Providers
Working with EPSS
Getting providers paid promptly is central to how EPSS operates.
EPSS reviews invoices against the participant’s NDIS plan and NDIS requirements, submits claims to the NDIS, and makes payments once funds are released. The faster invoices are submitted correctly, the faster providers get paid.
New to working with EPSS?
If this is your first time submitting invoices to EPSS, here’s what you need to know before you begin.
Before your first invoice can be processed, you’ll need to confirm:
- The participant has agreed to invoices being sent directly to EPSS
- You have a valid and active ABN
- Your invoice is made out to the participant — not to EPSS
- Your invoice includes all required information (Invoice requirements below)
- If EPSS has not paid you before, we will verify your details before your first payment (see Getting set up as a new provider)
If you’re new to NDIS plan management, it’s also worth understanding that EPSS manages the financial administration of the participant’s plan. We process invoices and make payments — we do not coordinate supports, approve services, or confirm whether a support is claimable. Those decisions sit with the participant, their Support Coordinator, and the NDIS.
How to submit invoices
Please ensure the participant has agreed to invoices being sent directly to EPSS before submitting. This helps avoid delays in processing.
Remittance and reconciliation
After payment is made, EPSS provides remittance information to the email address on your invoice. Remittance includes the participant’s name, invoice number, invoice amount, and payment date — so you can match payments to invoices and reconcile your accounts.
If you receive a payment and are unsure which invoice it relates to, refer to the remittance information provided. If you haven’t received remittance, check your junk folder and confirm with your accounts team that it has not been received internally before contacting us.
Getting set up as a new provider
If EPSS has not paid you before, we verify your details before your first payment. This protects participants’ funding and takes place before your provider profile is created.
We will send you our New Provider Details Form and ask for:
- Your business details and ABN
- Your bank account details, with proof of account ownership
- Confirmation of your relationship to the participant
We also confirm with the participant, their representative or their Support Coordinator that they have engaged you, and we call you to verify your bank details before any payment is made.
Your first invoice is held until this is complete. Returning the form promptly, and being available for the call, is the fastest way through it.
Send the completed form and proof of account ownership to invoices@essentialplan.com.au.
How payment works
Understanding the full payment journey helps set accurate expectations. There are three stages:
Invoice review
Once received, invoices are reviewed against the participant’s NDIS plan, NDIS requirements, and ATO requirements. Invoices that are complete and correct are submitted to the NDIS within five business days, provided funding is available and any participant approval requirements are met.
NDIS processing
The NDIS processes the claim. This typically takes 2–3 business days but can take up to 10 business days. This stage is outside EPSS’s control — claims are submitted promptly, but EPSS cannot influence how quickly the NDIS releases funds.
Payment
Once funds are released by the NDIS, EPSS makes payment within 1–2 business days. Remittance information is provided so you can reconcile easily.
Payment follows once funds are released by the NDIS — not at the point an invoice is received.
Invoice requirements
Submitting complete and correct invoices is the single most effective way to avoid payment delays. Invoices that are missing information or contain errors cannot be submitted to the NDIS until they are addressed.
Every invoice must include:
- Business name
- Valid and active ABN
- Invoice number and date
- Bank details
- Participant’s full name (and NDIS number if available)
- Date of service
- Description or line item
- Hours and rate
- Kilometres (if applicable)
- Total amount
Invoices must also be correctly aligned with the participant’s NDIS plan and NDIS requirements — not just complete, but accurate. Common issues that delay processing include incorrect line items, rates that exceed NDIS pricing limits, service descriptions that do not align with the participant’s plan, and incorrect or inactive ABNs.
For what the NDIS requires on an invoice and the records you need to keep, refer to the NDIS record keeping requirements.
If anything needs to be addressed, we’ll let you know exactly what’s require so it can be resolved without unnecessary back-and-forth.
The sections below cover the most common situations that affect invoice processing and payment. If something is not going as expected, start here.
If your invoice has not been processed
We know a delayed invoice affects your business. If something needs to be addressed before an invoice can be submitted, we’ll tell you exactly what it is so it can be resolved without unnecessary back and forth. This may relate to:
- Missing information
- Incorrect details — such as wrong dates, rates, line items, or ABN
- The invoice not being aligned with the participant’s NDIS plan or NDIS requirements
- The participant’s approval preference — some participants review invoices before they are submitted
- Available funding
- NDIS processing timeframes
Where an invoice cannot be submitted, you’ll be advised of what needs to be addressed. Invoices are returned to the provider for correction — EPSS does not amend or prepare invoices on providers’ behalf.
Once the corrected invoice is resubmitted and meets requirements, it will be processed without unnecessary delay.
If a payment has not arrived
Before contacting EPSS, please check the following:
Has the full payment timeline passed?
From the point your invoice is received, allow up to five business days for review and submission, 2–3 business days for NDIS processing (up to 10 business days), and a further 1–2 business days for payment after funds are released.
Contacting EPSS before this timeline has run its course will not speed up the process.
Have you checked your remittance?
EPSS sends remittance information to the email address on your invoice after every payment. Check your inbox and junk folder, and confirm with your accounts team that remittance has not been received internally before contacting us.
