Your NDIS provider isn’t responding.
Here’s what to do.
Being ignored by your provider is stressful — and it is not something you have to put up with. Unanswered calls, invoices in limbo, supports stalling: all of this is fixable. You have real options, and you don’t need anyone’s permission to use them.
Why this happens — and why it matters
Providers go quiet for all sorts of reasons: staff turnover, admin backlogs, overstretched teams. Whatever the cause, the effect on you is the same: supports get delayed, you feel anxious about whether your funding is being used correctly, and you spend energy chasing people who should be chasing you.
Under the NDIS Code of Conduct, providers are required to communicate with participants in a way that is responsive to their needs. Going days or weeks without returning a call or email is not acceptable, and may be a breach of your service agreement or a provider’s obligations. You are entitled to a response.
What you can do right now
These steps work in order. Start at Step 1 and keep going if the silence continues.
- Put your request in writing. Send an email rather than calling — it creates a record with a timestamp. Be specific: state what you need, and give a clear deadline (for example, “please respond by this Friday”). Keep a copy. If you have a plan manager, CC them in.
- Loop in your support coordinator or plan manager. If you have a support coordinator or plan manager, contact them now. They have direct relationships with providers and can often get a response in hours when a participant cannot get one in weeks. This is exactly the kind of situation they are funded to help with.
-
Set a deadline — then escalate to the NDIS Commission.
If you have sent a written request and involved your support coordinator and still have no reply, escalate. Contact the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission:
Phone: 1800 035 544 (free call, Monday–Friday)
Online: ndiscommission.gov.au/complaints
You can make a complaint even if your provider is still delivering some supports. You do not need anyone’s permission, and the process is confidential. - Know you can change providers. You do not need your current provider’s permission to leave, and you do not need approval from the NDIA. Your right to choose and change providers is a core part of the NDIS. If your provider has gone quiet and you no longer trust them, that is enough reason to move on. Check your service agreement for the notice period — typically two to four weeks — and see our switching guide below.
If your support has stopped entirely
If your provider has stopped delivering funded supports without explanation, contact the NDIS Commission on 1800 035 544 as soon as possible. You can also contact the NDIS directly on 1800 800 110 and ask to speak with your local area coordinator. Your plan and your funding are not cancelled because a provider has gone quiet — you can start the process of finding a new provider immediately.
How to switch if they’ve gone quiet
The process for switching providers is straightforward, even when the situation with your current provider is difficult. The most important rule: find your new provider before you give notice to your old one, so there is no gap in your supports.
We have a full step-by-step guide, including a template notice email you can copy and send: How to switch NDIS providers →
If your current provider is not responding to written notice either, your support coordinator, plan manager, or the NDIS Commission can help you navigate ending the agreement formally.
What responsive support actually looks like
It is worth naming what good communication from a provider should feel like — not because the bar is high, but because it should be normal.
- Same-business-day acknowledgement. Any contact you make — a referral, a question, a concern — should be acknowledged in writing the same business day. Not a promise to call back eventually. An actual reply.
- A named contact. You should know who your point of contact is, not be passed around every time you call.
- Consistent workers. The same small team who know you and your support needs, not a different face each week.
- Clear next steps. After every conversation, you should know what happens next and when.
At Tegrity, we acknowledge every referral the same business day — in writing, with a clear next step. When you call, a real person picks up. We provide support work and support coordination across Sydney’s Inner West, City and Eastern Suburbs, with a named team who you meet before your supports begin.
If you’re looking for a provider who actually picks up, send us a referral at tegrityservices.com.au/referral or call (02) 7265 1558. We’ll confirm the same day whether we have availability.
If your support worker keeps cancelling rather than going silent, that’s a related but separate issue — see: My NDIS support worker keeps cancelling →
Common questions
What do I do if my NDIS provider won’t respond?
Put your request in writing — email creates a record. Set a clear deadline (e.g. “please respond by Friday”). Loop in your support coordinator or plan manager and ask them to chase it. If you still hear nothing, escalate to the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission by calling 1800 035 544 (free call) or submitting a complaint at ndiscommission.gov.au/complaints. You also have the right to change providers at any time.
How do I make a complaint about an NDIS provider?
Contact the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission — the independent body that handles complaints about NDIS providers. You can call them on 1800 035 544 (free call, Monday to Friday) or submit a complaint online at ndiscommission.gov.au/complaints. You can make a complaint even if your provider is still delivering some supports. You don’t need anyone’s permission to complain, and the process is confidential.
Can I change NDIS providers if mine has stopped communicating?
Yes. You can change providers at any time — you do not need your current provider’s permission and you do not need approval from the NDIA. The main step is checking your service agreement for the notice period (usually two to four weeks) and giving written notice. If your provider is not responding to that notice either, contact your support coordinator, plan manager, or the NDIS Commission for help. See our full guide at switching providers →
Can I be left without NDIS supports if my provider goes quiet?
Your NDIS plan and funding remain yours — a provider going quiet does not cancel your plan or your funding. However, a gap in delivered supports is a real risk if you don’t act. The safest approach is to contact a new provider before formally ending things with your current one, so supports continue without interruption. Your support coordinator or plan manager can help coordinate this, and the NDIS Commission can assist if the situation is urgent.
How quickly should an NDIS provider respond to me?
The NDIS Code of Conduct requires providers to communicate with participants in a way that is responsive to their needs. While the Code does not set a single mandated timeframe, going days or weeks without a reply to a call or email is not acceptable and may constitute a breach of your service agreement or provider obligations. A responsible provider should acknowledge your contact — at minimum — within one business day.
A provider who picks up the phone.
Every referral to Tegrity is acknowledged the same business day. You get a named contact, a consistent team, and supports that start — not stall.
Send a referralPrefer to call first? (02) 7265 1558