Why an NDIS service agreement matters for your support

The Importance of Service Agreements

By Plan Partners · Originally published 17 April 2019

Two people discussing a document at a table

Deeper review: 6 October 2026. Read the historical agreement and material-cost statements with the current SIL/SDA requirements, actual support-item conditions and consumer protections.

How families can help someone understand the terms

Ask which parts the person wants help with. Read through a concrete example, such as a missed visit or a change of worker, and check whether the document explains what happens. Request plain language or another communication format where needed. NDIA guidance supports an understandable agreement process.

Keep the participant involved in proposing changes and deciding whether to accept the terms. Your help can make a document easier to use without taking the decision away from them.

Original article and dated context

This blog was published by Plan Partners, a leading Australian provider of NDIS Plan Management and Support Coordination. This is the third of their ongoing series. You can read more on their website.

Whenever we speak to someone who is starting to bring their NDIS plan to life, one of the first pieces of advice we give is to consider setting up service agreements with all their service providers.

Service agreements are not compulsory, but they can be a particularly useful tool for helping you get the services you require to live your life and meet the goals identified in your NDIS plan. And while they might sound like they’d be daunting to set up, they’re usually very simple – particularly when you consider the certainty they can provide.

[Clickability update, 6 October 2026: Current NDIA guidance requires service agreements for SIL and SDA and recommends them for other supports. Read the current provider-choice guidance.]

Why should you consider setting up service agreements?

As the name suggests, a service agreement is an agreement between you and your service provider. Your service provider could be any organisation that provides services to you under the NDIS – any organisation from a major national service provider or a one-person operation.

The service agreement is designed to protect both of you from misunderstandings or disagreements by clearly stating how much supports will be provided, how they will be provided and what costs and fees you’ll need to pay. Because the NDIS gives you more choice and control over the supports you receive, it also means you need to ensure they’re delivered in a way that aligns with your plan – this is where the service agreement comes in.

There is no single service agreement template and lots of registered providers will have their own. But if you use a smaller or unregistered provider that doesn’t have a standard service agreement, the NDIS provide a blank template you can use – View the NDIS template here

[Clickability update, September 2026: This is a historical template link. For current advice on what to discuss and include, use the NDIA agreement guidance.]

What’s in a service agreement?

While there’s no rule on what needs to be in a service agreement, it should contain enough details to prevent any misunderstandings over the support provided. As a general guide, your service agreement should include:

[Clickability update, September 2026: Agreements must still comply with applicable law and NDIS requirements. Do not read this wording as permission to include any condition you choose.]

Your name and contact details
Your provider’s name and contact details
The dates the service starts and ends
Note: these will need to be within the date range of your current NDIS plan
The type of services will be provided and/or the NDIS Support Item Numbers
Note: The specific numbers can be found in the NDIS Price Guide
How many services they will be providing until the end date of the agreement, including the number of hours per day, week or month
Costs per service and total cost of all services
Note: For many supports, the NDIS uses an hourly rate system. Any additional, material costs included on invoices won’t be covered unless they’re incorporated into the hourly rate, so remember to factor this in when creating your service agreement.
Terms and Conditions, including cancellation policies

[Clickability update, September 2026: The old wording about material costs is too broad to use as a current claiming rule. Confirm each proposed charge against the relevant pricing and claiming requirements before agreeing to it. Use the current pricing page and effective documents.]

Once you and your provider have a service agreement drafted, take your time to review it carefully. Once you’re happy with it, both you and your service provider should sign the document.

What should I do with my service agreement?

Once you have a signed service agreement, keep a copy for your records. This can be either physical or digital – whatever’s easiest for you – but the main thing is it’s at hand should you need to refer back to it down the track.

If you have <u>Plan Management</u> with Plan Partners, we also strongly suggest you send a copy to us. As your Plan Manager, we manage your NDIS funds and take care of all the day to day administration of your NDIS budgets. Knowing what you and your service provider have agreed upon in the service agreement can assist us with tracking your spending and ensuring you’re maximising your NDIS funds. It also helps our team keep up to date with the services you’re receiving, including the current contact details of your provider and the number of services that will be provided.

How can I get some assistance with setting up service agreements?

If you’d like to get some assistance with setting up service agreements, most service providers who operate under the NDIS have standard service agreements and are happy to help you. For some more advice, you can also contact your Local Area Coordinator or your Support Coordinator.

If you have a Support Coordinator, they can even help you with organising and reviewing your service agreements and liaising with your service providers directly. Click here for more information about Support Coordination.

Our friendly team is here to help you too with some general advice on service agreements. Just call us on 1300 333 700 or leave your details here and we’ll contact you.

Use the agreement when support changes or a charge is disputed

Start with the service you actually agreed to

If a charge or visit differs from what you expected, put the agreement, booking and invoice beside each other. Identify the specific difference: task, duration, price, travel or cancellation. Ask the provider to explain that point in writing instead of accepting a general statement that everything is in the contract.

Keep a record of your question and the response. If you want to change support, check the agreed notice process and discuss continuity before ending essential visits. An understandable agreement is useful throughout the relationship, not only on the day it is signed.

Ask what changed before signing a replacement version, and keep the version you agreed to.

For service options, compare a plan manager against the tasks and communication you need.

Make terms fair and accessible before relying on them

Explain the proposed service and price in a way the participant understands. Current NDIA guidance requires agreements for SIL and SDA and recommends them for other supports. An older statement that all agreements are optional is incomplete. Read the official guidance

Consumer law still applies. A standard contract does not give permission to use unfair terms or remove applicable consumer rights. Review a disputed term on its merits and identify a complaints route rather than treating the signature as the end of every discussion. Read the ACCC’s contract guidance

Help resolve a mismatch without assuming authority to sign

With the participant’s consent, help identify what was promised and what has changed. Ask for an accessible explanation, keep the participant’s preference visible and clarify who has legal authority for any decision that needs a representative.

Separate the provider’s contractual terms from NDIS claiming rules. Do not assume every material cost must be hidden inside an hourly rate because the historical article says so. Ask how each proposed charge is permitted and recorded under the actual support item.

Questions readers ask

Do I need to keep a copy after signing?

Yes. Keep a copy in a format you can access so you can check agreed services, costs and arrangements for changes. Official guidance

Can a service agreement make every listed cost NDIS-funded?

No. Agreeing to a cost does not establish that it meets NDIS funding or claiming requirements. Check the particular support and charge. Official guidance

Does signing a standard agreement remove consumer protections?

No. Applicable consumer law still applies, including rules about unfair terms. Ask for disputed terms and charges to be explained. Official guidance

Find a provider and agree how support will work

Start a service request with Clickability, then use provider profiles and reviews to prepare your questions about support and costs.

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