The NDIS is short for the National Disability Insurance Scheme. It’s a new way for people with a disability, under the age of 65, to get the care and support they need. The NDIS is for people with a permanent and significant disability that impacts their ability to take part in everyday activities.

The NDIS provides lifetime supports to individuals who meet the eligibility criteria. The support is based on a plan that includes your support needs, goals and aspirations. If you are eligible, you will work out what reasonable and necessary support you need to live your life and achieve your goals. You’ll then receive funding to pay for these supports. The team at iConnect Life can work with you to create a plan to suit your own goals and hopes. Find more information on the NDIS website.

There is a range of NDIS support types. Not all types of support required by a person living with a disability fall under the responsibility of the NDIS. Some supports are funded by other areas of government (e.g. state health systems) or existing public and community services.

In general, the NDIS will fund reasonable and necessary supports that help a person living with a disability enjoy an ordinary life. These supports and services fall into three categories.

CORE – A support that assists with activities of daily living.

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 build independence and skills.

The NDIA is the National Disability Insurance Agency. It is a government agency and its role is to implement and manage the NDIS (National Disability Insurance Scheme) and make sure people with disability continue to get the support they need.

Eligibility for the NDIS depends on a few different things, such as:

• Age: You need to be under 65 years at the time of your application.
• Residency status: You must be an Australian citizen, permanent resident, or a New Zealand citizen with a Protected Special Category Visa.
• Disability & Early Intervention: You must have a permanent disability that significantly affects how you can communicate, move, care for yourself, or manage your life, or have a permanent disability (or developmental delay for children under six years) which would likely benefit from receiving supports now, to reduce the amount of support needed in the future.
• Early Intervention: You might be eligible if early intervention would substantially improve your functioning, or delay or decrease a decline in functioning, for you or your child.

We recommend you confirm your eligibility via the NDIS website or by calling the NDIA on 1800 800 110. For more information, visit Am I eligible.

There are several ways you can manage your NDIS plan, and you don’t have to choose only one of these options. You can use a combination that best suits your needs.

For example, you might self-manage some parts of your NDIS plan, while the NDIA may look after other parts.

The three options for plan management are:

• Your plan is managed by someone from the NDIA
• Your plan is managed by a Plan Manager
• You manage your NDIS plan

Absolutely! If you are not eligible for NDIS funding, you are still able to access a range of supportive services our team has to offer. To learn more about our services, visit Our Services page or give us a call on 1800 511 411  to discuss your options.