What is the National Disability Insurance Scheme?

NDIS stands for The National Disability Insurance Scheme which is designed to pay for the support services people with disability need to live, learn and work in the community. NDIS will include support for people with an intellectual disability (ID), people with vision impairment (VI), and people with a physical disability (PD).

An NDIS service provider will provide:

• Support and advice about the scheme.

• Support to help you select the right plan to meet your needs.

• Help to arrange the necessary equipment, accommodation, and support to enable you to be included in the community.

• Information about how to access support, including support in the community and at school or work.

• Information about the benefits and services that are available to you under the scheme

If you meet the eligibility criteria, you could be eligible for an NDIS Plan.

There’s some planning you can do to make sure you get the support you need in your everyday life and in the workplace. The NDIS service provider can provide support and advice about:

Meeting your needs: 

Whether you need supports to help you do the things you want to do, or if you need support to help you do things you’ve been told you can’t do.

Planning to live, learn and work in the community: 

This can include anything from making sure your home is prepared to accommodate the supports you need, to choosing an appropriate support level for you.

Choosing a plan that will meet your needs: 

Whether it’s an individual NDIS plan for you, or you’re part of a small group.

Arranging for access to equipment, services, and support: 

This might mean getting the right equipment or getting support from your family, friends, or your community.

Meeting your family’s needs: 

The support you get from your family is an important part of getting on with everyday life. The NDIS’s Planner can help you plan how your family can support you in different ways.

Eligibility is based on the nature and extent of your disability. This is decided by a registered NDIS service provider or Planner who works with your doctor or specialist nurse and an independent Person with a Disability (the person you choose to be your representative).

The type and severity of your disability determine whether you have a disability that is severe enough to justify entry into the NDIS.

Your NDIS Planner may need to check your medical records or make other checks and/or assessments, to determine your eligibility for a plan. The amount of your NDIS Plan depends on the services you need. If your plan will cost more than the maximum amount that your Family receives in Family Tax Benefit Part A or Part B, the NDIS may not be able to pay for all the services that you need.

If you have more than one type of disability, the NDIS will only pay for a single plan that will meet your individual needs. If your plans cover two or more types of disability, or if the plans overlap, it may not be possible to meet all your needs.

If you are eligible for Family Tax Benefit (FBT), you can get an estimate of what your NDIS Plan will cost by using the NDIS Cost Estimator. It’s free to use and you can estimate how much your plan will cost before making an application.

If you’re not eligible for Family Tax Benefit, the Cost Estimator can’t give you an estimate of how much your plan will cost. This is because you’re not eligible for Family Tax Benefit and will be charged your Family Allowance in addition to a premium.

The Cost Estimator takes into account the type of disability you have, and whether you need support at home and school. It also takes into account the cost of equipment and supports you’ll need if you have a more severe disability.