Your Rights When a Provider Does the Wrong Thing

When something goes wrong with an NDIS provider, many participants don’t know what their options are. The system can feel hard to navigate — but you have real rights, and there are people whose job it is to help you use them.

Information current as of February 2026. This article is general information only — not NDIS, legal, or financial advice. In emergencies, call 000.

You have the right to quality supports

The NDIS Act gives every participant the right to receive supports that are:

• Safe and of an appropriate quality
• Delivered by people with suitable skills and experience
• Consistent with what was agreed in your service agreement
• Free from abuse, neglect, and exploitation

If a provider is not meeting these standards, that is not just disappointing — it may be a breach of their obligations as a registered provider.

Step 1: Raise it with the provider directly

In many cases, problems can be resolved by raising the issue with the provider’s management or complaints officer. All registered providers are required to have an internal complaints process.

You can ask your Support Coordinator to help you raise the concern — you don’t have to do it alone.

Step 2: Escalate to the NDIS Commission

If the provider doesn’t resolve the issue, or if you’re not comfortable raising it directly, you can contact the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission.

Phone: 1800 035 544 Online: ndiscommission.gov.au/participants-and-families/raising-concern-about-provider Anonymous reporting is available.

The Commission can:

• Investigate registered providers
• Issue compliance notices
• Suspend or cancel provider registration
• Issue banning orders against individuals
• Refer serious matters to law enforcement

Step 3: If it involves your funding or plan

If you believe your NDIS funding has been misused — invoices for services not received, overcharging, or unauthorised claims — contact the NDIA directly on 1800 800 110 or through the NDIS portal.

If you are plan-managed, your plan manager can pull a transaction history. If you’re agency-managed, the NDIA manages claims directly. Request a full claims history if you have any concerns.

Step 4: Serious harm or criminal conduct

If a provider or worker has:

• Physically, sexually, or emotionally abused you
• Stolen from you
• Threatened or intimidated you

Contact NSW Police (or your state/territory police) on 131 444, or 000 in an emergency. These are crimes, not just NDIS complaints.

You can simultaneously report to the NDIS Commission and the police — these are separate processes and one does not affect the other.

You can change providers at any time

You are not locked in to any provider. You can end a service agreement with notice (check your service agreement for the notice period — it should not be unreasonably long). Your Support Coordinator can help you find alternative providers and manage the transition.

Xyston’s commitment

As a registered provider, Xyston operates under the NDIS Practice Standards and has a formal complaints process. If you have a concern about any Xyston service, you can raise it with us directly, or go directly to the NDIS Commission — that is always your right.

Source: NDIS Commission — Make a complaint