What is the NDIS?
The National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) is how the Australian Government funds the costs associated with having a permanent and significant disability. This assists people with disability and their families to access the supports they need. The NDIS is overseen by the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA).
NDIS funding provides supports and services to people with a permanent and significant disability to enable them to participate in the community and reach their goals.
The NDIS is not income tested and participants do not have to pay co-contribution fees. This means that those who care for someone with a disability do not have to pay for all the necessary supports. It also means that families who care for someone with disability can be reassured that their loved one will receive the supports they need.
The NDIS pays for disability supports and services to assist participants to engage socially and economically in the community, and to reach goals.
Whether you are a participant or not you can still be connected with services outside of the NDIS in your local community.
Access to the NDIS
If you care for someone under the age of 65 with a permanent and significant disability, they may be able to receive NDIS funding.
There is help available in your community if you or your loved one needs assistance with accessing the NDIS or have questions about the evidence that you will need to provide. The NDIS have Partners in The Community (PiTC) that you can contact to help with this process and navigate interactions with the NDIS system.
Partners in The Community include Early Childhood (EC) partners and Local Area Coordination (LAC) partners. These community partners are experienced in disability and are there to assist you with access request forms and evidence, as well as link you with other supports that may assist you if you are not eligible for the NDIS.
Access Request Form – www.ndis.gov.au/how-apply-ndis/what-access-request-form
Supporting evidence form – www.ndis.gov.au/how-apply-ndis/what-access-request-form#supporting-evidence-form ).
Finding and LAC or ECEI Partner – www.ndis.gov.au/contact/locations
Pre-Planning
During the pre-planning stage you’ll need to collect information about the supports the person you care for has now, and who provides them (including support from families and carers). You’ll also need to think about the supports and services the participant might need to help them reach their goals.
Preparing for the planning meeting is very important. The information you give will affect the NDIS plan, including the level of funding support provided. Completing a carer statement will give the planner more information about the impact the disability has on the participant, their carer and family. This will help the planner understand the level of support required.
Worksheet
Carer Checklist
2 July 2020 – 1.14 MB
Managing the Plan
NDIS plans can be managed through the online NDIS portal, myplace, which you can access through your myGov account.
There are five options for managing your NDIS funding support plan:
Self-management allows you to choose who provides services; they do not need to be a NDIS-registered provider. Be aware that some choices can place you in the position of an employer, with all the industrial rules and regulations that apply.
You will need to lodge a claim for services for NDIS funding to be transferred into a nominated bank account. This will allow you to pay service staff or organisations directly.
While self-management gives you more flexibility, it also means you need to be responsible for many aspects of the NDIS plan.
A NDIS-registered Plan Management provider manages the NDIS funding on your behalf. They will be able to advise you on what service providers you will need.
The NDIA manages the plan for you, but can only use service providers registered with the NDIS.
Funding for transport (if it’s included in the Plan) can be automatically transferred into the nominated bank account weekly, fortnightly or monthly.
You can also manage the NDIS plan using a combination of the above methods.
Using the Plan
It is important for participants to use their NDIS plan to its full potential. This ensures that the full array of supports available is being used, and capacity is being built to achieve goals for maximum independence.
The choice and control always lie with the participant on how to use their funding, but the LAC or EC partner can offer some guidance on how to get started and offer budgeting assistance as well as links to services you feel you need.
Your LAC or EI partner can assist your loved one to use their plan to its full potential. An implementation meeting should be offered, and you can support your loved one by attending. You might like to take some notes to help remember the discussion. In this meeting you can go over the plan with your EC or LAC partner and work out how to best spend the funding to suit your loved one
NDIS using your plan – www.ndis.gov.au/participants/using-your-plan
Plan Nominees and Child Representatives
The NDIS Act recognises that there may be circumstances where it is necessary for a person to be appointed as a nominee of a participant to act on behalf of or make decisions on behalf of a participant. This is seen as a last resort measure. There are two types of nominees which are explained on the NDIS website.
Although you may already be an appointed guardian or power of attorney for the person you care for, you will still need to go through the NDIS nominee process to act on their behalf.
When your child accesses the NDIS prior to turning 18, you as their parent/caregiver will be their representative, and you can speak on their behalf. It is encouraged that when your child becomes a teenager, you involve them in the NDIS process prior to them turning 18.
Once your child turns 18, they will be representing themselves. You can, of course, continue to support your adult child if required.
NDIS Different Types of Nominees – www.ndis.gov.au/understanding/families-and-carers/guardians-and-nominees-explained
NDIS Frequently Asked Questions
Carers play a large role in supporting their loved one throughout the NDIS process. Carers can assist participants in many aspects of the NDIS including access, planning meetings, review requests and assisting them to manage their chosen supports. The NDIS understands the value of carers (known as informal supports) in a participant’s life and values their contribution and knowledge.
Please visit the below link to read about the role of carers.
Caring for someone with a disability is an enormous responsibility, especially performing the caring role while looking after other family members, or even while working or studying. Navigating the NDIS to make sure the person you care for gets the right supports adds to this responsibility and may feel overwhelming – but you’re not alone.
While the NDIS plan focuses on the person you care for, the types of supports in the NDIS plan may also have direct or indirect benefits for you as a carer. These may include:
- Family support and counselling
- Building skills and capacity of other family members to help manage how disability affects family life
- Supports that increase the participant’s independence, and ability for the participant to enjoy social and community activities independent of their carers
- Supports to help with the role of caring, such as personal care and domestic help related to the person’s disability
- A support worker to be included in family outings to help the person with disability, especially if the family has other children
- Access to respite care to give carers a break from their caring responsibilities
Carers can also access support through other agencies, including:
- Department of Social Services (DSS) – www.dss.gov.au/disability-and-carers
- Department of Human Services (Centrelink) – www.centrelink.gov.au
There are a range of supports available to carers including respite support, counselling, education and training, peer support and advocacy. For information call Carer Gateway on 1800 422 737
If you are a young carer aged between 12-25 the Young Carers Network could support you in caring whilst continuing your education.
Not all people with disability will meet the access requirements to the NDIS. However, if your loved one does have a permanent and significant disability and has not met access, you may request a review of this access decision.
Access decisions can be review by requesting a “Review of the Reviewable Decision” either through your NDIS Partner in The Community or directly with the NDIS. It can be helpful to engage an advocacy service if you feel you need more support than what your Partner in The Community can provide to you.
There are a range of mainstream and community supports that can support your loved one with a disability. See our page for further information. https://www.carersaustralia.com.au/disability-carers/mainstream-and-community-supports/