PACE-Frequently asked questions
PACE is the name of a new business computer system for NDIA staff and partners. PACE is the platform or program that the NDIS staff will use to manage participant information, enquiries, NDIS Plans, and budgets.
Provider and Participant Communication Environment.
Existing participants won’t be rolled onto PACE until they have a new NDIS plan, this will be communicated during the plan reassessment. New participants will be notified that they’re on PACE during their planning meeting.
The NDIS expects the rollout to take up to 18 months.
You will notice some differences in how your funding is displayed. Many areas of your new plan will look the same, like your “about me” statement and your goals. There will be more space for you to add extra detail if you choose. You will still have stated and flexible supports, but your new plan will be built by support categories. Because we will list your budgets at the support category level and as a whole dollar figure rather than as a line-by-line cost, you will have more flexibility over how you use your total budget eg: you will see your core supports budget as a total figure, to use flexibly across your assistance with daily living, social, community participation, and consumables supports.
You will see the new categories listed only if you have funds allocated in these new categories. Please see below under “New Categories’
The NDIA will release funds in instalments. This could mean NDIS participants with a three-year plan have their funds released in portions every 12 months, while others may have funding released more frequently. This is designed to help participants manage their budget more easily
Providers will receive a notification in my NDIS provider portal notification center about important information, including a change to a participant’s plan reassessment date.
You only need to record my providers for the parts of your plan that are Agency-managed. The providers who help you with Agency-managed parts of your plan, or specialist disability accommodation, home, and living and/or behavioural supports, must be registered providers
Yes, service agreements are still recommended as best practice for all supports.
- Participant-endorsed providers (my providers)
- Release of funding at intervals
- Rollover of funding
- Participant check ins
- Changes to service bookings
- Viewing participant plans
- Requests for service
- New reporting templates
- Additional information available to providers
- New notifications from the ‘my NDIS’ provider portal
There are three changes to NDIS support types and support categories. For PACE participants the NDIA are introducing a new support type in addition to Core, Capacity and Capital, called Recurring Transport. This will be a self-managed category specifically designed for regular transport payments. Please click to view a summary of the changes
Participants will now have the ability to endorse providers as ‘My Providers’. This endorsement informs the NDIA that the provider can make claims against the NDIS participant’s plan. This means participant-endorsed providers can be paid faster than those that are not endorsed.
NDIA will initiate check-ins with NDIS participants throughout their plan period.
These check-ins aim to evaluate the effectiveness of the plan, whether it meets the participant’s needs, and to address any issues.
They may occur at regular intervals, before a reassessment date, or when the NDIA suspects that a participant’s plan isn’t working effectively.
The participant may choose to have their NDIS Support Coordinator with them at their check-in.
Testimonials
Read what our Participants, Carers, Support Coordinators and Providers are saying about us.
I would like to pass on my feedback regarding the team at PMA and Stu. I would like to sincerely thank you for all your ongoing assistance and support. Stu has been extremely helpful, proactive, and quick whenever I have a participant needing compliant plan management services. Since the trusting relationship that has been built, I am now always referring and recommending my participants, families, Guardians to PMA, as I have never had an issue and truly trust this team as a complaint and trusted plan manager.
As always thank you!
Jessica
As a Specialist Support Coordinator, I have been happily working with Plan Manage Assist to support our mutual NDIS clients for many years now. The PMA team is friendly, responsive, and helpful – definitely recommended!
I can only speak for Stu P – because all my interactions have been with him. He has been so darn helpful to me so many times. He is not a plan manager there… he is more of an organiser. But if the rest of them are anything like him, that would be great.
Switched from another plan manager and immediately noticed the difference in efficiency and responsiveness. They are always happy to help me answer all of my questions!
Serena from Plan Manage Assist was incredibly helpful to work with. Communication was clear, responsive, and always centred on participant outcomes. Collaboration felt smooth and professional throughout, and it’s obvious she genuinely cares about the people she supports. A trusted plan manager and a pleasure to work alongside. I’d confidently recommend Serena and the Plan Manage Assist team.
Thank you I love you guys. I can always speak to someone and not get a recorded message.
Thank you Plan Manage Assist your team are so involved.
Thank you Kathleen and the team at Plan Manage Assist, you honestly go beyond your duty of care in providing such a fabulous service, it goes to show you are passionate about what you do. I will definitely be recommending you. Thanks again.
Easy to deal with, great communication and go above and beyond!
You are the most responsive plan manager I have ever worked with, keep it up.
We are grateful to everyone at Plan Manage Assist for supporting us with all enquiries related invoices and payments for NDIS. Specially Kathleen and her partner are very helpful and always respond to our enquiries swiftly. We really like their work ethics and approach when dealing with our matter. Thank you for all your support PMA. Best regards.
Great to hear from you. We are all well thank you, hope you’re keeping well too. Category Breakdown – this new format looks great – I like that all budget data can be viewed on one page, as you said, it’s not dissimilar to the current page format, this is a nice updated version. Dial Graph – this looks great too and easy to read. Generally speaking it’s not as informative as the category breakdown )all budget information on one page).
I am really happy with Plan Manage Assist. Their communication has been great. They notify me when funding is close to depletion, or if there are any issues with my participant’s plan. I have not experienced this type of communication with any other plan manager provider. They have also been super helpful with answering my questions when calling or emailing. The support coordination portal is also great, as it is easy to navigate and read.
Hello, thank you so much. What a great thing to do. Have to say this does not happen with other plan managers I work with.
I changed from Self Managed to Plan Manage Assist some two years ago. PMA allows me to manage the accounts, check the invoices, and keep on top of the finances. At the end of the two-year NDIS plan it is relatively simple to formulate a new budget for the next two years. I have no hesitation in recommending Plan Manage Assist for the task.
I changed from Self Managed to Plan Manage Assist some two years ago. PMA allows me to manage the accounts, check the invoices, and keep on top of the finances. At the end of the two-year NDIS plan it is relatively simple to formulate a new budget for the next two years. I have no hesitation in recommending Plan Manage Assist for the task.
My mum moved my uncle over to you as she was so stressed, your team have gone above and beyond to hel her and taken the stress out of her managing my uncle’s plan. Thank you or all your help and making my mum’s life a lot easier.
Thank you for the lovely Christmas message. Merry Christmas to everyone at your wonderful workplace, you guys always correct my mistakes graciously and are always kind and professional when I need help, all the best to all of you.
