The National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) is a funding framework that supports Australians with a disability, their families and supporters.
It provides Australian citizens aged 65 and under who have a permanent and significant disability with funding for supports and services.
What is the NDIA?
The National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) is a Commonwealth Government organisation responsible for the delivery of the NDIS.
What is ECEI?
Help for children under 7 is available through Early Childhood Partners with Early Childhood Early Intervention (ECEI) support. ECEI is part of the NDIS and the NDIA will connect you with your local ECEI provider. ECEI providers have been contracted by the NDIA to supply support to children under 7 with specialist early intervention services.
But what if I’m over 65?
You are not eligible to access the NDIS. However, aged care services may still be available to help you in your day-to-day living. Contact My Aged Care on 1800 200 422 or online at www.myagedcare.gov.au
How do I access the NDIS?
You can ask to join the NDIS over the phone, or you can ask for an Access Request Form to complete and return. You can contact the NDIA on 1800 800 110 between 8 am – 8 pm or online at www.ndis.gov.au
To apply you will need to provide:
- Evidence of your age and residency
- Evidence of your disability and how it impacts you
- Current reports from health professionals to support your application
The NDIA will contact you by post with the required forms. To get supporting evidence from your doctors, make a longer-than-usual appointment.
Tip: Make copies of everything!
You can call the NDIA after two weeks to check they received your application and check its progress. If your application is successful, then a Local Area Coordinator (LAC) should then be in contact with you to make an appointment time at a location that suits you.
LAC’s are usually from a non-government organisation. When meeting with a LAC they will ask a standard set of questions, finishing with goals and aspirations.
Download: NDIS Planning Booklet (PDF) or Easy Read (PDF)
This planner helps you collect and sort your thoughts before you go to your first planning meeting! It is free to download.
What happens next?
The NDIA funds the agreed supports. Supports must relate to your disability and individual goals. Goals may include employment, social participation, independence, living arrangements, health and wellbeing, and support to attend some education.
Note: Day-to-day living costs that do not relate to your disability must not be included, this includes things like, groceries, your housing and utility costs.
Who is my LAC?
For most people, a Local Area Coordinator (LAC) will be their main point of contact for the NDIS. LACs are representatives of the NDIS but who are employed by another organisation, such as Intereach, Social Futures, or Uniting.
LACs can help you if you do not understand something.
Plan Management
Your LAC will ask you how you would like to have your package managed.
The options to choose to manage your plan are:
- Self-managed
- Plan managed
- Agency (NDIA) managed
Tip: You can choose a combination of these
If you choose Self-managed you will be contacted by the NDIS about the opportunities and responsibilities of self-managing your plan. Self-managing gives you control over, and responsibility for your NDIS funding.
If you choose Plan Managed, Plan Managers pay your providers for supports you purchase, help you to keep track of your funds and do any financial reporting for you.
Plan managers
IDEAS can help you find Plan Managers to choose from in your area. Plan managers can help you to plan, budget and coordinate your NDIS funding, from finding and sourcing reasonable and necessary services and supports, to maintaining the financial side of things.
NDIA managed
NDIA managed plans need to use NDIS registered providers for the supports in the plan. IDEAS can help you find NDIS registered providers for the supports in your plan.
With NDIA managed plans, your providers can claim electronically from your funding. You can look on the myplace portal to see the claims that providers are making against your NDIS funding.
myplace portal
The NDIS participant portal is called myplace or "my place". You will need a myGov account ("my gov") to sign in to myplace. You will be given an NDIS activation code. To create a myGov account visit www.my.gov.au
Appeals and reviews
Once the planning paperwork is processed, you will be told your package inclusions. If you feel at this point that you need to change anything in your plan, you have three months to appeal.
If you disagree with what is in your plan, you have the right to ask for an internal review of your plan by the NDIA. You can also request an administration change, through a “light touch” review, for example, to change from Plan Managed to Agency Managed for your funding.
Remember, you only have three months to request the review.
Check with Advocacy organisations if they can assist with developing an application for a plan review.
Change of circumstances
If your personal circumstances change significantly and it affects the services or supports in your plan, you can request a plan review at any time by completing the Change of Circumstances Form.
Plan Reviews
Plan reviews are a normal part of the NDIS process, IDEAS have put together a short guide on Top tips for your plan review which you may find useful.
Download: 
Nutting out the NDIS
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