Your NDIS provider isn’t responding.
Here’s what to do.

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.

1. 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.
2. Loop in your support coordinator or plan manager. If you have a support coordinator or plan manager, contact them now. They may be able to use existing provider contacts, help document the issue or escalate it on your behalf. This is exactly the kind of situation they are funded to help with.
3. 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.
4. 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.

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.

• A clear acknowledgement timeframe. Ask when referrals, questions and concerns will receive a written reply. You should not be left guessing whether anyone saw your message.
• 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 confirm receipt and explain the next step for every referral in writing. We provide support work and support coordination across our listed Sydney service areas in the Inner West, City and Eastern Suburbs, with a named team you meet before supports begin.

If you’re looking for a provider with a clear enquiry process, send us a referral at tegrityservices.com.au/referral or call (02) 7265 1558. We will confirm receipt, check current capacity and explain the next step.

If your support worker keeps cancelling rather than going silent, that’s a related but separate issue — see: My NDIS support worker keeps cancelling →