The National Disability Insurance Scheme
The National Disability Insurance Scheme, or NDIS, funds support for Australians with a permanent and significant disability and gives you real choice and control over the support you use to live the life you want.
This guide covers the basics in plain language. For anything specific to your own situation, our team is always happy to sit down and go through it with you.
Who Can Access the NDIS
Broadly speaking, you may be eligible if you:
- Are under 65 when you apply
- Are an Australian citizen, permanent resident, or hold a Protected Special Category Visa
- Have a permanent disability that has a real, ongoing impact on your everyday life
How a Plan Works
Once you're accepted onto the NDIS, you'll work with the NDIA, or a Local Area Coordinator, to put together your plan. Your plan sets out your goals and the funded supports that help you work towards them. These generally fall into three broad categories:
- Core Supports: for everyday activities like personal care, transport, and community participation
- Capacity Building: support that helps you build skills and independence over time
- Capital Supports: things like equipment, home modifications, and specialist accommodation
Ways to Manage Your Plan
- NDIA managed: where the NDIA pays registered providers directly on your behalf
- Plan managed: where a plan manager handles your claims and payments, and you can choose from registered or unregistered providers
- Self-managed: where you handle the funds and paperwork yourself, for the most flexibility and choice
A lot of people actually use a mix of these across different parts of their plan, and that's completely fine.
Frequently Asked Questions
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In general, the NDIS is for Australians under 65 who have a permanent and significant disability that affects their everyday life. There are also residency requirements to meet. If you're not sure whether you qualify, just give us a call and we'll talk it through with you.
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You (or someone helping you) submit an Access Request to the NDIA, along with some evidence from a treating professional about your disability. Once that's approved, you'll sit down with the NDIA to build your first plan, based on your goals and the support that will help you reach them.
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It really just comes down to who's handling the money and paperwork. With NDIA managed, the NDIA pays registered providers directly. With plan managed, a plan manager takes care of claims and payments for you, and you get to choose from a wider range of providers. With self-managed, you handle the funds and paperwork yourself, which gives you the most flexibility but also the most responsibility. Plenty of people mix and match across their plan.
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Yes, absolutely. Choice and control are a big part of how the NDIS is meant to work. You're free to choose who supports you, and free to change your mind if a provider isn't the right fit.
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It's the test the NDIA uses when they're deciding what to fund. Basically, a support needs to relate to your disability, be good value for money, and actually be likely to help you.
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We provide the everyday and clinical supports your plan funds, from personal care to nursing to getting out into the community. And if you're ever unsure how your plan applies to what we offer, just ask us. We're happy to sit down and go through it with you.
Need Help Making Sense of Your Plan?
Whether this is your first time applying or you're reviewing an existing plan, we're happy to sit down with you and make sense of it together, one conversation at a time.