If you’ve checked both of the above and believe a payment is genuinely overdue, contact us by email — not phone. This allows us to investigate properly and maintain a record of correspondence in the participant’s file.
Include the following in your email:
- Participant name
- Invoice number
- Invoice amount
- Date the invoice was submitted
We’ll confirm whether payment has been made, when it was processed, and the remittance details.
Plan changes that may affect invoice processing
PACE plans — important
If a participant’s plan is in PACE, EPSS must be endorsed before we can access their funding, submit claims, or make payments. Without this step, invoices cannot be processed — regardless of whether the invoice itself is complete and correct.
If you submit an invoice and it cannot be processed due to PACE endorsement not being in place, you’ll be advised of this and what the participant needs to do to complete the endorsement. Once endorsed, invoices can be submitted and processed without delay.
If you’re unsure whether a participant’s plan is in PACE, check with the participant or their Support Coordinator before submitting.
When a new plan is issued following a review
If a new plan has been issued following a review and EPSS has not yet received it, invoices may be delayed or unable to be processed — even if the invoice itself is complete and correct.
This is because EPSS processes invoices in line with the plan we have on file. If you submit an invoice and are advised that it cannot be processed due to a plan review, this is what’s happening — and it’s straightforward to resolve.
The participant or their Support Coordinator will need to send a copy of the new plan to EPSS. Once we have it, invoices can be submitted and processed without delay.
If you’re regularly submitting invoices for a participant and experience an unexpected delay around their plan review period, check with the participant or their Support Coordinator to confirm whether a new plan has been issued.
When a participant changes plan managers
Occasionally a participant you work with may switch their plan management to EPSS from another plan manager. When this happens, there may be a short period during the transition where invoices cannot be processed.
What causes the gap depends on the participant’s plan type:
If the participant’s plan is in PACE:
EPSS must be endorsed by the participant before we can access their funding. Until that endorsement is in place, invoices cannot be processed. See the PACE plans section above for details.
If the participant has an older style plan (pre-PACE):
The outgoing plan manager must close their service bookings before EPSS can access funding. Until service bookings are closed, invoices cannot be processed.
If you submit an invoice during a transition period and are advised that it cannot be processed, this is likely the reason. The participant or their Support Coordinator will be able to advise on where the transition is up to and when invoices can be submitted.
There is nothing you need to do differently — submit invoices to EPSS as normal once you’ve been advised the transition is complete.
Provider information and responsibilities
Service agreements
The NDIS recommends that providers have a written service agreement with participants before delivering supports. A service agreement sets out what supports will be provided, at what cost, and under what terms.
EPSS processes invoices in line with the participant’s NDIS plan and NDIS requirements. Where an invoice relates to supports that do not appear to be covered under the participant’s plan, or where there is a dispute between a provider and participant about whether a service was agreed to, this will need to be resolved between the provider, the participant, and where relevant, their Support Coordinator.
EPSS is not in a position to resolve service agreement disputes or determine whether a support was agreed to. Having a service agreement in place before delivering supports is the most reliable way to avoid these situations.
Pricing and compliance
EPSS processes claims in line with the applicable NDIS pricing rules and limits. If an invoice exceeds the applicable NDIS price limit, the claim cannot be processed as submitted.
For current pricing information, refer to the NDIS pricing arrangements page.
Provider responsibility
Providers are responsible for preparing invoices and ensuring they are complete, correct, and meet NDIS and ATO requirements before submission.
EPSS reviews invoices against requirements and advises providers of what needs to be addressed if an invoice cannot be submitted — but does not prepare, amend, or correct invoices on providers’ behalf.
When invoices are right first time, there’s nothing standing between your submission and payment.
The NDIS sets out what is expected of providers, including charging within price limits, keeping records, and requesting payment only after a support has been delivered: NDIS provider responsibilities.
Updating your bank details
If your bank details change, notify EPSS using the Bank Detail Change Form before submitting your next invoice — do not simply include new bank details on an invoice without notifying us first. Please attach proof of your new bank account ownership to the same email as the completed form.
When we receive notification of a bank detail change, our process is:
Step 1 — Documentation
We’ll ask you to provide proof of bank account ownership by email. This can be a screenshot from your banking app, the top of a bank statement, a letter from your bank, or a deposit slip showing your business name and account details.
Step 2 — Verbal verification
A member of our team will call you to verify the new details. For your security we call the number we already hold on file for you, not the number written on the form or given in the request — a compromised email account can supply a false number. If the number we hold is out of date, please tell us in a separate email so we can update it first.
Step 3 — Account name check
We add your new account as a payee in our business banking. Our bank shows us the account name it holds for that BSB and account number, and we check it against the name you have given. If the names do not match we will contact you before going any further.
Step 4 — Confirmation
Once verified, we’ll confirm the update and your new details will be applied to future payments. Payments will continue to be made to your existing bank details until the change has been fully verified and confirmed. This process protects both parties and ensures payments are never made to unverified accounts.
Contact
For payment queries, please contact us by email rather than phone — this allows us to investigate properly and maintain a record of correspondence in the participant’s file.
If you have a question about an invoice or payment, get in touch — we’ll explain where things are up to and what happens next.
For other enquiries, visit our Contact page.