The National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) is the new way of providing individualised support for people with disability, their families and carers – it’s the insurance that is designed to give us all peace of mind.
“Disability could affect anyone and having the right support makes a big difference,” a spokesperson said. “The NDIS provides eligible people a flexible, whole-of-life approach to the support needed to pursue their goals and aspirations and participate in daily life.
“The NDIS is a big change and will be progressively rolled out across NSW and should be operating statewide by July 2018.”
The National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) is working closely with the relevant Commonwealth and NSW government departments to ensure there is a smooth transition to the NDIS for people with disability, their families, carers and providers.
If you currently access services you will be contacted to discuss the process of entering the NDIS but if your region has already transitioned, don’t hesitate to be in touch.
Some people aren’t sure if they qualify so here are the rules. To access the NDIS you must:
- Live in Australia and be: an Australian citizen OR a permanent resident OR hold a Protected Special Category Visa.
- To receive the NDIS you must be aged under 65 years. In some locations, you need to be a certain age to access the NDIS during the trial period. Other supports may be available if you don’t qualify.
- To access the NDIS right now, you must live in an NDIS area on a designated date. In some of these areas, you also need to be a certain age to use the scheme.
- To meet the NDIS disability rules you need to have an impairment or condition that is likely to be permanent (lifelong) and that stops you from doing everyday things by yourself.
The following questions may help you decide if your answer is ‘yes’.
Do you usually need support from a person or assistive equipment so you can:
- Understand and be understood by other people?
- Make and keep friends and cope with feelings and emotions?
- Understand, remember and learn new things?
- Get out of bed and move around the home and outside the home?
- Take a bath or shower, dress and eat?
- Do daily jobs, handle money and make decisions?
Early intervention rules
To meet the NDIS early intervention rules, you need to have an impairment or condition that is likely to be permanent (lifelong), or be a child under six years of age with a developmental delay and the delay means you usually need more help with your self-care, communication, learning or motor skills than another child of the same age.
Early intervention supports provided by the NDIS are those not provided by any other services such as health and education.
The following questions may help you decide if your answer is ‘yes’. Would early intervention:
- Reduce the impact of your impairment or condition or developmental delay?
- Stop the impact of your impairment or condition from getting worse?
- Strengthen your informal supports, such as helping a carer to keep supporting you?
Call the NDIA on 1800 800 110 if you have any questions or to ask for an access request form.