NDIS Provider Won’t Pay Your Invoice? How to Recover the Money

You delivered disability support services under the NDIS. You submitted your invoice. Weeks pass — nothing. The provider, plan manager, or self-managed participant is not paying.

This is one of the most common issues facing NDIS support workers, allied health professionals, and subcontractors. The good news: you have clear legal rights to recover the money.

Why NDIS invoices go unpaid

• Plan managers — slow processing, “waiting for NDIA portal approval,” or claiming the service was not in the participant’s plan
• NDIS providers — subcontracting your services then not passing on payment, cash flow issues, or disputing hours
• Self-managed participants — overwhelmed with managing their own plan, lost invoices, or running low on funding
• Registered providers — claiming they need to “verify” your qualifications or documentation before paying

Step 1: Check your agreement

Do you have a written service agreement or subcontractor agreement? Under the NDIS Terms of Business, providers must have service agreements with participants. If you are a subcontractor, your agreement with the provider governs payment terms.

If there is no written agreement, verbal agreements and even text message confirmations of work are still enforceable under Australian contract law.

Step 2: Send a formal Letter of Demand

A polite email is not enough. A formal Letter of Demand citing Australian contract law and the NDIS framework puts the other party on notice that you are serious about recovering the debt.

Your letter should include:

• The exact amount owed with invoice references
• The services provided and dates
• The agreed payment terms
• A 14-day deadline to pay
• Consequences of non-payment (tribunal application, NDIS Commission complaint, credit reporting)

Step 3: Escalate if they don’t pay

If the Letter of Demand is ignored:

• Lodge a complaint with the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission — if a registered provider is withholding payment, this is a compliance issue
• File a claim — in New South Wales a business debt goes to the Local Court (Small Claims Division up to $20,000, General Division over $20,000 up to $100,000), not NCAT; in Queensland or Victoria, QCAT or VCAT. No lawyer needed.
• For companies owing $4,000+ — consider a Statutory Demand under the Corporations Act

Get your Letter of Demand drafted

Claim Done drafts your Letter of Demand for $49. Tell us who owes you, how much, and the details of the NDIS services provided — we draft a formal demand citing Australian law and send it to the debtor. Done in about 5 minutes.

If they still do not pay, we prepare your Tribunal Application and Witness Statement — $97 for both.