Note: Contacting a Local Area Coordinator (LAC) - a free-of-charge service available to all people with disability - before you request access to the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) is a great option! A LAC can help you to decide if the NDIS is right for you, and if it will fund the support you require, and they can also explain the process for accessing the Scheme.
To find your local LAC office visit www.ndis.gov.au/contact/locations.
The process of becoming a participant in the NDIS can begin with a verbal access request, where a person with disability, their family member or guardian calls the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) and asks to apply. Alternatively, you can complete an NDIS access request form.
People whose primary disability is psychosocial (e.g., schizophrenia, bipolar, anxiety or depression) will need to complete an evidence of psychosocial disability form instead.
Click here to find out more about the NDIS application process: How to apply for the NDIS
If you’ve engaged the support of a LAC, the NDIS will send your access outcome to them, and they will contact you set up a first plan appointment.
A first plan appointment is where the LAC will talk to you about your support requirements, circumstances, and current goals in preparation for your first planning meeting with an NDIS planner. If you don’t have a LAC, the NDIS will contact you directly.
If you and your LAC (if you are working with one) agree with the NDIA’s decision, you can talk to the Agency about reapplying later, when your circumstances have changed. There isn’t a cap on the number of times you can request access to the NDIS.
Or, if you and your LAC don’t agree with the decision, the LAC can help you to explore your review rights and, if required, connect you to a disability advocate.
You can find more information about reviewing an NDIS outcome here: The lifecycle of an NDIS plan.
Getting set up for NDIS plan management is easy. At your first plan appointment, initial planning meeting or review meeting, you just need to ask your LAC or the NDIS planner to set your plan up as ‘plan managed’ and include plan management funding in your budget.
You can find out more about requesting plan management here.
If you already have funding for plan management in your plan budget and are looking for a plan manager, click here to join My Plan Manager: myplanmanager.com.au/join.
