Mastering Non-Face-to-Face Support Claims

Will, EnableUs Community

Alright, we're back with another episode of The EnableUs Community Podcast. I'm Will, and I've got Winter here as always. Today we're digging into non-face-to-face support—NFTF, if you're already throwing around acronyms at your team meetings. And, look, this one gets people tripped up all the time. Winter, do you wanna kick off with what actually counts as non-face-to-face work?

Winter, EnableUs Community

Absolutely! So non-face-to-face support, basically, it's all the work that happens outside of those hands-on, direct sessions—whether it's writing up reports, prepping therapy plans, coordinating with other providers, or even sorting session documentation. It’s all that behind-the-scenes stuff that's still about the participant’s actual support, but you aren’t in the room with them at the time. It’s easy to see why folks get confused though—sometimes it all feels like admin, but not all admin is claimable, right?

Will, EnableUs Community

Yeah, that's the key! And if we look at the NDIS Support Catalogue, not every support item lets you claim NFTF time. For example, therapy supports—think occupational or speech therapy—usually allow it. Support coordination does too. But, say, disability support worker services? That’s often a hard 'no'—those are hands-on, so claims are meant to reflect actual, direct service. I’m not gonna lie, I’ve seen people just assume, “Oh, I’ll just add a bit of extra time for those report notes for a support worker visit,” and bang, it gets flagged—or even knocked back entirely. It’s a fast track to a compliance headache if you’re not careful.

Winter, EnableUs Community

And it’s not just about which category, but the exact line item you're claiming under. Like, even within therapy categories, some line items let you do NFTF and others don’t. So if you pick the wrong line, suddenly you’ve got a rejected claim and maybe even an audit if someone’s paying close attention. Which, uh, Will—didn’t your old clinic have a near miss on this?

Will, EnableUs Community

Yeah—classic rookie error, honestly. We had a new team member who'd come from a different provider, was used to tossing a bit of prep time into every claim. Didn’t check the Catalogue, just assumed, and a couple of claims triggered a payment rejection—and then, ding ding, audit email from the NDIA. Nothing strikes fear like an audit notification on a Monday morning. We had to scramble to explain and clarify records and, mate, it took weeks to calm the nerves in the office! So—moral of the story—never assume your line item lets you claim NFTF. Catalogue first, always.

Winter, EnableUs Community

Right, so don't just wing it and put in whatever feels fair. Actually look at the Catalogue and double check what’s legit for the line item you’re using. It saves everyone a lot of grief down the track.

Winter, EnableUs Community

Okay, so let’s say you’ve checked the Catalogue, found your line item does allow NFTF—what next? Well, the NDIS sets out four must-haves before you send that claim through, and honestly, miss even one and you’ve blown your compliance. The first one is the most obvious: direct support connection. That means the work you’re claiming has to be for the actual participant you’re supporting—not your business, not your generic admin. Like, session notes after a therapy appointment? That’s claimable. But updating your website, or staff rosters, or filing random paperwork? Not claimable, no matter how helpful it might feel.

Will, EnableUs Community

Yup, and the second is value explanation. You gotta clearly spell out to the participant what you’re actually doing, why it helps them, and what it’ll cost. It’s not just a courtesy—it’s policy. If you just slap on a vague “admin fee” or “extra charges” without detail, you’re not compliant. You need to show, for example, “I’ll be developing your tailored therapy plan, and here’s the time and cost.” Not just lumping it all together like some mystery surcharge.

Winter, EnableUs Community

Number three—advance agreement. This is a big one. You cannot just do the NFTF work and tell the participant after the fact, “Hey, here’s the bill, hope that’s fine.” There needs to be a clear agreement in place before you start—laid out in the service agreement, with details on which NFTF activities are included, roughly how long they’ll take, and how they’ll be charged. If you leave it vague, like “provider may charge admin as needed,” that’s not enough. Gotta get specific, and get it in writing.

Will, EnableUs Community

And rounding it out, the fourth: actual benefit to the participant. Like, it’s gotta show up as a real, individual benefit—not just generic paperwork. Prepping a custom therapy plan for Jonny? That’s claimable. Churning out a generic template or drafting up something you’re gonna reuse for ten other clients? That’s not!

Winter, EnableUs Community

So if we break it down—claimable stuff is like writing session notes about an actual session, or developing unique programs for that participant, or case meetings focused on their goals. But, say you’re just running through general admin, or holding a team meeting that’s about your processes, not a client—that’s a no-go.

Will, EnableUs Community

You know, a lot of people ask about grey areas—like, what about responding to emails, or those quick phone check-ins with families? I reckon it all comes down to whether you can document that the activity directly ties back to the participant’s plan, and you got agreement in advance. If it’s just reading an email but not replying, or scrolling through files, you can’t really claim that. But if you’re emailing a participant about their upcoming session plan, that’s potentially claimable—assuming you’ve ticked every compliance box first.

Winter, EnableUs Community

Right, documentation is everything. If it's something like a team meeting or a case conference, as long as you can show it was all about that one participant—notes, outcomes, next steps, all attached to their file—you’ll usually be alright. But you’ve gotta back it up, and if you ever get a claim queried or audited, you’ll need crystal clear records tying each task to the person’s goals and needs.

Will, EnableUs Community

So, now you’re all clear on when and what you can claim, let’s get practical—what’s the actual process? When you’re in the myplace provider portal, you’ll pick the right support item as usual, but you’ve got to select “Non-Face-to-Face” as the claim type. Don’t just use the basic face-to-face setting and hope it’ll all get sorted later. And make sure you never pool NFTF time—no mixing or averaging between participants. Every single NFTF claim has to reflect the real work you did for that one individual.

Winter, EnableUs Community

Exactly. The same line item number is used as the equivalent face-to-face support, but it’s flagged as NFTF—and you always have to stick to the price limits in the Pricing Arrangements. Sometimes it’s the same rate as face-to-face, other times there might be a discount, but you can’t charge whatever you want or more than the limit.

Will, EnableUs Community

And the paperwork really matters. You need detailed records: what you did, when, for how long, how it links to the participant’s goals, and proof that you had their agreement in advance. Every NFTF task for every participant needs to be itemised. If you ever get audited—or even just a claim challenged—vague paperwork like, “Did admin work,” won’t cut it. Itemised invoices, attached emails confirming agreement, clear activity logs—it all counts.

Winter, EnableUs Community

And let’s not forget the participant has rights here too, including the right to scrutinise every NFTF charge. They can—and honestly should—ask for a breakdown of what actually got done, request proof, or challenge charges if they don’t see the value or if it wasn’t agreed in advance. We had a plan manager in one of our workshops who told us they stopped a payment because the provider didn’t have any backup for NFTF claims—turns out, not a single report was done, just blanket “admin” charges. That’s exactly what you don’t want to have happen to you.

Will, EnableUs Community

If you’re self-managed, you can negotiate terms, but you still wanna document everything—agreement, detail, evidence. Otherwise, plan managers and NDIA are just gonna ping you anyway. My advice? Always over-communicate about NFTF charges—be transparent, and invite questions. Saves everyone time and aggro, especially if things ever get bumpy.

Winter, EnableUs Community

Great advice. And as always, check for pricing updates—which might change which NFTF activities are claimable, new documentation rules, or updated price ceilings. The rules move, so stay sharp. That’s a wrap for today—thanks for listening, and we hope you’re feeling more confident about NFTF claims now.

Will, EnableUs Community

Yeah, we’ll be back with more on NDIS pricing, budgeting, and compliance soon. Winter, thanks for jumping into the tricky stuff with me!

Winter, EnableUs Community

Always a pleasure, Will. See you next time, everyone!