NDIS- Things you should know: 5
What if I am not happy?
Does anyone care what I think?
Yes. The National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) is
new and people are still working out the details.
They want to know what works well and what does not
work well.
Who do I tell?
The National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) is the Agency that manages the
National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS). You can tell the NDIA what you think.
What can I say?

You can give feedback. If there are good things about the NDIS you can say
that. If you are not happy with the NDIS you can say that.

You can complain about things like what service providers do or do not do.

You can ask for a decision made by the NDIA to be looked at again. This is
called a review.
How do I tell the NDIA what I think?
To complain or give feedback you can:

go to the local NDIA office and tell them

send an email to the NDIA

write a letter to the NDIA

phone the NDIA to say what you think.
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Document1– Things you should know 5 – What if I am not happy?
October 2014
If you want to complain there is also a form you can fill in if
you want to.
You can ask for a copy of the form or click
NDIS complaint form
You can get help to fill in the form at your local NDIA office. When it is filled in you can
send it by email or post it. Contact details for the NDIA are on page 6 of this fact sheet.
What happens if I say that I am not happy?
Someone should get in touch with you. They may ask some questions about what you
are not happy about. They will want to know what the problem is.
Someone will contact the person or the service that you are not happy about. They
will tell them that you are not happy. They will ask them for information about what
you have said. They will find out what they think.
You will be told what they say.
When should I hear something if I complain?
You should hear from the NDIA 1 day (24 hours) after you
complain. They should say that they know you have a
problem.
Someone from the NDIA should contact you 3 days (72 hours)
after you complain.
The problem should be fixed up to 21 days after you complain.
If you are not safe then something should happen to make you safe straight away.
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What if I do not hear anything after I complain?
If nothing happens, contact the NDIA and ask about what is
happening with your complaint. If you have a note of what
you have done, tell the person you speak with.
What happens if my problem is not fixed?
If you do not think the problem is fixed after you complain you
can ask for another person to look at what you are not happy about. This person will
be a manager or a supervisor at the NDIA.
If you still do not think the problem is fixed you can ask for help from the Ombudsman
for Australia. You can call the Ombudsman on 1300 362 072
You can also go the website of the Ombudsman. Click on
Making a complaint to the Ombudsman
What if I am complaining about the NDIA?
If you are complaining about a decision made by the NDIA you can ask to have the
decision looked at again by the NDIA. This is called a review. You have 3 months from
the time of the decision to ask.
You can ask for a review by going to the local NDIA office, phoning, sending an email
or writing a letter. There is a different form to fill in if you want to. To get the form click
Complaining about the NDIA
There is more information on the NDIS website. To read about this click
NDIS feedback, complaints and reviews
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What if I am not happy with the review?
You have 2 choices if:

you are not happy with how the NDIA looked at what you said or

you think they have not fixed the problem.
You can ask for the NDIA to look at the decision again or you can ask for a tribunal
called the Administrative Appeals Tribunal to look at what you say.
The Administrative Appeals Tribunal can talk to you about working out the problem.
To get more information you can click on
The Administrative Appeals Tribunal
What should I do before I complain?
Think about:

the main things you are not happy about

what you think should be done to fix it.
Write down or draw what you think. It will help you to tell other people.
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What should I say when I complain?

Talk about the problem
Give enough information for someone to know what you think is wrong.
Be as clear as you can. Only say the main facts.
Say when the thing you are unhappy about happened (if you can).
Say who or what you are not happy with (if you can).
If you have already done something about the problem it would be good to say that.
If you have already written a letter or an email it would be good to have a copy of
that.

Say what you want to happen
Say what would fix the problem for you.
Keep a copy and write things down
Keep a copy of any email, letter or form you send. Make a note of:

the date of any call you make

who you speak with and

the main points of what was said.
This will help you if you need to follow up later.
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How do I contact the NDIA if I am in NSW?
By going to the office at
Shop 1, Hilltop Plaza
Charlestown
New South Wales 2290
By phone
You can call 1800 800 110 on Monday to Friday.
The times you can call are 9am to 5pm
TTY: 1800 555 677
Speak and Listen: 1800 555 727
If you need help with English TIS: 131 450
By email
[email protected]
By post
NDIS
GPO Box 710
Canberra ACT 2601
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Other fact sheets that may help you
We have made 5 fact sheets that have information about things you should know.
1: Can I get the NDIS?
2: What should I know about plans?
3: How do I manage funding?
4: How do I make my plan happen?
5: What if I am not happy? (this fact sheet)
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Contact Details
My Choice Matters
Level 2, 418 A Elizabeth Street, Surry Hills NSW 2010
www.mychoicematters.org.au
[email protected]
1800 144 653 or (02) 9211 2605
/mychoicematters
@mcmnsw
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