Can you Access the NDIS?  

If you are a person with a disability, you must be assessed against access requirements before participating in the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS).

The NDIS has access requirements around:

  • Availability

  • Residency

  • Disability

  • Early Intervention

Firstly, the NDIS must be available in your area, and in some cases be a certain age. Existing funding will continue in areas that don’t have the NDIS until it is rolled out.

Here are some basic questions to ask to find out if you might be eligible for the NDIS.

1. Are you an Australian Resident?

To access the NDIS you must be an Australian citizen or a permanent resident or hold a protected Special Category Visa.

2. Are you younger than 65 years?

You must be under 65 years to access the NDIS. In some areas, you need to be a certain age during the trial period.

3. Is the NDIS available where you live?

You must live in a NDIS areas on a designated date to access the NDIS. These are different for each state and can be accessed here.  

4. Do you usually need support to do everyday things? This could be from a person or equipment.

You must have an impairment or condition that stops you from doing everyday things by yourself to meet the NDIS disability rules

Everyday things could include:

  • Being understood by others
  • Making and keeping friends
  • Coping with emotions
  • Understanding, remembering, and learning new things
  • Getting out of bed and moving around inside and outside the home
  • Taking a bath, shower, eating or dressing
  • Doing daily jobs
  • Handling money
  • Making decisions

5. Is your impairment or condition likely to be permanent?

You must have an impairment or condition that is permanent (lifelong) to meet the NDIS disability rules.

6. Is the support you need now to reduce your support needs in the future?  

According to early intervention funding rules, you need to have a condition or impairment that is likely to be permanent or you must be a child under 6 years of age with a developmental delay that needs more help with self-care, communication, learning or motor skills than another child of the same age.

If you have any questions, you can call the NDIS on 1800 800 110. If you are eligible for the NDIS, you can find NDIS services in your local area by searching My Community Directory.