Now that the ‘Getting the NDIS Back on Track’ bill has passed, there are a lot of changes on the horizon for the NDIS. And one of the more recent updates is the introduction of a new NDIS provider portal.
The National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) is replacing the NDIS ‘myplace’ portal with a new computer system called PACE, aiming to modernise and streamline the way participants manage and view their funds.
Although the new PACE system is receiving mostly positive reviews, a parliamentary audit has found unethical and costly problems with its development—a situation that only adds more uncertainty to an already overwhelming time for NDIS participants.
What is PACE NDIS?
PACE (Provider and Participant Communication Environment) is a computer system created with Salesforce CRM technology. This system is intended to be a more user-friendly way to:
- View a participant’s budget
- Make and manage claims (this only applies to self-managed participants)
- View NDIS plan information and personal details
- View all claims against the budget
- View correspondence and messages from the NDIA
How does the NDIS PACE system differ from myplace?
There are some changes participants can expect from the new NDIS provider portal, including:
- A new ‘My NDIS’ portal and an updated app to work with PACE
- Participants will be endorsing providers as ‘my providers’ in their plans so the NDIA doesn’t have to check before making payments
- The NDIA will ‘check in’ with participants during their plans
- New support type of ‘Recurring Transport’ will simplify transport arrangements for participants
- Providers will not make service bookings and may need to reach out to participants to confirm the funding is available
- There will be one more support type, ‘Recurring’
- Rather than 15 support categories, there will be 21 PACE categories
Why is the NDIS changing its provider portal system?
In August 2024, the ‘Getting the NDIS Back on Track’ bill was passed by parliament. This bill focuses on reducing the cost of the scheme, while aiming to deliver better results for participants. In order to execute these intentions, the government is making changes like streamlining NDIS operations and user systems—and this led to the introduction of PACE.
What is the response to the new PACE system so far?
In June 2024, a parliamentary audit committee revealed that Salesforce, the company behind PACE, paid for around 118 ‘ritzy outings’ with the NDIA and Services Australia team—before and during the signing of their multi-million dollar software contract.
Julian Hill, the committee chair, has said that the contracting process ‘fell short’ of ethical guidelines and commonwealth regulations because the NDIA team members failed to declare the benefits and gifts from Salesforce. The committee also found it concerning that the Salesforce contract value rose from $27 million to $135 million during the three-year negotiation, and other companies were not given the opportunity to compete for the final version of the project—the details were decided after the contract was given to Salesforce.
Corporate debates like this may seem irrelevant to participants’ everyday experiences, but when the ‘Getting the NDIS Back on Track’ bill is making funding cuts of $14.4 billion to reduce the costs of the scheme, this $108 million price increase becomes significant.
However, at this point, the feedback for PACE has been generally positive and according to Julian Hill, evidence has shown that ‘PACE has been working appropriately’.
We will continue to stay informed of the situation and provide regular updates as the system is introduced.
What is the feedback from participants?
During the PACE testing in Tasmania, 72% of participants said their experience was ‘good’ or ‘very good’, with one family member stating that: “The NDIS app is a great way to manage my daughter’s plan on the go. It just would help to know when new features are added, perhaps through a pop-up message.”
However, some participants found issues with the terminology and a lack of resources, with the feedback including reports that some aspects ‘need to be simplified as it’s too complicated’ and ‘more educational videos would be helpful to learn about the new computer system’.
Looking for more information?
As PACE is introduced across Australia this year and into 2025, you might be looking for some support to manage the change. At Space for Life, we can help you learn how to use the new portal and answer any questions you have about PACE and what it means for your NDIS plan. To talk to our team, just reach out.
