The NDIS is short for the National Disability Insurance Scheme. It’s a new way for people with a disability, under the age of 65, to get the care and support they need. The NDIS is for people with a permanent and significant disability that impacts their ability to take part in everyday activities.

The NDIS provides lifetime supports to individuals who meet the eligibility criteria. The support is based on a plan that includes your support needs, goals and aspirations. If you are eligible, you will work out what reasonable and necessary support you need to live your life and achieve your goals. You’ll then receive funding to pay for these supports. Our team can work with you to create a plan to suit your own goals and hopes. Find more information on the NDIS website.

There is a range of NDIS support types. Not all types of support required by a person living with a disability fall under the responsibility of the NDIS. Some supports are funded by other areas of government (e.g. state health systems) or existing public and community services.

In general, the NDIS will fund reasonable and necessary supports that help a person living with a disability enjoy an ordinary life. These supports and services fall into three categories.

CORE – A support that assists with activities of daily living.

CAPITAL – A support for an investment, such as assistive technologies; equipment and home or vehicle modifications; or funding for capital costs (e.g. to pay for Specialist Disability Accommodation).

CAPACITY BUILDING – A support that helps build independence and skills.

The NDIA is the National Disability Insurance Agency. It is a government agency and its role is to implement and manage the NDIS (National Disability Insurance Scheme) and make sure people with disability continue to get the support they need.

Eligibility for the NDIS depends on a few different things, such as:

Age: You need to be under 65 years at the time of your application.
Residency status: You must be an Australian citizen, permanent resident, or a New Zealand citizen with a Protected Special Category Visa.
Disability & Early Intervention: You must have a permanent disability that significantly affects how you can communicate, move, care for yourself, or manage your life, or have a permanent disability (or developmental delay for children under six years) which would likely benefit from receiving supports now, to reduce the amount of support needed in the future.
Early Intervention: You might be eligible if early intervention would substantially improve your functioning, or delay or decrease a decline in functioning, for you or your child.
We recommend you confirm your eligibility via the NDIS website or by calling the NDIA on 1800 800 110. For more information, visit Am I eligible.

Allied health professionals are qualified providers or therapists that deliver therapeutic supports to participants. These therapists provide evidence, assessments and reports that help inform, access and aid planning decisions made by the NDIA (planners) under the NDIS Act.

There are a range of allied heath therapies and supports that can be funded under your ndis plan. Therapies can include occupational therapy, speech therapy and registered nursing, right through to nutrition, personal training or counselling. Because of the broad range of therapies that are available, we encourage you to think creatively about which support or therapy combination might help you achieve your life and NDIS goals.

No. If you are over the age of 65 years, you are not able to access the NDIS, however that does not mean you can’t receive any support. If you are aged 65 years or over and are currently receiving disability supports, you will continue to receive the same level of support as before, just not through the NDIS.

Here is the excellent part…you do! Once you have a ndis plan, the plan will outline how much funding you will receive for each support category. However, it is your decision how these funds are managed. You can self-manage your funds or nominate the ndis, a registered provider or someone you trust to do it for you. With the ndis, you will always retain control over how, where and when your supports are provided.

A ndis LAC is otherwise known as a ndis Local Area Co-Ordinator. A LAC is a locally based representative who can support you in implementing your plan. A LAC may t include assisting you in finding community activities and mainstream services in your local area to help you achieve your goals. However, they can’t be as hands-on or involved as your support coordinator, which is why we highly recommend support coordination to make sure you’re getting the most out of your plan.

Yes, you can change your ndis plan if your circumstances change. If something affects the support you need, it is important to contact the ndis or your support provider.  They can support you with reviewing your plan.

Your ndis plan is also reviewed every 12 months. This allows you to assess your progress towards achieving your goals. The annual review provides you with the opportunity to set new goals for the year ahead, which can then lead to changes being made to your support requirements.