It feels as if a major component of being an adult is completing form after form after form. It can be exhausting. And, unfortunately, the NDIS isn’t any different.
To access the scheme, there is a bit of paperwork but if you know where to go for support, you can make the process a whole lot easier.
But first, let’s start at the very beginning of your NDIS journey.
Are you eligible for the NDIS?
Filling out forms is – let’s face it – a drag. But filling out the wrong form? Painful.
That’s why it’s important to decipher whether the NDIS is the right scheme for you before you even pick up a pen.
In Australia there are many government funding options to help support you if you’re living with a disability or illness (or simply getting older). For all of the below, you need to be eligible and be willing to provide evidence to prove that you require, say, a bereavement payment (this might be a death certificate).
Some general concessions, allowances or supplements (more temporary)
- Health and concession cards
- Utilities Allowance
- Pharmaceutical allowance
- Telephone AllowanceCrisis payment
- Bereavement payment
- Pensioner Education Supplement
- Commonwealth Rent Assistance
Funding packages (long-term)
- Parenting Payment
- NDIS
- JobSeeker Payment
- Carer allowance
- Age pension
- Aged Care/Home Care package
- Disability pension
- ABSTUDY
- Crisis and special help
- Family and domestic violence
For the NDIS, you just need to meet the eligibility criteria of the NDIS funding to ensure you’re entitled to it. Remember, the NDIS funds long-term disabilities, rather than short-term impairments.
To be eligible for the NDIS, you need:
- To be aged between 9 and 65-years old (although we have an article about if you’re confused if you’re eligible for Aged Care OR NDIS here)
- To be an Australian citizen, permanent resident, or Protected Special Category Visa holder?
- To live in Australia
- To have a disability caused by a permanent impairment (for example, not a broken leg which may only impact you for a few weeks/months). The impairment can be intellectual, cognitive, neurological, sensory, physical or psychosocial
- To require disability-specific supports to complete daily life activities, for example, someone to assist you to eat or shower, or even assist you into town for your weekly errands
The next steps after confirming you’re eligible:
Now for the “classic” part of this process, you’ll need to complete a form which you can access by clicking HERE. Or, you can contact your local NDIS Office/local NDIS partner or call 1800 800 110 and ask for the Access Request Form to be sent to you (via email or mail).
Fill out the form and don’t forget to include your supporting information. Information on that HERE. The NDIA (the agency that governs the NDIS) requires evidence of your disability and there are two ways to show this:
- Ask your Treating Professional to complete Section 2, Part B
OR
- You can provide copies of existing reports, assessments or letters you already have, such as a Care and Needs Scale (CANS).
*Your Treating Professional may be a GP, psychologist, or speech pathologist.
Who can help you with the application?
An LAC, or a Local Area Coordinator, is someone who supports people to access the NDIS. To find out how you can meet with an LAC, call your local NDIS office or the main number: 1800 800 110.
What’s next?
Like with everything else in this world, we play a bit of a waiting game.
These are the timeframes provided by the NDIS’ website.
| What we will do | The most days it will take us | Performance at June 2024 quarter (most current data) |
| Decide who can use the NDIS | 21 days | 30% |
| Make a decision about who can use the NDIS after we’ve been given more information | 14 days | 40% |
Getting a plan
These are the timeframes provided by the NDIS’ website.
| What we will do | The most days it will take us | Performance at June 2024 quarter (most current data) |
| Approve a plan | 56 days | 23% |
| Approve a plan for a child under 9 years | 90 days | 99% |
| Make a time to have a meeting to start your plan if you want to | 7 days | 81% |
Once your plan is approved, you need to understand different budgets, who can help you start using your plan, and how your plan is managed.
But don’t worry, we have a useful article on that too: here.
We hope the above information has been helpful. There are a few hoops to jump through with accessing the NDIS, but we know how amazing it is once your NDIS Plan is granted. It’s worth the effort.
If you or someone you know has an existing NDIS Plan, and they require some extra support around the house or out in the community, then give us a call. We’re in various locations in Western Australia and Darwin, with dynamic and goal-oriented supports ready to go!
References:
https://www.ndis.gov.au/applying-access-ndis