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Frequently Asked Questions
The National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) is an Australia wide scheme that supports people with a permanent and significant disability that affects their ability to take part in everyday activities. The NDIS gives people with disability more choice and control over how, when and where supports are received, and provides certainty that they will receive the support they need over their lifetime.
The National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) oversees the functioning of the NDIS. The NDIA is responsible for determining eligibility for the NDIS and undertaking planning with people with disability. Staff will assist participants to access the agreed supports identified in their plan and facilitate payment of providers if required.
If you are eligible for the NDIS you will receive funding to purchase reasonable and necessary supports that will help you to pursue your goals, achieve increased independence and participate in the community both socially and economically. The support can include education, equipment, health, well-being, employment and social participation.
Yes! The Bridge is a registered NDIS Provider.
The NDIS provides funding to people who are 0-64 years of age, who have a significant or permanent disability and who need help with everyday activities. This includes people whose disability is attributed to intellectual, cognitive, neurological, sensory, or physical impairment, or a psychiatric condition. The NDIS website has an Am I Eligible Checklist. Use this to help understand whether you may be able to access assistance under the NDIS.
The person with the disability needs to be under 65 years that is between 0 – 64 years to apply for NDIS support. Those over 65 can seek support from Aged Care services.
Participants who receive an NDIS package prior to turning 65 will not lose their NDIS package. They can choose to continue to receive supports from the NDIS.
Your pathway for accessing support depends on your situation, your goals and choices. As a first step, complete the My Access Checker application online www.ndis.gov.au/my-access-checker. If you are eligible contact the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) and arrange an appointment. You will then work with the NDIA to:
- Confirm eligibility – at your first appointment, you will meet with a planner to confirm your eligibility.
- Develop an individual plan – once your eligibility is confirmed you will meet with a planner to discuss your goals and aspirations for the life you want to live and the reasonable and necessary support you need to achieve this.
- Choose your supports – if you wish, a Local Area Coordinator (LAC) can help you choose your supports based on your individual plan, or you can manage this yourself. This can include choosing your support providers.
- Review your plan – From time-to-time, your planner will contact you to check whether your plan is still helping you work towards your goals.
The NDIS funds “reasonable and necessary” supports that:
- support people with disability to pursue their goals and maximise their independence
- support people with disability to live independently and to be included in the community as fully participating citizens
- develop and support the capacity of people with disability to undertake activities that enable them to participate in the community and in employment.
The supports must assist the person with disability to pursue their goals, objectives and aspirations, encourage social and economic participation, represent value for money and be effective and beneficial for the participant. Supports provided can cover areas such as Personal Care, Community Access, Transport, Interpreting and Translating and Employment. The funding covers services, supports and equipment.
Your NDIS plan will be all about your personal goals, needs and aspirations. You should think about:
- what support you have and what activities you do now
- whether these are meeting your needs and support the things you want to achieve
- what is important to you
- how all these things will be reflected in your plan.
NDIA staff will make decisions based on the National Disability Insurance Scheme Act 2013 (NDIS Act) and the rules made under the NDIS Act. When NDIA staff members make decisions about which supports would be reasonable and necessary for a particular participant, they refer to the particular operational guideline that relates to each specific support. In order to be considered reasonable and necessary, a support must:
- be related to the participant’s disability
- not include day-to-day living costs that are not related to a participant’s disability support needs
- be likely to be effective and beneficial to the participant
- take into account informal supports given to participants by families, carers, networks, and the community.
No, not automatically. You will have a contact at the NDIA but their job is not as broad as a Case Coordinator/ Manager. If you feel you need case management or support to coordinate your package then it would be best to talk with your NDIS planner about whether you need to build into your NDIS plan budget, funding for ‘support coordination’ and /or ‘plan management’.
The NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission (the NDIS Commission) is an Australian Government agency. The NDIS Commission is the dedicated national regulator of providers of NDIS supports and services.
They uphold the rights of, and promote the health, safety and wellbeing, of people with disability receiving NDIS supports or services. The NDIS Commission:
- ensures providers and workers know and follow the rules for quality and safety
- assists with, and responds to concerns, complaints and serious incidents
- registers and regulates NDIS providers
- educates and informs NDIS providers, workers, participants and people in the community about the NDIS Commissions’ requirements for quality and safety.