What is the difference between a plan manager and a support coordinator?

A plan manager handles the financial side of an NDIS plan — paying provider invoices, claiming from the NDIA, budget tracking and statements. A support coordinator helps a participant find and connect with providers, build capacity, and coordinate supports, including in a crisis. They are separate roles that can both be funded in the same plan.

Can the same provider be both?

Some organisations offer both services, but they are distinct roles with different funding categories and responsibilities. Forward Planning Plus provides plan management only and does not provide support coordination.

Not necessarily. Plan management can be funded in most plans regardless of management type. Support coordination is only funded where the NDIA has assessed it as reasonable and necessary and included it in the plan.

Who checks that an invoice is correct?

The plan manager. They check an invoice against NDIS pricing arrangements and the participant's available budget before it's paid.

Who talks to the NDIA?

Both roles interact with the NDIA in different ways. The plan manager submits payment claims. The support coordinator may prepare reports and attend plan reviews to discuss how supports are working.

Plan manager and support coordinator: who does what

A plan manager handles the money — paying invoices, claiming from the NDIA and tracking budgets. A support coordinator handles the services — finding providers, coordinating supports and building a participant's capacity. Both can be funded in the same plan, but they are separate roles with different responsibilities.

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Who is responsible for what

Forward Planning Plus Pty Ltd provides NDIS plan management only. We do not provide support coordination — it's a separate NDIS-funded role, delivered by other providers.

Responsibility breakdown between plan managers, support coordinators and participants across ten common NDIS plan tasks
Task	Plan manager	Support coordinator	Participant / nominee
Paying provider invoices	Yes — checks and processes	No	Approves the arrangement in a service agreement
Claiming from the NDIA	Yes	No	Not required to do this themselves
Budget tracking and statements	Yes — provides regular statements	Uses statements to inform coordination, doesn't produce them	Reviews statements and asks questions
Service agreements with providers	No	Often helps set these up	Signs off — it's their agreement
Choosing and connecting providers	No	Yes — this is core to the role	Makes the final choice
Building capacity to self-manage supports	No	Yes — this is core to the role	Builds skills and confidence over time
Crisis or escalation coordination	No	Yes — coordinates the response	Central to decisions about their own supports
Reporting to the NDIA for plan reviews	Can provide spend data on request	Often prepares the coordination report	Attends the review and makes decisions
Checking invoices against agreed prices	Yes	No	Can query anything that looks wrong
Resolving invoice disputes	Yes — first point of contact	May help if it affects service delivery	Makes the final call on how to proceed

Who to contact for what

An invoice hasn't been paid or was rejected: Your plan manager
You need help finding or choosing a new provider: Your support coordinator
You want to know how much funding you have left: Your plan manager
A service isn't working out and you need to change it: Your support coordinator
You're not sure what a line item on your plan means: Either — ask whoever you speak to first
The NDIA needs updated information for a plan review: Your support coordinator, with data from your plan manager

Common friction points, and how to avoid them

Assuming the other role covers something it doesn't

Plan managers don't choose providers or coordinate services. Support coordinators don't process invoices or claim from the NDIA. Being clear about this early avoids things falling through the cracks.

Duplicated or delayed reporting

If a support coordinator needs spend data for a plan review, asking the plan manager directly (with the participant's consent) is faster than working from memory or old statements.

Invoice disputes involving a provider the coordinator arranged

The plan manager owns the invoice check and resolution. The support coordinator can help if it affects service delivery, but the correction itself sits with the plan manager and provider.

Unclear who the participant should call first

A quick shared understanding — money and invoices to the plan manager, providers and services to the support coordinator — saves confusion for everyone, especially during a crisis.

Our team's professional backgrounds inform how carefully we manage your plan. Plan management does not include clinical, financial or legal advice.

Next steps

If you're a support coordinator, see working with us as a support coordinator or refer a participant. If you're a participant or nominee new to plan management, start with new to plan management or read what does an NDIS plan manager do. You can also browse all NDIS guides.

Plan manager and support coordinator questions

Where this information comes from

How plan management and support coordination are funded and what each role covers is set out in NDIA guidance. The sources below are the primary references behind the role boundaries described on this page.