Applying for the NDIS – what to do and where to get help

The National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) can be absolutely life changing for people with disability, providing much-needed support they might otherwise be unable to access.

But when you’re new to the Scheme, the application process can seem daunting. Fortunately, there’s a clear path to follow if you’re applying to access the NDIS – and at My Plan Manager, we’ve got the map!

Eligibility criteria for the NDIS

Before you apply for the NDIS, you’ll need to make sure you’re eligible. If you’re not, there may be other funding you can access.

Here are the main criteria for the NDIS:

• You must be aged between nine and 65 years (children younger than nine may be eligible for the early childhood approach).
• You must be an Australian citizen, permanent resident, or the holder of a protected Special Category visa.
• You must live in Australia.
• You must have a disability that’s caused by a permanent impairment. This can be one or more of intellectual, cognitive, neurological, sensory, physical. or psychosocial disabilities.
• You must need disability-specific NDIS supports to help you in your daily life.

You can find out more about NDIS eligibility here.

What supporting documents do you need to apply for the NDIS?

There are a few things to organise before you can complete an NDIS access request form, including:

• Proof of identity, age, and address. You might use your Medicare records, a copy of your birth certificate, your passport, or another form of photo identification.
• Proof of disability. This can be provided by your health professionals, who can fill out a section of the form to provide evidence.

How to apply for the NDIS

Step 1: Check your eligibility

Make sure you’ve checked your eligibility, referring to the information we went through in the section above.

Step 2: Download the NDIS access request form

Download the NDIS access request form, which you’ll find on this web page. It’s a long form, so take your time to fill it out with all the information that’s required, and don’t hesitate to ask for help if you need it.

You can contact your local National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) office if you need assistance, or you can ask a family member or friend for help.

Step 3: Get your health professionals on board

A treating health professional (e.g., your general practitioner) will need to fill out Section 2 of the NDIS access request form.

If you have any existing reports or documentation, make copies and include them with your application too.

Step 4: Provide evidence about your identity and disability

The NDIA will use the evidence you provide to decide if you’re eligible to access the Scheme. It will also be used to help decide what funding is included in your NDIS plan down the track.

Evidence needs to be recent (ideally within the past six months) and include reports and documentation that:

• are completed by a health professional who’s treating you, and which address your primary disability (i.e. the disability that affects you the most in your day-to-day life)
• address the impact of your disability on your daily life
• discuss treatments and therapies you’ve tried so far and the results of those
• flag future treatments and therapies you might be able to try and what outcomes could be expected

For more information about providing evidence of your disability, click here.

You’ll also need to provide proof of your age and residency. You can do this with your existing Centrelink record (if you’re a current Centrelink customer). Alternatively, for proof of age, you can provide a copy of your birth certificate, passport, driver’s licence, or proof of age card.

To confirm your residency status, you can provide a copy of your birth certificate, Australian citizenship or naturalisation certificate, or a foreign passport or travel document that includes a valid permanent Australian visa or a protected Special Category visa.

Step 5: Submit your form and wait

Now it’s time to submit your NDIS access request form, along with all the supporting documentation.

If your access request is successful, the NDIA will contact you to set up a planning meeting to discuss your needs.

How long does it take to be approved for the NDIS

You should get an answer about your access request within 21 business days (around a calendar month).

If you haven’t heard back by then, make sure you follow up with the NDIA directly. If you received help from a local NDIA office or NDIA partner, contact their team to check in on the progress of your application.

Where to get help applying for the NDIS

If you need support to fill out your access request form, there are places where you can get help. You can:

• contact your local NDIA office
• contact your local NDIA partner
• call the NDIA on 1800 800 110

You can also ask a family member, friend, carer, partner, support worker, service provider, hospital or aged care facility staff member, or treating health professional to help you.

With your consent, the NDIA can share information with these people during your application process, so they can help you to check how your application is progressing.

There are also a few cases where someone else can apply on your behalf, including:

• where a person has legal authority to make decisions for you
• if they’re your parent or guardian and you’re younger than 18 years
• if you’ve given a person consent to act as your authorised representative (if you’re an adult)
• if a person has power of attorney or an advanced health care directive is in place

If you’re an adult and want someone else to apply for you, you can also tell the NDIA in person, or over the phone.

Sometimes the NDIA will contact you to help you apply.

Next steps: requesting plan management

Plan managers (like My Plan Manager) are NDIS registered providers who support participants to manage the funding in their NDIS plans. That means the NDIA pays for our services and we work with you to:

• manage your budget
• deal with your providers
• speak with the NDIA about your claims
• process your invoices
• offer independent guidance and support
• provide accurate and compliant financial reporting across the lifetime of your NDIS plan

And best of all, we do all of this at no cost to you! Plus, by choosing to have your funding plan managed, you can access a wider range of providers – NDIS registered and non-registered – and we’ll handle the rest.

You’ll stay in control of your NDIS plan and funding, and we’ll make sure you’re paying exactly what you should be for every support and service you receive.

Think plan management is right for you? There’s no cost involved – all you need to do is ask!
If your NDIS access request is successful, you just need to let the NDIA know you’d like a plan manager to support you – and which plan manager you want to work with.

What happens if your NDIS plan is rejected

If you’ve received a response to your request for access to the NDIS and it wasn’t the outcome you were hoping for, don’t be disheartened. Whether your application was rejected outright or you’re unhappy with how it was handled, you can ask to have the decision reviewed.

Your family members, friends, or a disability advocate can support you. For more information about how a disability advocate can help you to exercise your rights, click here.

You can also email feedback@NDIS.gov.au or contact the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission if you’re concerned about an NDIA decision or process.

Want to know more? Read our ultimate guide to the lifecycle of an NDIS plan to unpack the common terms and milestone moments in the NDIS journey.

Contact us

If you have questions about plan management, you can give us a call on 1800 861 272 from 8am-5.30pm (SA time), Monday to Friday, or email us at enquiries@myplanmanager.com.au.