How NDIS Claims Work in PACE: A Guide for Plan Managers

PACE changed how NDIS claims work for plan managers. Plans are built differently, service bookings are gone and every payment request is checked against the participant's funding period. Now the claiming clock is getting shorter too.

This guide walks through how a claim moves through PACE, the most common reasons claims are rejected or held, and what the 90 day claim window means for your team from 1 December 2026.

What PACE changed for plan managers

PACE is the NDIA's new computer system. It replaced the old system from 30 October 2023, and participants move across when their plan is reassessed. For plan managers, four changes matter most.

• Plan structure. Old system: Budgets with service bookings. PACE: Budgets by support category, with no service bookings.
• Who can claim. Old system: Providers with a service booking. PACE: Recorded "my providers". Plan managers are recorded automatically for the budgets they manage.
• Funding release. Old system: Whole plan available. PACE: New and reassessed plans usually release funds every 3 months.
• Fixed funding. Old system: Mostly flexible core budget. PACE: Some categories are stated supports that can't be moved to other supports.

One change catches teams out: a payment request can't be more than the funds available in the current funding period. Unspent funds carry into the next period of the same plan, but not into a new plan.

How an NDIS claim moves through PACE

For plan-managed supports, every claim follows the same six steps. The NDIA's guidance sets the pace: check and submit within 5 business days of receiving an invoice, and pay the provider within 2 business days of receiving the funds.

Step 1: The provider sends an invoice. It needs the participant's name and NDIS number, the support dates, the support item number and the price, plus the provider's ABN on a tax invoice.

Step 2: Your team checks it. Against the participant's plan, the current NDIS price limits and the funds left in the right category and funding period.

Step 3: You lodge the payment request. As a Bulk Payment Request upload in the myplace provider portal, or straight from your software through the NDIS API.

Step 4: The NDIA validates it. PACE checks the claim against the plan, the dates, the management type and earlier claims.

Step 5: The claim is paid, rejected or held. Valid claims from a recorded my provider are usually paid in 2 to 3 business days. Rejected claims come back with a reason.

Step 6: You pay the provider. Within 2 business days of the funds arriving, and the record is kept for the audit trail.

Portal upload or API: two ways to lodge a claim

For PACE plans there is no single claim screen in the portal. Every payment request, even a single line, goes through the Bulk Payment Request (BPR) template. The file name can be no longer than 20 characters, including ".CSV", and the NDIA publishes a self-help guide to BPR errors.

The other route is software that connects to the NDIA through the NDIS API. Payment requests go across directly, and claim outcomes come back into the same system, so nobody has to upload files or log in to the portal to check results.

Portal logins changed in November 2025. Since 10 November 2025, NDIA provider portals need myID and the Relationship Authorisation Manager (RAM) to sign in. If any of your staff still sign in another way, update their access before the end of year rush.

Why NDIS claims get rejected or held

Most rejected claims come down to a handful of reasons. Each one means rework, a call to the provider or a delayed payment.

• Not enough funds in the category or the current funding period
• The wrong management type for that support
• Support dates outside the plan, or before your plan management period started
• A duplicate of a claim that has already been paid
• A price above the NDIS price limit for that item
• A quotable item that wasn't quoted and stated in the plan
• A late claim: more than 2 years old today, and more than 90 days old from 1 December 2026

Many of these can be caught before the claim is lodged. Our NDIS invoice requirements checklist covers what every invoice must include.

The claiming clock is getting shorter

The Securing the NDIS for Future Generations Act 2026 passed Parliament on 19 August 2026. One of its changes cuts the time to claim from 2 years to 90 days.

• Now. Claims must be made within 2 years of the support. Older claims are rejected automatically.
• 15 October 2026. Claims lodged more than 90 days after the support get extra integrity checks and can be held for up to 28 days.
• 1 December 2026. Claims must be made within 90 days of the support being delivered, unless exceptional circumstances apply.

The 90 days run from the date the support was delivered, not the date the invoice reached you. A provider who invoices a month late leaves you two months to check, claim and resolve any problems.

With a 90 day window, an invoice backlog is no longer just slow. It becomes money your participants' providers may never be paid.

Three habits help:

• Track each invoice's age from the service date, and work the oldest first.
• Ask providers to invoice promptly, ideally weekly or fortnightly.
• Fix rejected claims the same week, so there is time to lodge them again.

Our NDIS audit checklist for plan managers covers the other changes in the new Act, including 7 year record keeping.

How Entiprius keeps claims moving

Entiprius Plan Management connects to the NDIA through the NDIS API, so approved invoices go to PACE as claims and budgets update in real time. Every invoice is checked against NDIS rules, the price limits and the participant's budget, and it checks the invoice date and service date of every line item so late claims are caught before they're lost.

Invoices that pass every check are marked ready to claim. Anything that doesn't is held for a person to review, with the reason shown. Your team only touches the exceptions.

See how our NDIS plan management software handles claims from email to payment. Book a free demo.

NDIS claims FAQs

How do plan managers lodge NDIS claims in PACE?

For PACE plans, plan managers lodge payment requests as a Bulk Payment Request upload in the myplace provider portal, or directly from software connected to the NDIS API. There is no single claim screen for PACE plans.

How long does an NDIS claim take to be paid?

The NDIA says valid claims from recorded my providers, including plan managers, are usually paid in 2 to 3 business days. Claims that need extra checks can take around 10 business days, and some older claims can be held for up to 28 days.

What is the NDIS claim time limit?

Claims must currently be made within 2 years of the support being delivered. From 1 December 2026, claims must be made within 90 days, unless exceptional circumstances apply.

Why was my NDIS claim rejected?

Common reasons include not enough funds in the category or funding period, the wrong management type, dates outside the plan, a duplicate claim, or a price above the NDIS price limit. The NDIA gives the reason in the portal.

Do service bookings still exist in PACE?

No. PACE plans don't use service bookings. Participants record their my providers instead, and plan managers are recorded automatically for the budgets they manage.