Your NDIS plan questions,
answered plainly.
Plain words, no jargon. And when you want answers about your own plan — talk it through with Matey, free.
How do I understand my NDIS plan?
Your plan has three main parts: your goals, your funded supports (the budgets), and the plan dates. The budgets are grouped — Core is generally the most flexible, Capacity Building is split into set purposes, and Capital is for things like equipment. The fastest way to make sense of yours: upload it and talk it through with Matey — it reads only your document, explains it in plain words or Easy Read, and tells you when something isn't in there.
What are the NDIS budget categories?
Plans group funding into three budgets. Core Supports covers everyday help — daily activities, consumables, transport, and social and community participation — and is generally the most flexible. Capacity Building is for building skills and independence, like therapies, support coordination or employment help, and each of its categories can only be spent on its own purpose. Capital is for bigger one-off items such as assistive technology or home modifications, usually only for what is specifically approved. Your own plan lists which budgets you have and how much sits in each.
What's the difference between Core and Capacity Building funding?
Core funding pays for the support you need with daily life now, and it's generally flexible — you can usually move it between Core categories. Capacity Building is an investment in skills and independence, and it doesn't flex the same way: money in one Capacity Building category can't be moved to another. And in any budget, a 'stated' support stays locked to its purpose. Your plan document says which is which.
What can I spend my NDIS funding on?
Funding can be spent on supports that relate to your disability, help you pursue your plan goals, and are 'reasonable and necessary'. Core funding is generally flexible across everyday supports; some supports are 'stated', which means locked to one purpose. The NDIS doesn't fund everyday living costs (like rent or groceries), health care that Medicare covers, or things schools must provide.
Why does my plan say a support is 'stated'?
A stated support is locked to a specific purpose — the money can't be moved to something else, even inside the same budget. Flexible funding can move between similar supports. Your plan document says which is which; if it isn't clear, that's exactly the kind of question to ask your plan manager or the NDIA on 1800 800 110.
What's the difference between agency-managed, plan-managed and self-managed?
Agency-managed means the NDIA pays providers directly and you can only use registered providers. Plan-managed means a plan manager handles the invoices and you can use registered and unregistered providers. Self-managed gives you the widest choice — you pay and claim back, and you keep records. You can ask to change how your plan is managed.
When is my NDIS plan review (reassessment), and how do I prepare?
Your plan document shows its end date or reassessment date — that's when the NDIA looks at your plan again. Preparation is mostly evidence and clarity: how you used your supports, what worked, what your goals are next, and recent reports from your therapists or providers. Writing down the questions you want to ask helps too. Matey can read your plan, point out the dates, and help you draft notes or a letter for the review — what you send stays up to you.
What do I do if I don't agree with an NDIS decision?
You can ask for an internal review within 3 months of the decision letter — it's free, and a different person looks at it. If you still don't agree after that, you can go to the Administrative Review Tribunal. Putting your request in writing and attaching evidence (like therapist reports) helps. Matey can help you draft that letter — you send it yourself.
Can my provider charge more than my plan allows?
Providers can't charge above the NDIS price caps for funded supports, and your service agreement sets the agreed price. If a provider wants to change prices, they need to agree it with you first — in writing. If an invoice looks wrong, ask them to point to where the agreement allows it, and check your statements.
Can I get a plain-language summary of my NDIS plan?
Yes — that's what Matey does. Upload your plan and it walks you through your budgets, goals and dates in plain English, by voice or text, in 12 languages, or in Easy Read. It's free, there's no sign-up, and your plan is never stored — the summary exists for your session and is gone when you close the page.
Is Matey free? What's the catch?
Free for participants — funded by providers who sponsor seats. No sign-up, nothing to install. Your plan and your conversations are never stored: your plan is read for your session and gone when you close it.
Does Matey work in my language?
Yes — Matey speaks 12 languages today, and you can just start speaking in your language and it follows. It also has an Easy Read mode: short sentences, one fact at a time. For NDIS calls, interpreting is available through TIS National on 131 450.
Is Matey part of the NDIS or the NDIA?
No. NDISmate.ai is independent — not the NDIA and not affiliated with the NDIS. Matey can't approve funding or change your plan. It helps you understand your plan and prepares you to act — the decisions stay yours. For official matters, the NDIS is on 1800 800 110.
Can Matey give me financial or legal advice?
No — and that's deliberate. Matey gives general plan information, not legal, financial or medical advice. It won't guess: if something isn't in your plan, it says so; if it can't verify a price, it refuses and helps you ask the right person instead.
Ready to understand your plan?
Upload it and talk it through — voice or text, 12 languages, Easy Read. Never stored.
Talk to Matey →General information only — not legal, financial, medical or definitive funding advice. NDISmate.ai is not the NDIA. NDIS 1800 800 110 · TIS 131 450 · emergency 000. Home · Guides · Privacy · Terms