sufficient funds remaining we will flag this with you instead of submitting the invoice.
• Your invoices would not be considered reasonable and necessary by the NDIS. For example, invoices for a gym membership or sports team uniforms will likely not be approved under your Improved Health and Wellbeing budget. The NDIS considers these to be costs everyone must pay, not a barrier to participation or achieving your goals.

 

Looking for further information on how funding works for NDIS participants, and what the NDIS will or won’t fund? Read our article explaining NDIS funding categories in more depth.

Related: NDIS Support Worker Pay Rates in 2025

How NDSP Provides Feedback for Future Approvals

Because we run internal compliance checks before submitting your invoice to the NDIS, we are able to catch potential issues and work with you to quickly find a solution.

This would be during our own process prior to NDIS submission, so we would be able to provide feedback and recommendations quickly. Our internal processes take between 0-3 days, with half our claims typically processed right away.

How it works:

1. NDSP receives an invoice or reimbursement to invoices@ndsp.com.au (type should be indicated in the subject line).
2. The invoice requiring manual intervention will be loaded into the system for review by our expert consultants.
3. If our team requires action from you to progress the invoice for submission, you will be contacted and advised with all the relevant details.

 

You may have noticed that the NDIS have recently increased their participant safeguarding measures prior to releasing funds. There is no additional criteria, but the NDIS has their own reviewing processes and may find compliance issues with your invoice. This is less likely if it has passed our internal review, but it can happen.

If an invoice passes NDSP compliance checks but is rejected by NDIS, we will explain why and help you to resubmit the invoice. We do this by providing specific, actionable guidance for correction and resubmission.

What if your invoice can’t be resubmitted?

If the issues with your invoice are not able to be corrected for resubmission, it is likely you have engaged supports outside of what your plan covers. This can indicate that your plan is no longer meeting your needs. 

In this instance, we may advise you to arrange a plan reassessment to make sure you have the right supports. You do not have to wait until your current plan is finished to request a reassessment with the help of your Local Area Coordinator (LAC), or Support Coordinator if applicable.

How NDSP helps you manage your NDIS funding

We approach NDIS plan management in multiple ways. Firstly, we help remove the burden of plan management from your shoulders by acting as your NDIS-specific financial intermediary. This frees up time and energy for you to focus on more important things – like achieving your goals, and living your best life.

We also want to empower you through education. While working with the experts in plan management can make things a lot less stressful, understanding how funding works will further help you navigate your NDIS plan (and avoid common pitfalls). 

NDSP can help build your capacity in this potentially tricky area. We do this with free resources in our online Participant Toolbox; by keeping you in the loop with monthly reports, 24/7 access to your budgets and invoices at your fingertips; and, by having a friendly and knowledgeable team available to answer any questions or concerns you may have.

If you’re looking to switch providers or get started with Plan Management, contact us today to learn more about how NDSP can help. We would love to hear from you.