Local Area Coordinator (LAC) vs Support Coordinator: What's the Difference, and Do You Need Both?

8 minutes ago

4 min read

“If I already have a Support Coordinator, can I still contact my Local Area Coordinator (LAC) for help with my NDIS plan?”

It's a common question among NDIS participants. After all, both roles seem to involve helping you understand your plan, find services and navigate the NDIS.

So, do you really need both?

The short answer is yes — you can use both. But they have different responsibilities, and knowing who to contact can save you time, avoid confusion and help you make better use of your NDIS funding.

NDIS participant learning about the different roles of a Local Area Coordinator and Support Coordinator

What Does Your LAC Do?

A Local Area Coordinator (LAC) works for a community organisation that partners with the NDIS. LAC assistance is free and doesn't come out of your NDIS plan budget.

Your LAC can help you:

Understand your NDIS plan and funding rules.
Find information about disability and community services.
Understand the process for requesting changes to your plan.
Navigate NDIS processes, including reviews of NDIA decisions.

LACs are not NDIA decision-makers. They cannot approve additional funding or decide which supports will be included in your plan.

Their role is mainly to provide information, guidance and connections to community services.

For a more detailed explanation, read our previous guide: What Is an NDIS Local Area Coordinator (LAC) and How Can They Help?

What Does a Support Coordinator Do?

A Support Coordinator helps you put your NDIS plan into practice.

Unlike an LAC, a Support Coordinator is generally a service provider you choose, with their fees paid from the Support Coordination funding in your plan.

Their work often involves more ongoing involvement in your service arrangements.

1. Finding and Organising Providers

Perhaps you need a new support worker, occupational therapist or physiotherapist. Your Support Coordinator can help you identify suitable providers, compare options and arrange services that meet your needs. You remain in control of choosing your providers.

2. Making Sure Your Supports Work Together

Imagine your occupational therapist recommends a new piece of equipment to make everyday activities easier. Your support worker may need to understand how to assist you with that equipment during regular home visits.

A Support Coordinator can help both providers communicate and make sure the recommendations are understood and put into practice. Good coordination helps prevent gaps between different services.

How an NDIS Local Area Coordinator, Support Coordinator and Plan Manager can work together to help participants use their plans

3. Handling Service Problems and Unexpected Changes

What happens if your regular support worker suddenly becomes unavailable? Or you're unhappy with a provider and want to explore other options?

Your Support Coordinator can help communicate with providers, discuss possible solutions and arrange alternative services where available. They can also help when several services need to change at the same time.

4. Keeping Your Supports on Track

A Support Coordinator can help you understand how your funding is being used and whether your current support arrangements are working.

For example, if community participation funding is being used faster than expected, they can help you review your service schedule and consider practical adjustments.

If your plan is plan-managed, your Plan Manager remains responsible for financial administration, invoice processing and budget reporting.

5. Preparing for a Plan Reassessment

If your disability-related support needs have changed, your Support Coordinator can help you identify what information may be needed.

This might involve contacting your therapists, gathering reports and helping you explain why your current supports are no longer meeting your needs.

LAC vs Support Coordinator: Who Should You Contact?

Here's a simple way to understand the difference.

Comparison of NDIS Local Area Coordinator, Support Coordinator and Plan Manager responsibilities

These aren't exclusive responsibilities. Both may be able to assist with some questions, but their level of involvement will be different.

Why Not Just Use Your Support Coordinator for Everything?

Because Support Coordination funding is limited.

Not every NDIS participant has Support Coordination included in their plan. Even when it's funded, the budget needs to last for the relevant funding period.

Support Coordinators charge for the services they provide, including eligible time spent contacting providers, coordinating services, attending meetings and preparing reports.

For example, if you simply want to understand a general NDIS process, your LAC may be able to answer the question without using your Support Coordination budget.

But if you need someone to organise several providers, resolve ongoing service problems or coordinate changes to your supports, that's where your Support Coordinator can be particularly valuable.

The goal isn't to avoid using Support Coordination funding. It's to use it where it makes the biggest difference.

Can Your LAC and Support Coordinator Work Together?

Absolutely. In fact, knowing when to use each can help you make better use of your NDIS plan.

Your LAC is a useful contact for general NDIS information, understanding funding rules and navigating NDIA processes.

Your Support Coordinator, on the other hand, can focus on the practical side — finding suitable providers, coordinating services, resolving problems and making sure your supports work together.

At Joystep, we help participants make the most of their Support Coordination funding by focusing on what matters most — getting the right supports in place and keeping them working well together.