How to Change NDIS Provider Without a Gap in Your Support

You can change providers

Under the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), you choose who delivers your supports, and you can change your mind.

Changing is usually straightforward. The part that catches people out is timing. If you end one agreement before the next one starts, you can be left without support for days or weeks. The steps below follow the order the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) suggests on its How to change providers page, with a few practical notes added.

Step 1: Read your service agreement

Start with the service agreement you signed with your current provider. A service agreement is the written arrangement between you and a provider that sets out what support you get, what it costs and how either of you can change or end it.

The NDIA says your service agreement will tell you how much notice you need to give. This is sometimes called the notice period or cancellation period. There is no single notice period that applies to everyone, so check yours rather than assuming. The NDIS Provider Toolkit says an agreement should set out the notice needed for either side to change or end it, and how notice is given, for example by email or mail.

While you have the agreement out, look for:

• The notice period, and whether it is counted in days or weeks
• How notice must be given, for example in writing, by email, or on the provider's own form
• Any fees for ending the agreement without the agreed notice
• The end date, because some agreements run for a fixed term and may be close to finishing anyway

On fees, the NDIA notes that your provider may charge a fee if you do not give the agreed notice, and that the NDIS pricing arrangements set the conditions for this. If you cannot find your agreement, ask the provider for a copy. You are entitled to know what you signed.

If you never signed a written agreement, you can still change providers. Ask the provider in writing what notice they expect, so you both have the same understanding.

Step 2: Line up your new provider first

This is the step that prevents a gap. The NDIA recommends you find a new provider before you finish up with your current one, so there is no break in your supports.

In practice, that means:

1. Shortlist providers who deliver the support you need in your area. You can search CareLocate's directory, which is built from the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission's public register. Where a provider has told us whether they are taking new clients, the listing shows it, with the date they last confirmed.
2. Ask about capacity and a start date. A provider being registered for a support does not mean they have room. Ask when they could realistically start.
3. Check their registration if it matters for how your plan is managed. Our guide on checking a provider's registration number walks through it.
4. Agree the start date and sign a new service agreement. The NDIA recommends having a written service agreement with the new provider. Read its notice and cancellation terms now, while it is easy to ask questions.

Once you know the new start date, count back by your current notice period. That tells you the latest day to give notice without leaving a gap.

If you would rather describe what you need and have providers come to you, you can use Find Care.

Step 3: Give notice in writing

When the new arrangement is confirmed, tell your current provider. The NDIA suggests you ask whether they have a form or process for ending an agreement, and sort out any outstanding payments.

Even if you have already told your support worker in person, put it in writing to the provider. An email is fine unless your agreement says otherwise. Keep it short and factual:

• Your name and NDIS number
• That you are ending the service agreement
• Your last day of service, worked out from the notice period
• A request to confirm receipt and to send any final invoice

You do not have to give a reason. Feedback is optional.

Step 4: Tell the people who manage your funding

Who else needs to know depends on how your plan is managed. The NDIA says that if you have a support coordinator or plan manager, you should tell them you are changing providers.

How your plan is managed	What to do
Plan-managed	Tell your plan manager the end date for the old provider and the details of the new one, so they pay the right invoices from the right date.
Agency-managed (the NDIA pays providers)	Check with the old provider whether you need to end the service booking or provider relationship, or whether they will do it. See the note below.
Self-managed	You pay providers yourself, so check the final invoice against your agreement before paying, and keep records of both.
Have a support coordinator	Tell them early. They can often help find the new provider and plan the handover.

The NDIA says to check with your old provider whether you need to end the service booking (in the older myplace portal) or the my provider relationship (in the my NDIS participant portal), or whether they will end it for you in the provider portal. You can add, change or remove providers at any time by talking to your my NDIS contact or calling the NDIA on 1800 800 110. If you are not sure which applies to you, ask your plan manager, support coordinator or the NDIA. Our explainer on plan management options covers the differences.

Step 5: Hand over what your new provider needs

A good handover makes the first few weeks with a new provider much smoother. You decide what is shared. Things that often help:

• Your current goals and the parts of your plan the support relates to
• Routines, preferences and what has worked well
• Any risks, health needs or behaviour support information that keeps you safe
• Contact details for your plan manager or support coordinator

You can ask your old provider for copies of information they hold about you, such as care notes or plans they wrote with you. Give the new provider only what you are comfortable sharing, and tell them if anything has changed.

When the provider is the problem

Sometimes you are leaving because something went wrong. Changing providers does not stop you raising it, and raising it can protect other participants too.

If anyone is in danger, call 000. The NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission (the NDIS Commission), which regulates NDIS providers and workers, says to call triple zero in an emergency, and to call the Commission as soon as possible if someone could be harmed soon but it is not an emergency.

For other concerns, there are two routes, and you can use either:

1. Raise it with the provider. The Commission notes that talking directly to your provider, if you feel comfortable, can resolve a concern quickly. Your provider must make it safe to raise a concern, deal with it quickly and effectively, and must not threaten you for complaining.
2. Contact the NDIS Commission. You can report an issue about the quality or safety of your supports online or by phone on 1800 035 544 (TTY 133 677, or ask the National Relay Service for 1800 035 544). Interpreters can be arranged. You can have a family member, friend or independent advocate help you.

It helps to know what the Commission does not handle. It does not offer individual dispute resolution, and issues with your NDIS plan or funding go to the NDIA, not the Commission. A disagreement about a final invoice, for example, is usually something to sort out with the provider, your plan manager or an advocate.

One more thing worth knowing: the Commission lists someone threatening to hurt a person if they stop using a provider as a serious issue to report straight away. Nobody can pressure you to stay.

A quick checklist

Before you give notice, you should be able to answer yes to each of these:

• I know my notice period and how notice must be given.
• My new provider has confirmed a start date, in writing.
• The last day with my old provider is on or after the new start date.
• My plan manager or support coordinator knows, or I know how to update my service bookings.
• I have decided what information to pass on.

If all five are ticked, the switch should be close to seamless. When you are ready to start looking, browse providers by location and service.