National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS)
NDIS
National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS)
My Choice Matters held over 40 workshops
between July and December 2013, where
people asked lots of questions about the NDIS.
My Choice Matters hopes this factsheet will help
you understand some of the important parts of
the NDIS.
The NDIS is still very new, so there will be changes
over time and if you want to know more check
out www.ndis.gov.au
Why do I need to know about the NDIS?
The NDIS is the new Australian disability care and
support system for people with disability and their
families.
The NDIS will replace all disability support services
funded or provided by the State government.
In NSW, the NDIS has already started in the
Newcastle area.
December 2013
1.
By 2018 the NDIS will be everywhere in NSW
National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS)
Why do we need the NDIS?
In 2011, the Productivity Commission held an Inquiry into disability care and support and they
found:
“Current disability support arrangements are inequitable, underfunded, fragmented and
inefficient and give people with disability little choice”
What they also said was something new was needed.
That is now the NDIS.
There is an easy read guide to what the Productivity Commission said.
You can find it here:
http://www.pc.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0007/111400/disability-support-easy-english.pdf
How is the NDIS different from what we have now?
There are four important differences between the NDIS and the current State funded system.
Those differences are:

The NDIS is an entitlement scheme

You, the person with the disability, are at the centre.

You can have Choice and Control over your plan and money.
You can decide what is important to you.

2.
You can say who, when, where and how you want your supports
National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS)
An entitlement scheme
The current system is a rationed system, which means many people don't get supports or
services how, when, or in the way they need. There are also around 50,000 people with
disability and their families in NSW who do not get any services at all.
The NDIS is designed based on entitlement.
You might be entitled, if you:

have a disability;

are an Australian citizen, resident or holder of certain classes of visas;

have support needs arising from your disability (that are not met by other systems and
supports, such as health, housing or education).
How do I know if I will be able to get the NDIS?
If you live outside Newcastle Area you will not be eligible for the NDIS yet.
Currently we know that the NDIS will be in Lake Macquarie in 2014 and Maitland in 2015.
The NDIS will be available everywhere in NSW by 2018, but at this stage we do not know when
the NDIS will come to where.
If you want to find out what kinds of questions you will be asked when the NDIS is running,
go to:
http://www.ndis.gov.au/my-access-checker.
3.
National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS)
You, the person with the disability, are at the centre.
Under the NDIS, if you are eligible, the following steps will happen.

You (and whoever you want to bring along) will meet with a Planner at the National
Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA). Together you develop your plan. Your plan will be
different from other people’s plans, because no 2 people are the same.
What’s all this about a plan?
One of the most important parts of the NDIS is the idea that the supports and services are
based on a plan.
Your Plan under the NDIS should be about;
Your goals, Your aspirations, Your talents and strengths, Your dreams and hopes
Working all that out will take some time; time to think and talk.
We suggest that you sit down with the people who matter in your life to talk about your plan
long before you meet with a Planner.
Look out for our upcoming information on “Planning” and “Thinking about a good life”.
4.

Eventually, you and the Planner agree on your plan

The Planner will then formally submit your plan to the NDIA (who will fully cost it).

Once the funding for a plan has been approved, your plan can be put into action.
National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS)
Choice and control over your plan (and the money)
One of the big changes of the NDIS is that you can have control over your plan and funding,
to get the supports and services you need. How much or how little control you will have
over your plan and funding depends basically on 2 things:

if you want to manage your plan and funding, and

your ability to manage your plan and funding.
There are a range of options that you can talk to the Planner about, which include;

You or a person you nominated (your nominee) is responsible.
The NDIS calls this a self-managed arrangement.
(Please note to avoid confusion: This is different from Ageing, Disability and Home
Care (ADHC) self-managed which means a provider holds the money.)

A plan management provider is responsible.
This may be an NDIS registered individual or organisation.
It is also possible that an organisation that provides some or all of your supports can
be your plan management provider; in this case there are rules they need to abide
by. Usually you will be charged a management fee.

The NDIA is responsible.
There will be different options if you want to manage some but not all of your funding.
5.
National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS)
More choice and control over how your supports and
services are delivered.
You will have many more choices in;

who will provide your supports and services,

when you want your supports and services,

where and how your supports and services can be delivered

If you manage your plan and funding, you can get your supports and services from
wherever you want.
If a plan management provider manages your plan and funding, or there is a mix of
responsibilities such as:

You find your own staff and ask an organisation to employ them,

You select staff from existing staff from a service or agency,

You negotiate that some of your funding be given to other agencies or individuals
who are not registered with the NDIA.
(for example, the local gym, your community college or a local surf teacher).
If the NDIA manages your plan and funding, you can choose services from a list of (NDIA)
registered providers.
The current NSW list can be found on the NDIS Website.
http://www.ndis.gov.au/document/431
6.
National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS)
Who will provide your supports?
Most importantly, your services and supports can now be provided by many different
organisations and individuals, including those that are not specialists in disability supports
and services.
The options available might vary depending on who manages your plan and funding, but
some of the questions for you to think about are:

Should I employ or contract people for their services?

Where can I buy the services I want?

What happens if things go wrong?
When, where and how will the services and supports be delivered?
With the NDIS, you will have a choice about the when, where and how you will get services
and supports.
Thinking about the options, some ideas for you to think about:
7.

Do I want to be supported outside 9.00am – 5.00pm, Monday to Friday?

Of the things that are important to me, how can I get support to get involved?

How do other people use supports to get involved?

Could I get support with things like making new friends or learning something new?

What could support for learning new things look like?

What if my choices don’t work out?
National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS)
Other places to find information:
The NDIS website (www.ndis.gov.au ) is a good source of information, but it can be a bit
hard to know where to start. The three links below are good starting points:
1. Watch some videos about the NDIS and read some stories of people and their hopes,
dreams and goals
www.ndis.gov.au/people-disability/videos-stories-quotes-and-cameos-0#3
2. Read the NDIS booklet: My pathway, my choices, my goals
www.ndis.gov.au/document/420
3. Read the NDIS Factsheet for people in New South Wales
www.ndis.gov.au/document/241
Things are changing and it is important to know what the options and possibilities are.
My Choice Matters will put updates and more information in further factsheets, on our
website and in our newsletters.
8.
Contact Details
1800 144 653 or (02) 9211 2605
[email protected]
www.mychoicematters.org.au
https://www.facebook.com/mychoicematters
https://twitter.com/mcmnsw
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