Announcing the New My NDIS Mobile App
Mobile applications, or apps, are pervasive in every aspect of our lives. With millions of options available to help us get things done at the tips of our fingers, these apps have changed the way we go about our daily lives, how we connect with people, and how we get our information. It makes sense that government-run programs also create apps to help their customers get the most out of their services. Thankfully, the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) has launched a new mobile app called My NDIS that can help you interface with their services including disability support services.
The NDIS has announced the launch of a new mobile app called My NDIS
that can help you manage your account, view your allotted budget, and make claims from the convenience of your smartphone device. The My NDIS app will synchronise your data across platforms for simplified integration and program participation.
Whether you’re new to the NDIS programs or you’ve been participating in them for years, the new My NDIS app will help you gain access to your essential information and manage your account with ease. Let’s take a look at what the app can and can not do and how it can help you make the most of your NDIS plan.
What is the new My NDIS mobile app?
The My NDIS mobile app is a convenient new tool launched by the NDIS to make accessing your NDIS plan information quicker and easier. It is a software application that works on most smartphones in order to provide another option for managing your NDIS plan.
The app was developed in conjunction with current NDIS participants to meet their needs, and adjustments were made based on feedback from them to make the app more convenient and easier to use. After it was launched on a pilot basis in August of 2021, users had the chance to critique aspects of the app that were cumbersome or overly difficult to use or access. It was launched in its current final form in December of 2021 for the general public to download and use to manage their NDIS plans.
How do I get the NDIS app and get started?
The NDIS app, My NDIS, is available to download from the Google Play Store or on the Apple App Store for the corresponding smartphones or tablets. When you’ve downloaded the My NDIS app and you open it for the first time, you’ll be prompted to provide a phone number where a secure access code will be sent via SMS text messaging in order to confirm your details and identity. Once you enter your code, you’ll have the opportunity to set a personal identification number, or PIN, which you’ll use to access the app on subsequent uses. Alternatively, after your initial setup and if your phone has the relevant capabilities, you can use biometrics like your fingerprint, eye scan, or face to open the app instead of your PIN.
What can I do with the My NDIS app?
The My NDIS app has many capabilities that make accessing and managing your NDIS plan easier, more accessible, and more convenient. After you’ve initially registered and set your PIN, you will have multiple options. Within the My Account section of the app, you’ll have the ability to:
- view your details,
- change your PIN,
- view your NDIA contact details,
- provide feedback regarding the app,
- edit your favourite claims, and
- switch accounts if you are claiming for more than one participant.
Within the app, you can make claims that will count against your self-managed budget. The app provides the option to upload invoices, receipts, or other supporting documents when making a claim, as well as the ability to save a claim as a favourite if you expect to use the same details again. You can also view your self-managed budget so you can keep track of your available funds and how your claims have affected them.
How do I make a claim in the My NDIS app?
Making claims with the My NDIS app is easy and convenient. Within the My Claims section of the app, the process of making a claim proceeds as follows:
- Choose an existing payee, or add a new one. To add a new payee, enter the Australian Business Number (ABN) of the payee. If the payee doesn’t have an ABN, check the appropriate box to continue. You can search for the payee’s ABN using the Australian Government’s ABN lookup if you don’t have it available. Enter the name of the payee for your records so you can refer to the payee on future claims.
- Enter the date or dates the support or service was provided.
- Enter the amount of the claim.
The app will save the payee details so you don’t have to enter that information again in the future. You can even save the complete claim information as a favourite claim to make it faster and easier to make a claim for the supports you use often.
Is the NDIS app different from the Myplace portal?
The NDIS app, My NDIS, and the Myplace portal are different methods of accessing your NDIS plan information. The Myplace portal is the participant home base for accessing your NDIS plan information online. It can be accessed online via a web browser as long as you have a myGov account with the Australian government. The Myplace portal allows you to complete all the functions you can complete via the My NDIS app and more. The My NDIS app can be accessed only on smartphone or tablet devices and provides access to much of the same information as the Myplace portal.
What can’t I do with the My NDIS app?
While the My NDIS app provides many important and essential functions for managing your NDIS plan, there are unfortunately some things that you can not do with the app. These include the inability to:
- upload more than 5 files per claim or files more than 5MB each
- make claims for dates other than the eligibility period of your current plan
- delete a claim after it’s been submitted
- Make a claim for mixed funding, agency, or plan managed funds (these can be done in the Myplace portal)
- see previous or old self-managed plan budgets
- show service fundings.