Guide to NDIS nominees and guardians

In this guide we’ll cover all you need to know about NDIS nominees. We’ll start by exploring who is a nominee, what their responsibilities are, who can be a nominee, how they’re appointed, and the difference between a nominee and a guardian.

Who is a nominee?

A nominee is someone appointed to act and make NDIS related decisions on behalf of the participant. The nominee supports the participant in making the most out of their plan and having their best interests at heart. 

There are two types of nominees:

Plan Nominee 

This nominee is tasked to make decisions regarding the participant's plan and funding. For example, they might be in charge of setting goals, preparing for a plan review and/or managing the funds for supports. 

The participant can choose what the plan nominee is responsible for. It is also possible to have more than one plan nominee, each with a different set of responsibilities, but only one nominee can be in charge of the funding.

Correspondence nominee 

This nominee is responsible for sending and receiving letters, documents and notices as well as submitting requests on the behalf of the participant. For example, they can reply to a letter, fill in a form or request a plan review when necessary. 

Who can be a nominee?

Participants or their family can choose anyone they find suitable for the role as long as that person is over 18 and not part of or associated with the NDIA in any way. One other consideration to keep in mind when choosing a nominee is to search for someone trusted, with the participant’s best interests at heart. 

How is a nominee appointed?

If you would like to appoint a nominee to act on your behalf, you can contact the NDIA by phone on 1800 800 1100 or email at enquiries@ndis.gov.au and provide the details of the person you will be appointing. You can also raise it with your Local Area Coordinator or Support Coordinator and they will be able to help you with the process. 

Your selected nominee will then have to provide identification to the NDIA and undergo a screening test to determine their suitability for the role. Once completed, they will need to sign a letter of appointment outlining all their duties and conditions in relation to the NDIA.

What is the difference between a nominee and a guardian?

Nominees and guardians play different roles in people’s support systems. Guardians have full authority to manage a person's affairs, for example, they can make decisions related to a person's health and wellbeing or deal with government agencies such as Centrelink on their behalf. Nominees, on the other hand, only help NDIS participants by making decisions regarding their NDIS plan, funding and communication with the NDIS.