A plan manager should not pay a provider invoice you haven't seen or agreed to. On MyMoney, invoices are laid out for your approval before payment, so you decide what gets paid. The right question to ask any plan manager is simple: 'Do I get to approve invoices before you pay them, and can I see every one?'

Don't approve it yet. Ask your plan manager to hold payment while it is checked against your plan and the provider's details. Common problems are a price outside the usual range, a duplicate, the wrong support item, or details that do not match. A good plan manager investigates with the provider and keeps you informed before anything is paid.

You can change plan managers at any time during your plan — you do not have to wait for a review. In practice it means ending your current service agreement and starting one with the new plan manager, who then begins managing your plan-managed budgets. There is usually no cost to you, because plan management is funded by the NDIS.

For eligible participants, plan management is funded separately by the NDIS — it does not come out of the budgets for your other supports, and there is no out-of-pocket cost to you. The plan manager claims their fees from the Improved Life Choices funding the NDIA includes in your plan for this purpose.

If a budget is being spent faster than planned, the sooner you see it the more options you have. A good plan manager helps you spot the trend early, understand which category is under pressure, and plan the conversation with your support coordinator or the NDIA. Running low does not automatically stop your supports, but it does need attention.

Plan-managed funding can pay for supports that are reasonable and necessary, relate to your disability, and fit the category they are claimed against — and it lets you use both registered and unregistered providers. It cannot pay for everyday costs unrelated to your disability, or anything the NDIS specifically excludes.

There is no single legislated deadline, but good practice is to pay a correct, approved provider invoice within a few business days. MyMoney typically pays approved provider invoices within about two to five business days once they are correct and approved — fast enough to keep providers happy without skipping the checks that protect you.