Helpful Videos

1.Welcome to the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS)

There are around 4.3 million Australians who have a disability. Within the next five years, the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) will provide more than $22 billion in funding a year to an estimated 500,000 Australians who have permanent and significant disability. For many people, it will be the first time they receive the disability support they need.

The NDIS can provide all people with disability with information and connections to services in their communities such as doctors, sporting clubs, support groups, libraries and schools, as well as information about what support is provided by each state and territory government.

So, what is the NDIS?

The NDIS is a new way of providing disability support. It takes a lifetime approach, investing in people with disability. The NDIS supports people with disability to build skills and capability so they can participate in the community and employment.

You can access the NDIS depending on your age, residency and disability. You need to be under 65 years of age, live in Australia and be an Australian citizen, or have paperwork that gives you permission to live here permanently. Your disability needs to be likely to be with you for life and substantially impact how you manage everyday activities.

Your first step once you access the NDIS is to create your first plan. Your first plan is the start of a lifelong relationship with the NDIS. It will continue to give you the support you need now. It will make sure you have time to learn more about all of your options with the NDIS. Your first plan will give you time to think about what you might need to help you achieve your goals before you do your next plan.

Your plan may include informal supports – the care and help you get from your family and friends. Community supports – the activities and services you can get from people or groups in your local community. Mainstream supports – the support and services you get from people like doctors and teachers. Reasonable and necessary funded supports – the supports and services the NDIS can fund.

Your first plan will be in place for 12 months. This will give you time to think about how those supports are working for you. Once your plan is approved, it is time to put it into action. The NDIS can work with you to help you start your plan.

With the NDIS, you can self-direct your plan. Self-direction means you have control over your supports and how they are provided, including payments to your providers. You can choose the providers you want to deliver the services you need. Your existing provider may need to continue to deliver some supports initially.

You will normally need to make a written agreement with your providers. You can access your plan on the Participant Portal, an online tool available through the myGov website that keeps all of your documents together. While you are starting your plan, you might like to think about your future goals and consider activities and ways of achieving them.

While everyone is different, your first plan will generally be in place for 12 months before we work with you to make any changes. This is called a plan review. To get ready for making your next NDIS plan at your plan review, think about your life now, including which supports are helping you and which are not.

Identify your strengths, interests, opportunities and challenges. Consider your current informal, mainstream, funded and community supports. Think about your goals and what you want to achieve Write this down so that you are prepared for your plan review.

The NDIS will support you throughout your life for as long as you need it, so this pathway will continue on, and you’ll update your plan as your needs change.

For more information about this video, please contact the NDIS.

2. Reasonable And Necessary Supports

This video is about the NDIS and what they mean when they talk about Permanent and significant disability and reasonable and necessary supports.

If you have a disability that is likely to be permanent and significant you can receive funding from the NDIS.

The NDIS funds reasonable and necessary supports to help you reach your goals and aspirations, and take part in activities to increase your social and economic participation.

What is a permanent and significant disability?

A permanent disability means it is likely to be with you for life. A significant disability affects your ability to take part in everyday activities. To receive funding from the NDIS, your disability must be both permanent and significant.

What kind of supports does the NDIS fund?

The NDIS funds reasonable and necessary supports. Reasonable and necessary supports are those that will help you:

  • pursue your goals and aspirations
  • be more independent
  • take part in social activities and work
  • actively take part in the community
  • enjoy an ordinary life.

These supports are related to your disability and don’t include day-to-day living costs not related to your disability support needs, they represent value for money, they are likely to be effective and work for you, they take into account informal supports given to you by your family, carers, networks, and the community, and take into account other formal supports you have like health and education services.

What types of supports don’t need to be funded by the NDIS?

Some supports are funded by other areas of government including school teacher aides and hospital and GP visits.

What types of supports are funded by the NDIS?

The types of supports the NDIS may fund include:

  • help with personal care activities
  • transport to help you participate in community, social, economic and daily life activities
  • help at work to allow you to successfully get or keep a job
  • therapeutic supports like occupational therapy, speech therapy and behaviour support
  • help with household jobs to allow you to maintain your home aids or equipment to help you do things more independently, including assessment, set up and training
  • home modifications, including design and construction, to help you live at home
  • mobility equipment to help you get about more easily, and vehicle modifications to your car to make it easier to use.

You have choice and control over how your supports are given and which service providers you use in your plan.

What supports are NOT funded by the NDIS?

A support won’t be funded if it:

  • isn’t related to your disability
  • is the same as supports already funded by other areas of government
  • relates to day-to-day living costs that are not related to your disability support needs
  • is likely to cause you harm or pose a risk to others

For more information visit our website: www.ndis.gov.au/participants/reasonable-and-necessary-supports

3. Your Plan And Your Budget

As an NDIS participant, you have choice and control over how you manage your NDIS plan. In this video, we'll explain how your NDIS plan is set up and how to spend the funds in your NDIS plan to live the life you want.