You have heard of NDIS funding – but what does it stand for, what is it, and are you eligible?

The National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) is the funding itself. The NDIS funding is run by the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA). Don’t worry about mixing up the two terms – everyone does!

So that is what the letters mean – but what is NDIS funding exactly, and who gets it? As the NDIS website explains (click here for link): It is national government funding for people who have permanent and significant disability to access the supports and services they need. 

There are two different pathways for NDIS funding, depending on the age of the person in question. In both cases, the person must live in Australia and have Australian residency. 

NDIS funding for a person over 7 years old:

To be considered for funding (click here for NDIS eligibility checklist), the person must either:
– “need support from a person because of permanent and significant disability”
– or “use special equipment because of a permanent and significant disability”

If the person in question might be eligible, then an Access Request can be submitted to the NDIS over the phone or by email (click here for Access Form and more information). 

The more information you provide to support your request, the better the chances of qualifying for funding. Supporting evidence will also help you to get the amount and types of funding that you need. There are many different types of supporting information as per NDIS suggestions (click here for types of good evidence).

NDIS funding for a child under 7 years old:

The first step is to find an NDIS apppointed Early Childhood Partner. Early Childhood Partner’s are experienced using the Early Childhood Early Intervention (ECEI) approach (click here for information on connecting with an Early Childhood Partner).

Though the NDIS provide a tool designed to find you nearest NDIS services, including your nearest Early Childhood Partner (click here for NDIS search function), they recommend that you call them directly on 1800 800 110 to get information about your allocated Partner office. 

Don’t forget to check out our other resources!

Think you might be eligible for NDIS funding? Have a read of our Getting Ready for My First Plan article (click here).

Another preparation resource is our Getting Ready for Battle article (click here).

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