What is the NDIS?

The National Disability Insurance Scheme (or NDIS) is a way for people who have a disability, that inhibits everyday activities, and is likely to last for their whole life, to get the care and support they need.

The NDIS can provide support to individuals within a variety of areas including; studying, job hunting, socialising and making friends within and around their community.

What is the difference between the NDIS and NDIA?

Easy one to mix up:

The NDIS (National Disability Insurance Scheme) is the scheme itself: the funding and supports that participants receive.
The NDIA (National Disability Insurance Agency) is the government agency that runs the scheme: it makes access decisions, approves plans, and manages funding.

So you're a participant in the NDIS and it's the NDIA that approves your plan. When people say "the NDIS decided...", they usually mean the NDIA.

Is the NDIS means tested?

No. The NDIS is not means tested. Your income, assets and savings don't affect your eligibility or how much funding you receive.

Your plan is based on one thing: what supports are reasonable and necessary for your disability and your goals. Two people with the same income can have completely different plans, because their support needs are different.

That's the insurance-scheme design at work. It's there for everyone who meets the disability requirements, regardless of financial situation. NDIS funding also isn't counted as income by Centrelink and isn't taxed (see our FAQ on the NDIS and Centrelink).

What does reasonable and necessary mean?

"Reasonable and necessary" is the test the NDIS applies to everything it funds.

Reasonable means fair - the cost makes sense for the benefit it delivers.
Necessary means it's something you need because of your disability.

The NDIS funds reasonable and necessary supports that help you become more independent, take part in your community and get the services and equipment you need.

Three questions to ask about any support you're considering:

Disability-related: do I need this because of my disability?
Goals: does it help me work towards the goals in my plan?
Value for money: is the cost reasonable, considering the benefits and other ways of achieving the same result?

If a support passes those three, you've got a strong case for it.

Have more questions about your NDIS plan? Email hello@providerchoice.com.au.

How does choice and control really work?

Choice and control is the founding principle of the NDIS - the idea that you make the decisions about your own life and supports.

In practice, it means you choose:

What goes in your plan: the goals and supports that matter to you (within reasonable and necessary)
Who provides your supports: and depending on how you manage your plan, that can include any provider, registered or not
How, when and where you receive them: supports fit your life, not the other way around
How your plan is managed: self-managed, plan-managed, agency-managed, or a mix

The system isn't always perfect at honouring it, which is why knowing your rights matters: you can change providers, question decisions and ask for reviews. Choice and control works best when you use it.

Want to get more control over your plan without more admin? That's exactly what plan management is for, email hello@providerchoice.com.au.

What is a nominee?

A nominee is someone you appoint to act or make decisions on your behalf in the NDIS. Nominees have a duty to work out your wishes and make decisions in your best interests.

There are two types:

Plan nominee: can do everything you would do, including plan activities and managing plan funds. If there's something specific you don't want them deciding, you can have that noted when they're appointed.
Correspondence nominee: can deal with the NDIA on your behalf, but can't prepare, review or replace your plan, or manage your plan funds.

A nominee can be a good safety net for times when you're unavailable or need someone to speak with the NDIS for you. The unexpected happens and it's good to have a plan in place, on your terms, decided while things are calm.

To appoint a nominee, contact the NDIA on 1800 800 110.

What happens if you move to another state or area?

Your NDIS plan moves with you. The scheme is national, so relocating interstate or to a new area doesn't interrupt your funding.

Two things to do when you move:

Tell the NDIA about your change of circumstances: you can do this by phone on 1800 800 110 or through the change of circumstances process.
Expect some practical changes: you may need new providers in your new area and the NDIA may check whether your plan still suits your situation (for example, if your informal supports change with the move).

If you're plan-managed with us, nothing about your plan management changes when you move. We're online and support participants right across Australia.

Where is the NDIS available?

Everywhere in Australia. The NDIS is a national scheme, available in every state and territory, cities, regions and remote areas alike.

Wherever you live, the access requirements and the scheme rules are the same. What varies by location is practical: provider availability differs between metro and remote areas and in some remote regions the NDIA works differently to connect people with supports.

If your choice of providers is thin in your area, plan management helps. It opens up the option to work with non-registered providers, which widens the pool considerably. Email hello@providerchoice.com.au if you'd like to learn more.

Where do I get NDIS forms from?

It depends what you need:

Applying for the NDIS: call the NDIA on 1800 800 110 to make an access request. They'll provide the Access Request Form and talk you through it.
Forms for existing participants: things like change of circumstances and nominee forms are on the NDIS website or available by calling 1800 800 110.
Through your contacts: your local NDIS office or NDIS partner can also provide forms and help you complete them.

If you're not sure which form your situation needs, that's a normal question. Call the NDIA, or email hello@providerchoice.com.au and we'll point you to the right one.

Where does the NDIS funding come from?

NDIS funding comes from three places:

Redirected state funding: money that state and territory governments previously spent on their own disability services now flows into the NDIS.
The Medicare levy: the levy was increased from 1.5% to 2% in 2014, with the increase helping fund the NDIS.
General government revenue: the remainder comes from the federal budget.

In other words, the NDIS is funded the way Medicare is: by all of us, as a shared national scheme. It's not welfare and it's not charity, it's insurance that any Australian might one day need, which is exactly why it isn't means tested.

What are Local Area Coordinators (LACs)?

Local Area Coordinators (LACs) are your local, human connection to the NDIS. They work for NDIS partner organisations in the community and for most participants they're the main point of contact.

An LAC can help you:

Understand and apply for the NDIS
Prepare for planning meetings and understand your plan
Connect with providers, community groups and mainstream services

LACs are free to work with and they also help people with disability who aren't NDIS participants connect with community supports.

Worth knowing: under the current NDIS reforms, a new "navigator" role is being introduced progressively, which will change how this local support is delivered over the next few years. For now, LACs remain the contact for most areas.

You can find your local NDIS office or partner through the NDIS website or by calling 1800 800 110.

How will the NDIS affect my existing support programs?

Joining the NDIS puts you in charge of that question.

If you're happy with your current supports and they meet the reasonable and necessary test, you can keep them. Your plan can fund the same providers and services you already use (and if you're plan-managed or self-managed, that includes providers who aren't NDIS-registered).

At the same time, the NDIS usually opens up more than people had before: a wider range of supports, more providers and funding tied to your goals rather than to whatever programs happened to exist locally. So it's worth treating your first plan as a chance to review what's working, keep the good and explore what else could help.

Mainstream services (health, education, Centrelink) continue alongside your NDIS plan. The NDIS doesn't replace them.

Building your first plan and want to make sure nothing you value falls through the cracks? Email hello@providerchoice.com.au.

NDIS Basics & How the NDIS Works