NDIS FAQ’s

The National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) provides funding to people living with a disability to get the support they need. The NDIS is for people under the age of 65 with a permanent and significant disability which impacts on their ability to take part in everyday activities.

NDIA stands for National Disability Insurance Agency.

The NDIA is a government agency that implements and manages the NDIS – making sure people with disability get the support they need.

The NDIS provides assurance and security that people with disability will receive the support they need.

Prior to the NDIS, the funding you received from the government depended on a number of factors, including how, when and where you acquired your disability as well as where you lived.

This meant that there was no standardised funding – some people got none, and some people got enough to cover their supports.

The NDIS is a nationally consistent system that offers participants more control and makes sure they can access supports throughout their lifetime.

It’s important to remember that the NDIS is not a welfare system, it is an insurance-based scheme that invests in participants to improve long-term outcomes.

Your eligibility for the NDIS depends on a range of conditions. To qualify, you must:

• Have a permanent disability that significantly affects your ability to take part in everyday activities or a developmental delay.
• Be less than 65 years old when you first access the NDIS.
• Be an Australian citizen and hold a permanent or Protected Special Category visa.

To meet the early intervention requirements for children:

• Your child must be under 6 and have a developmental delay.
• Early intervention would improve functioning, or delay or decrease a decline in functioning, for you or your child.

The NDIS will also ask you:

• Do you usually need support from a person because of a permanent and significant disability?
• Do you use special equipment because of a permanent and significant disability?
• Do you need some supports now to reduce your future needs?

Your NDIS funding is there to provide you with the supports you need for your disability and help you work towards your goals.

Your funding is based on what is ‘reasonable’ and ‘necessary’ to pursue your goals, in addition to the support provided by family, friends, and other community and government services.

Your goals are an important part of developing your plan.

They help us to get to know you and the things that are important in your life. We will talk to you about your daily life, where you live and who you live with. We’ll ask you what you want to do in the future and who supports you. Goals can also:

• Help you think about what your strengths are and how you can use them.
• Give you the motivation to try different things and build your independence.
• Be something to work towards where you can measure your progress.

All of Kurrajong’s supports and services are able to be funded through the NDIS.

You can learn more about our services here.

Supports and services for NDIS participants fall into three categories: core, capital and capacity building.

• Core: A support that helps a participant complete daily living activities.
• Capital: A support for an investment, such as assistive technologies, equipment and home or vehicle modifications, or funding for capital costs (e.g. to pay for Specialist Disability Accommodation).
• Capacity building: A support that helps a participant build their independence and skills.

To find out more about what services can be covered by the NDIS, visit the NDIS Website.

There are 3 ways that you can manage your NDIS plan; however, you don’t have to choose one of these options – you can use multiple.

For example, you might have a Kurrajong Plan Manager look after some parts while you might decide to self-manage some others.

Your three options are:

• Your plan is managed by someone from the NDIA.
• Your plan is managed by a Plan Manager.
• You ‘self-manage’ your NDIS plan.

Formerly known as the ‘NDIS Price Guide’, the NDIS Pricing Arrangements and Price Limits Guide help NDIS participants and disability support providers like Kurrajong understand how price controls for supports and services work in the NDIS.

Price regulation is in place to ensure that NDIS participants receive value for money in the supports that they receive.

You can view the most up to date NDIS Pricing Arrangements and Price Limits Guide here. 

Yes. It’s important that you’re happy with your service provider and getting the support you need.

While it’s a good idea to make use of all of the funds you’ve been provided to assist you in reaching your goals, it’s not the end of the world if you haven’t.

While you should always aim to use all of your funding, the NDIA is clear that each new plan will always be based on reasonable and necessary needs. This means each plan review will be independent to best meet your current situation, regardless of how your last plan went.

With this in mind, it’s still important to consider why you haven’t spent all of your allocated funding. Having a clear explanation and evidence where possible is the best way to prepare for your plan review.

There sure is – Kurrajong!

We often hear that the NDIS can feel overwhelming and confusing, but it doesn’t have to be that way.

Our Kurrajong First Contact team are NDIS experts, and we are a registered NDIS provider.

We can help you with Support Coordination and Plan Management and take the stress out of navigating the scheme.

Each year we help over 900 people with disability access services to achieve their goals. Our team are locals in their communities and are located across the Riverina Murray Region. Because of this, they can work with you one-on-one to help you understand the NDIS and what can be funded. We can also help you to list the services and support you need and then support you in your NDIS planning meeting to make sure these are included in your NDIS plan.

You are able to request a plan duration of up to three (3) years. You may choose a longer plan if your support needs are unlikely to change during this time. This means you will only have to review your plan once every 3 years.

More often, our clients opt for a 12 month plan which will be reviewed at the end of each 12 month period. This allows you to assess the progress you’ve made towards achieving your goals and helps you to set new goals for the year ahead – which could also lead to a change in your support requirements.