The NDIS, explained in plain English

The National Disability Insurance Scheme is Australian Government funding for people with a permanent and significant disability. It pays for the supports and services you need to live your life and work towards your goals — things like help at home, therapy, equipment, transport and supported housing. You choose which providers deliver those supports.

Broadly, you need to: be under 65 when you apply; be an Australian citizen, permanent resident or Protected Special Category Visa holder; and have a permanent disability that significantly affects your ability to take part in everyday activities. If you're not sure, call us — we'll give you a straight answer and point you to the NDIS eligibility checklist.

You apply to the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) with an access request form, supported by evidence from your GP and specialists about your disability and how it affects your daily life. It can feel daunting; a Local Area Coordinator (LAC) can help you for free, and we're happy to explain the process even if you never use our services.

Every support the NDIS funds must be 'reasonable and necessary' — related to your disability, likely to help you pursue your goals, value for money, and not something that family, health or education systems should provide instead. Your plan sets out what's been approved for you.

It's about who pays the invoices. NDIA-managed means the agency pays registered providers directly. Plan-managed means a plan manager pays them for you (and you can use non-registered providers too). Self-managed means you handle the money yourself with the most flexibility. We work with all three.

Supported Independent Living (SIL) funding pays for support workers in your home — up to 24/7. It doesn't pay for the house itself: rent usually comes from your Disability Support Pension and Commonwealth Rent Assistance, and for people with very high needs, Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) funding covers a purpose-built home. Our housing page explains the difference in detail.

Yes — any time. Your plan belongs to you, not your provider. Check your service agreement's notice period (typically 2–4 weeks), give notice, and your new provider handles most of the handover. If you're unhappy with your current support, changing is easier than most people think.

Registration with the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission, experience with your kind of support needs, workers you actually like, and straight answers about availability and costs. Ask how they handle complaints and staff changes — the answer tells you a lot.