Protect your NDIS funds: check invoices and report concerns

Smart Planning: How to better protect your NDIS funds

By Fahmy · Originally published 22 September 2021

A small plant growing above a pile of coins

How participants can check a claim without assuming every error is fraud

Compare the service date, provider, hours, rate and description with what was delivered. Keep the invoice and ask your plan manager to explain an unexpected charge. Record what is disputed and the response, rather than approving a payment simply because the provider is familiar.

If you suspect deliberate misuse, report it through the NDIA’s published route. Reporting does not guarantee a refund or an immediate budget increase. Ask separately about continuity of essential support while the concern is addressed.

Original article and dated context

Fahmy leads the MOIRA Financial Plan management team at MOIRA. He is passionate about supporting positive social outcomes through experience gained from the financial services industry. He’s been part of MOIRA for over 3 years, loves his black coffee and in that time he has become known as Mr Nice, always ready to jump in and lend a helping hand to anyone.
Your NDIS Plan, and the funds you’re given to achieve your NDIS goals, play a big role in how you want to live your life. This is why it’s important to protect your NDIS funds, so you never have to go without the supports you need.
To help protect your funds, we want to look at how your funds could be compromised, how this might affect your NDIS Plan, and what you can do to keep your NDIS Plan in good health! MOIRA specialises in NDIS Plan Management so we thought we’d share a few handy tips.

How can NDIS funds be compromised?

Sometimes, funds are compromised due to invoicing errors. This could include a person or provider, often accidentally,
  • invoicing for a support that’s not funded by the NDIS, eg. utility bills
  • invoicing for an incorrect support (such as lawnmowing when the support was cleaning)
  • invoicing for an incorrect unit (such as 3 hours instead of 2 hours)
Sometimes, an error may also arise when a claim is duplicated and you’re being invoiced for the same amount, or if you’re being invoiced for supports you never received. Other times, you or your Plan Manager might receive an invoice from an unknown or dubious provider.
In extreme cases, someone might fraudulently claim your NDIS funds. The NDIS shares cases here, while you can report them by calling 1800 650 717 or emailing fraudreporting@ndis.gov.au.

[Clickability update, October 2026: For current reporting, use the official online route or dedicated helpline. Keep the evidence and reference number; do not repeatedly submit the same matter. Read current NDIA fraud reporting guidance.]

How does this impact your NDIS Plan?

The biggest concern with compromised NDIS funds is that your NDIS funds is at risk of running out before the end of your NDIS Plan. This means you would have insufficient funds to get your required supports, or your trusted providers won’t be paid for supports they’ve already delivered.
If this happened, you would need to initiate a Plan Review and spend time working alongside providers and the Agency to determine how the funds were lost. This is far from a simple and easy process and can take a long time, one that you shouldn’t have to go through.
Case study: We had a recent case, where a participant of a MOIRA Chargeback provider discovered that duplicated charges totalling $48k were made by the provider over a three-month period. (If the invoice number is different, a Plan Manager nor the NDIA may necessarily know the invoice is duplicated.) We contacted the provider on behalf of the participant and retrieved the full $48k based on our Chargeback agreement terms. The participant was very happy, and the provider was able to identify and remediate the error in their systems and processes to prevent future occurrence.
If the Participant wasn’t with MOIRA and their Chargeback provider, they would be at risk of losing the $48k. Chargeback is a unique legal arrangement between MOIRA and the provider (with legal and financial recourse held) facilitating next business day invoice payment. No participant authorisation is required prior to claim, so it saves time – but the arrangement means the NDIS funds are protected regardless of how long ago the invoice was paid.

[Clickability update, October 2026: This is a historical provider-specific contractual claim. Check current written terms, authorisation, exclusions and recovery arrangements directly. Do not assume another plan manager offers the same guarantee.]

How can you protect your Plan?

We’ve shared how your NDIS funds may be compromised and what this means for you, but how do you prevent this from happening in the first place? A Plan Manager is not privy to all the supports provided or delivered, so here are our top tips:
  • As you already do with your own bank account, regularly check your NDIS Support Category balances for any unusual activity or unexpected changes.
  • Get regular statements that are clear and simple to understand or better still having access to a portal offered by the plan manager should provide you with up-to-date information. If not, ask the plan manager or support coordinator to take you through them.
  • Ask to review and authorise each invoice received, as you’re more likely to pick up on any unusual activity that could be easily missed under a ‘standing authority arrangement’. The risk is much higher under a standing authority, which allows any number of invoices regardless of invoice amounts from a chosen service provider to be processed without authorisation.
  • Ask if your Plan Manager has any other controls or ways invoices are processed. In MOIRA’s case, we have Chargeback and Invoice Authorisation Option (IAO) for participants. Participants can choose to have up to $1,000 of invoices paid without approval, and participants have a two-business day window to review and stop a payment if required. If MOIRA doesn’t hear back after this period, MOIRA proceeds to claim and pay.
  • Does your Plan Manager send alerts for when NDIS funds are both at risk of overspend and underspend?
  • Does your Plan Manager portal have good security protections, such as auto time-out, two-factor authentication, and password protection?
  • Never share your portal passwords and familiarise yourself with cyber security threats. For instance, don’t trust an email that doesn’t have a known email address.

Looking for more information? Check these out!

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Clickability editorial update: October 2026

Help protect records and participant control

With permission, help reconcile statements and spot duplicate service dates or unexplained providers. Agree who can approve invoices and how the participant is informed. Keep passwords private and ask the plan manager about access and authorisation controls rather than taking over the account informally.

Questions readers ask

Is every duplicate invoice proof of fraud?

No. It may be an error; explain the concern and keep evidence. Report suspected misuse through the appropriate route. Official guidance

Does a provider’s historical chargeback example guarantee recovery?

No. Check current contract terms and the actual circumstances.

Find a plan manager with clear invoice controls

Tell Clickability what financial administration help you need. Compare reviewed and rated profiles and ask how invoices are checked, disputed and explained.

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