The National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) is an independent statutory agency whose role is to implement the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), which will support a better life for hundreds of thousands of Australians with a significant and permanent disability and their families and carers.

The NDIA has set out function for the NDIS. These functions are described below:-

• Delivering the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS)
• Supporting the independence and social and economic participation of people with a disability
• Enable people with a disability to exercise choice and control in pursuit of their goals and aspirations
• Manage and advising and reporting on the financial sustainability of the NDIS
• Developing and enhancing the disability sector
• Building community awareness in the disability sector
• Collecting, analysing and exchanging information about the disabilities and the support for people with a disability
• Undertaking research relating to disabilities

The NDIS offers people with disability choice and control over what supports are best for them. The NDIS recognises that every person’s needs and aspirations are unique so a flexible approach is needed to make supports as accessible as possible.

The NDIS offers a range of supports to people with disability, including information and referrals links to services and activities and individual support plans will be available. See www.ndis.gov.au for more information.

For an individual with a disability who would like to join the NDIS, there are access requirements which include: availability of the Scheme where you live; your age; your residency status; your disability and in some cases your early intervention requirements.

NDIS funding is available for “reasonable and necessary supports” for people with a disability to live life to the fullest. The NDIS website has useful website links explaining NDIS eligibility, what it aims to do and how it works. These are: Accessing the NDIS and the NDIS Planning Meeting Checklist.

People who are not eligible for funding under the NDIS can still get advice and information from the NDIA.  For people who apply and are not successful there is a review and appeals process, where our Customer Care and Advocacy team can advocate on your behalf.

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 and are in an area where the NDIS is operating, 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 can help you choose your supports based on your individual plan, or you can manage this yourself. This can include, choosing your support providers and reviewing your plan (from time-to-time, your planner will contact you to check whether your plan is still helping you work towards your goals).

Yes, however you will not need to be re-assessed for eligibility. The NDIA may also accept a current written assessment of your or your loved one’s disability. The initial assessment will determine eligibility and the level of support you require. The plan will be reassessed annually to ensure maximum benefit for the participant.

No, the assessment process is managed by the NDIA, but Windgap is able to work with you prior to the assessment to help achieve the best possible outcomes for the person with a disability.

The NDIS will fund “reasonable and necessary” supports that;

• Support people with disability to pursue their goals and maximise their independence, and
• Support people with disability to live independently and to be included in the community as fully participating citizens, and
• 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.
• The NDIS will take into account existing supports provided through the state or Commonwealth and these existing supports may form the basis of the new plan. It has also been agreed that no person should be disadvantaged by the transition to the NDIS.
• Supports provided can cover areas such as Personal Care, Community Access, Transport, Interpreting and Translating and Employment. The funding covers services, supports and equipment.

Above all the NDIS has been designed to provide significant choice and control to people with disability.

The NDIA will make decisions based on the National Disability Insurance Scheme Act 2013 (NDIS Act) and the rules made under the NDIS Act. When NDIA 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; and
• Take into account informal supports given to participants by families, carers, networks and the community.

A support coordinator will help you implement and review your NDIS plan. Your support coordinator will meet with you to discuss the best way to support you in a meets your needs. A support coordinator may assist you to:

• understand your plan and identify appropriate services
• apply for additional funding or contest the funding you have been allocated
• connect with disability, community & government services
• source providers who meet your needs and will help you achieve your goals
• assist you to navigate the NDIS system
• liaise with NDIS providers
• assistance with managing service agreements and budgeting your NDIS plan

Supports that will not be funded include those:

• which may cause harm to the person or others;
• that is not related to the person’s disability;
• that duplicates supports received through other funding; and
• day-to-day living expenses (rent, household bills etc.).

Supports that will not be funded include those:

• which may cause harm to the person or others;
• that is not related to the person’s disability;
• that duplicates supports received through other funding; and
• day-to-day living expenses (rent, household bills etc.).

People who had been receiving state funded specialist disability support, but are not eligible for the NDIS, will maintain the same outcomes they received before the NDIS through arrangements including Information Linkage and Capacity building support.  They will transition to alternative arrangements over time.

Individuals 65 or over are not eligible to participate in the NDIS. The Federal Government’s “Living Longer, Living Better” program of aged care will provide additional care and support for living at home, additional help from carer’s and self directed funding. For more information visit: www.myagedcare.gov.au