What to Do If Your NDIS Provider Closes Down
More NDIS providers are closing than ever before. Some give months of notice and personally help every participant find somewhere new. Others stop with very little warning, and families are left to work out the next steps on their own.
If your provider has just told you they are closing, or your supports have suddenly stopped, this guide walks you through what to do, in the order that matters most.
Your NDIS funding is not lost
This is usually the first worry, so let's start there. Your NDIS funding belongs to your plan, not to your provider. When a provider closes, any funding you haven't used stays in your plan and can be used with a new provider.
If your plan is NDIA managed, some of your funding may be set aside for the old provider in the NDIS portal. Once that provider is removed, the funds are free to use again. We cover how to check this in Step 6.
What should happen when an NDIS provider closes
Every NDIS provider, registered or unregistered, has to follow the NDIS Code of Conduct, and that includes when they stop providing services. The NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission expects a closing provider to:
tell participants in a way they can understand, including dates, options, next steps and who to contact
talk with each participant about their options
help participants move to a new provider of their choice, so their supports continue safely
let the NDIA know, and for registered providers, the NDIS Commission as well
If a provider has gone into administration or liquidation, the administrator or liquidator takes on that responsibility.
Closures are often sudden and hard on the provider too, so not every step always happens. If something was missed, the steps below will help you fill the gaps.
Step 1: Make sure essential supports are covered first
If the closure affects personal care, medication support or someone who can't safely be left without support at home, deal with that before anything else. Call your support coordinator if you have one, or the NDIS on 1800 800 110, and tell them exactly which supports have stopped.
If family or friends can step in for a few days, that buys you time, but say so honestly when you speak to the NDIS so they understand it is a stopgap. If anyone is in immediate danger, call 000.
Step 2: Get things in writing
Even if the closure was sudden, contact the provider, by email if you can, and ask for:
written confirmation of the date your services stopped
copies of your records, such as support plans, risk assessments, behaviour support information and medication charts
a final statement showing every support they are charging for
Your records help a new provider start safely, without you having to go back over everything from scratch.
Step 3: Tell the people who can help
Your support coordinator, if your plan includes support coordination. Linking you with new providers is a big part of what a support coordinator does.
Your my NDIS contact, often a Local Area Coordinator, or the NDIS on 1800 800 110.
Your plan manager, if you are plan managed. Let them know the provider has closed and ask them to check any invoices from that provider before paying them.
If some of these terms are new to you, our simple guide to NDIS terminology explains them.
Step 4: Find a new provider
You get to choose who supports you. A closure is stressful, but it is also a chance to think about what was working and what wasn't, rather than filling the gap with whoever is free first.
A few places to start:
your support coordinator or my NDIS contact
other families, local community groups, and directories like our NDIS Provider Directory
How your plan is managed makes a difference. If your plan is NDIA managed, you can only use registered providers. If you are plan managed or self managed, you can use registered or unregistered providers, which gives you a lot more choice.
When you speak to a possible new provider, it is worth asking:
When can you start, and can you cover the days and times I need?
Could you take on my regular support worker? When a provider closes, its workers need new jobs too. If you had a worker you trusted, ask whether the new provider can employ them, so a familiar face comes with you.
What are your prices, and what is your cancellation policy?
Can I read your service agreement before I sign?
Step 5: Check your invoices and your budget
Go through the final invoices from the closed provider and check them against the supports you actually received. You should not be charged for anything after your services stopped. If something doesn't add up, raise it with the provider, or the administrator, and with your plan manager before it is paid.
If you self manage, check what you have already paid and keep copies of everything.
Step 6: Update the NDIS portal
If your plan is NDIA managed, the old provider should end their connection to your plan in the NDIS portal. When a provider closes suddenly, this doesn't always happen.
Log in to the my NDIS participant portal and check. If the old provider is still showing, call the NDIS on 1800 800 110 and ask them to end it, so your new provider can be set up. The NDIS has more detail on how to change providers.
Where to get extra help
Most providers close because the numbers stopped adding up, not because they stopped caring, and many do their best to look after participants on the way out. Even so, it can happen quickly, and families are sometimes left to sort things out on their own.
If you're stuck, or something about the move doesn't feel right, the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission can give advice on 1800 035 544. An independent disability advocate can also help you work through it, at no cost. Search online for the Disability Advocacy Finder to find one near you.
A quick checklist
Essential supports covered for the next few days
Closure date and your records requested in writing
Support coordinator, my NDIS contact and plan manager told
New provider chosen and service agreement signed
Final invoices checked
Old provider removed from the NDIS portal
How Loving Life can help
We provide 1:1 support and small group programs across the Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast for participants who are plan managed or self managed. If your provider has closed and you need support to keep going, get in touch. We'll talk you through what we can offer, and if we're not the right fit, we'll let you know.
📍 Based on the Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast
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