NDIS ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

• To be eligible for NDIS support, you must have a permanent and significant disability that affects your ability to perform daily living activities.
• There is no specific age requirement for NDIS eligibility, but in general, the scheme provides support to people under the age of 65.
• To be eligible for NDIS support, you must be an Australian citizen or hold a permanent visa and live in an area where the scheme has been rolled out.
• If you are over the age of 65 and have an existing disability, you may still be eligible for support from the aged care system.

There is a high percentage of people having a disability in Australia today. Some of these individuals could face financial issues, communication barriers, unemployment issues and so much more. Being eligible for the NDIS means, an individual fits into the checklist of the standards given by the NDIA to becoming an NDIS participant. There are 5 requirements that a disabled individual should possess before he or she is qualified to register as an NDIS participant

1. Potential participants between 7-65 years
2. Being an Australian citizen or  having a protected special category visa
3. Needs support due to permanent or significant disability
4. Uses special equipment due to a permanent or significant disability
5. Needs support to help with future needs

Age Requirement for Eligibility

People with a permanent, substantial handicap that limits their capacity to undertake activities of daily living are eligible for the NDIS. You must meet certain requirements in order to be considered for support, even though there is no set age minimum for NDIS eligibility. Generally speaking, the NDIS offers assistance to anyone under the age of 65. But, if you are over 65 and already have a disability, you could still be able to receive aid from the Commonwealth aged care system.

What are the Residency prerequisites

Also, you must be an Australian citizen or possess a permanent visa to qualify for NDIS funding. Also, you must reside in a region where the NDIS has been implemented. The NDIS is currently available in all states and territories in Australia, but the timing of its rollout may vary depending on where you live. If a disabled individual fits into this checklist, he or she can request access to the NDIS. Sometimes, it is difficult to understand how the NDIS works and how to access the NDIS. This is where the Local Area Coordination Partners(L.A.C) come into play. They work with the NDIS participant, helping them understand, access, to develop, and use the NDIS plan.

NATIONAL DISABILITY INSURANCE SCHEME

In 2013 an independent government organization was formed (NDIS) to fund eligible people with disability. This body provides support and linkage of people with disabilities to their community services. The NDIS is known to provide contributions to enable the provision of state assistance and reduce the differences in economic conditions for disabled individuals. The NDIS(National Disability Insurance Scheme) is a social insurance scheme controlled by the NDIA(National Disability Insurance Agency.

ROLES OF SUPPORT COORDINATORS AND PLAN MANAGERS

Having a support coordinator, participants must have been approved by NDIS unlike L.A.C, which is not limited to participants. This means not every NDIS participant gets to have a support coordinator. In some cases where a participant will be needing extra help in sorting out his or her support plan, the NDIS allocates a support coordinator to that participant. Support coordination can be divided into 3 levels

• Support connection: The participant gets to know how to connect to his/her provider and understand what his/her plan is all about.
• Coordination of support: At this level, the support coordinator focuses on building the participant to gain control. This level focuses on confidence building.
• Specialist support coordination: This is the highest level of support coordination were participants. In this phase, participants are taught how to manage complex situations.

  WHERE THE NDIS PLAN MANAGERS COME IN

  Plan managers help to manage plans but focus more on the financial aspect of the NDIS plan. A plan manager manages your NDIS funds and helps to keep track of the budget. Some of the work of plan managers is sorting out getting providers and getting them paid.

WHAT IF A CHILD IS BELOW 7 YEARS OF AGE?

Disabilities in children below 7 years of age can also be supported, but the local early childhood early intervention partners work in this area. This is also funded by the NDIS. The NDIS provides support, knowledge, and skills for families to make the most effective use of their child’s development and participation in activities and in their community at large.

NDIS APPLICATION

Registering as an NDIS participant to get adequate support and funding from NDIS can be done by either calling the NDIA office or filling up the Access Request form. Then applicants must be able to provide proof of eligibility.

REQUESTING AN NDIS PROVIDER NEAR YOU

To gain access to disability care providers near you, Mycareplace has a directory prepared just for you, where you as a participant can link up with care service providers in your location. Connect to us now to link you to a service provider or visit our site to get your required service provider.