Disability and NDIS FAQs

The NDIS stands for National Disability Insurance Scheme. It's Australia's national scheme for people with disability to get the care and support they need to live life to the fullest.

The NDIS is delivered across the country by community organisations, like us here at LiveBetter.

The NDIA stands for the National Disability Insurance Agency. It's the government agency that manages the NDIS to make sure it supports a better life for people with disability and their families and carers.

The NDIS is for people with disability that affects their ability to take part in everyday activities. Disabilities may be intellectual, physical, sensory, cognitive or psychosocial.

You could be eligible for the NDIS depending on your location, age, residency and disability.

You can use the NDIS eligibility checklist – it asks you 5 easy questions to confirm if you're eligible.

You can use NDIS funding to pay for reasonable and necessary supports and services that will help you improve your skills and independence over time.

There are 3 types of supports:

1. core budget supports – to assist you with daily living activities
2. capital budget supports – for investments, like assistive technologies, equipment and home or vehicle modifications, or funding for capital costs (such as paying for specialist disability accommodation)
3. capacity building budget supports – to help you build your independence and skills.

If you're eligible – or your child is eligible – you can apply to join the NDIS by:

- calling the NDIS on 1800 800 110 and ask to make a Verbal Access Request, or
- filling out the NDIS Access Request Form and email it to NAT@NDIS.gov.au, or
- contacting your closest Local Area Coordinator or NDIS office – you can search for NDIS offices or contacts in your area.

If you'd like to know more about the process, visit our How to apply and plan page.

The next step is to create your NDIS plan.

You don't need to do this by yourself. You'll have a meeting with a planner from the NDIA or a Local Area Coordinator.

To prepare for your planning meeting, it's helpful to:

- start thinking about your goals and what you would like to achieve in the short-term and longer-term
- think about your current supports and who provides them, and what supports and services you may need to pursue your goals
- gathering any necessary assessments or reports – this helps the NDIA understand the types of supports you need.

Your planning meeting might be in person or over the phone. This is when you discuss your goals, and the kind of help and support you need to achieve them. Your goals are an important part of your NDIS plan, so during your planning meeting you'll be asked what you want to work towards.

There's an NDIS planning meeting checklist if you'd like to know more.

Your goals are unique to you. They describe what you want to achieve, develop or learn. Your NDIS plan includes your goals for both the short-term and long-term.

A short-term goal is something you can achieve in 12 months, while a long-term goal might take a few years.

Local Area Coordinators are sometimes NDIA staff or from partners in the community. They'll help you understand and use your plan. This includes connecting you with funded supports and showing you how to use the myplace portal.

That's the secure part of the Australian Government's myGov website where you can access your NDIS information.

If Local Area Coordinators are not available in your area, or you need more help coordinating your supports and services, the NDIA may fund a Support Coordinator in your NDIS funded plan.

They'll help you use your plan to work towards your goals, live more independently, increase your skills and be included in your community and in employment.

At the end of your planning meeting, your Local Area Coordinator or NDIA planner will let you know how long it will take to get your approved NDIS plan and what happens next.

Once the NDIA has approved your plan, your Local Area Coordinator or NDIA planner will give it to you, either in person or by mail to your preferred address. You can request a copy of your plan in accessible formats such as braille, electronic text (on CD), large print, audio (on CD) or translated into your preferred language.

You can also check your plan online at the myplace portal.

After your plan is approved and you have checked it, it's time to put it into action. You choose what supports and services you need to pursue to goals and who provides them. This means you need to understand the different budgets in your plan, who can help you start to use your plan, and how your plan is managed.

Your Local Area Coordinator or Support Coordinator will help you to understand your plan and what supports and services you can pay for with your NDIS funding. They can also help you implement your plan and connect you to new supports.

Your NDIS plan and funding can be managed in are 3 different ways:

- someone from the NDIA can manage your plan
- a Plan Manager can manage your plan – this is a provider who supports you to manage funding in your plan (the NDIS will include funding in your plan to pay for your plan manager, separate from your other services and supports in your budget)
- you can manage your own plan.

You can use a combination of these options if you like. For example, you might manage some parts of your plan yourself, while the NDIA may look after other parts.

Your first NDIS plan is usually reviewed after 12 months.

The NDIS is working on making plans up to 2 years or longer as the norm, based on feedback from participants.

Your review date should be on the front page of your NDIS plan. Towards the end of your plan, you'll be contacted about reviewing it and developing a new plan.

This is flexible to suit what's happening for you. If things are stable, your plan might simply be extended. Or if you need significant changes, your new plan can be developed earlier.

The NDIS cannot pay for a support that is:

- the responsibility of another government system or community service
- not related to your disability
- for day-to-day living costs unrelated to your support needs (like grocery costs)
- likely to cause harm to the participant or pose a risk to others.

Yes. The NDIS does not cover these costs.

Yes, and we'd be happy to. LiveBetter is a registered NDIS provider in regional New South Wales and Queensland. We offer a range of services that are tailored and flexible to support your individual needs. We can offer:

-personalised services tailored to your needs
-access to experienced and passionate staff with training in Certificate III/IV in Individual Support
-a wide range of services and supports to help you achieve your goals.

We understand the NDIS and we're local experts – so we can help you navigate the NDIS and find the supports and services you need to live and enjoy your life.

Contact us on 1800 580 580 to talk to your local LiveBetter NDIS Navigator.

LiveBetter offers a wide range of services to assist in many aspects of your life, including:

- social and community participation
- home and living
- finding and keeping a job
- behaviour support
- complex care.

Check out our disability services for more details.

We provide services across regional New South Wales and Queensland.

You can use our Service Finder Tool to see what's available in your location.

We understand the NDIS, and we know regional Australia – as local experts, we can help you find the right services in your community.

We're always ready to have a chat about how we can help. Just give us a call on 1800 580 580.