Support coordinators across Australia are reporting record caseloads as the number of NDIS participants continues to grow, raising serious concerns about the quality of support that participants can expect when navigating one of the world’s most complex disability funding systems.
The role of a support coordinator is to help NDIS participants understand and implement their plans — connecting them with the right providers, managing their budgets, and advocating on their behalf when things go wrong. It is a role that sits at the heart of how the scheme functions for many of its most vulnerable participants.
Caseloads Pushing Breaking Point
Industry surveys suggest the average support coordinator is currently managing between 45 and 60 active participants — well above the 30 to 35 that peak bodies consider sustainable for quality service delivery. In some regional areas, the figure is even higher, with participants in remote communities sometimes going weeks without meaningful contact with their assigned coordinator.
The Australian Support Coordinator Association has called on the NDIA to review the funding allocated to support coordination within participant plans, arguing that current rates do not reflect the complexity or time demands of the role.
Why It Matters for Participants
For participants — particularly those with psychosocial disabilities, acquired brain injuries, or complex medical needs — a stretched support coordinator can mean delayed provider connections, missed plan reviews, and under-utilised funding that expires at the end of a plan period.
Participants who feel their support coordinator is not meeting their needs have the right to request a change of coordinator through their plan manager or the NDIA directly.
What the NDIA Says
The NDIA has acknowledged workforce pressures in the support coordination sector and indicated that a review of pricing arrangements is underway. The agency has encouraged participants to report concerns about service quality through the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission.
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