Getting onto the NDIS

The access process asks for something quite specific, and applications fail far more often on evidence than on eligibility.

It is not means tested

Worth stating plainly because it stops people applying: the NDIS does not consider your income, your savings or your assets. It is not a welfare payment. Whether you work, and what you earn, has no bearing on eligibility.

Who is eligible

Broadly, you need to be under 65 when you apply, be an Australian citizen or hold a permanent or protected special category visa, and live in Australia. Then you need to meet either the disability requirements or the early intervention requirements.

The disability requirements ask that you have an impairment that is likely to be permanent, that substantially reduces your functional capacity in areas such as mobility, communication, social interaction, learning, self-care or self-management, and that you are likely to need support for life.

The evidence is the whole game

This is where applications succeed or fail. The NDIA is not assessing your diagnosis; it is assessing function. A letter saying you have a condition is close to useless. A report describing what you cannot do without assistance, in specific terms, is what is needed.

Useful evidence comes from the treating professionals who know you best: a GP, and usually an occupational therapist, physiotherapist, speech pathologist or psychologist depending on the impairment. It should say what is permanent, what the functional impact is day to day, and what has already been tried.

Be unsparing about your worst days. People routinely describe their best day out of pride, and are then assessed on it. Describe what a bad week actually looks like.

How long it takes

Once a complete access request is lodged, the NDIA has a statutory period in which to decide, and the clock generally starts when the request is complete. Gathering the evidence beforehand usually takes far longer than the decision does.

If you are found ineligible

Ask for an internal review. You have a limited window to do it, so act promptly, and use the time to fill the gap in the evidence that caused the decision.

If the internal review also fails, the matter can go to the Administrative Review Tribunal. Free support is available: advocacy services and the National Disability Advocacy Program exist precisely for this, and a good advocate materially improves the odds.

If you are found eligible

You will have a planning meeting. Go in prepared: what a typical week looks like, where you need help, what you want to be doing that you cannot do now, and any reports you have. Take someone with you. Ask for plan management if you want the widest choice of providers, and see how plan management works.

Questions