The National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) is a scheme supporting disabled people to achieve their goals by providing the necessary funding and support they need. As it is national, it is active all through the states and territories in Australia providing assurance to many people.
Being an insurance scheme, there are many disabled people who are assured that they are protected under this scheme and can achieve what they want in their life.
This is the scheme designed for the people to achieve their skills and independence in their lives.
So, before you go apply for the NDIS scheme, you must know its eligibility criteria so that you can get it without any issues.
Eligibility criteria
- Those with a permanent disability or developmental delay
People who have a permanent disability that can’t be rectified come under this scheme. It provides all the necessary supports to help disabled people to live their lives independently.
Also, the persons who have a developmental delay and take a long time to grasp things also come under this scheme. People with developmental delay have less ability to perform group activities, daily actions and can often struggle to live without support. - People under 65
There’s an age criterion for this scheme that is people aged between 7 and 65 only come under this scheme.
If you are above 65 or under 7, there are other support schemes that you can get access to if you need. Usually, those who are above 65 come under aged care and they have special schemes to provide support and to make their olden days better.
If you have children under 7 and looking to get support from the government, there are childcare schemes that you should look into.
For instance, you can check for Early Childhood, Early Intervention (ECEI) which is the scheme for children aged 0-6 years. - Australian citizens, or those with a permanent or Protected Social Category visa
You have to make sure that you’re an Australian citizen before applying for the NDIS scheme.
Because it’s eligible only for: - People living in Australia
- Australian citizens
- Those who have a permanent visa
- Those are protected special category visa holders
If you’re not a citizen but looking to get the support, then there are other support schemes that you should enquire about. - If you need a support person to perform everyday activities
Though there are some disabled persons who can perform everyday activities, there are some other people who can’t perform without support from other people.
They need to have either specialised equipment (like an automatic wheelchair) or help from other people to run their daily activities. If you are one of those people or know one such person, then you can apply for the NDIS scheme.
How to get access to the NDIS scheme
If you think you’re eligible or know a person who can come under the NDIS scheme, then you should look for Local Area Coordination (LAC) partners.
LAC partners will help you with NDIS – right from telling you the eligibility criteria to how to get access to it. They help you by creating a proper plan and also be with you while putting the plan into action. If there are any changes in the plan, you can consult these LAC partners before taking any action.
If for some reason, you are not eligible for this scheme, these LAC partners will help you by linking you to local community centres in your area.
How to Prepare For the NDIS Meeting?
During the meeting, you will have a discussion with the planner about the supporting accessories you need in your everyday life.
Therefore, you should make a list of all the things that you need like personal care, meal assistance, paid support, family support, aids, equipment, etc.
While in the meeting, the planner will also ask you about your goals. You need to mention them clearly as they give you the equipment and accessories needed for you to achieve your goals and gain independence.
You can always talk with the NDIS support coordinator regarding any help you need during or after taking the scheme. You can get all the answers to the questions that arise in your mind.
