NDIS FAQs

Am I eligible for the NDIS?

You can access the NDIS depending on your age, residency and disability.

• Age – If you are under the age of 65.
• Residency – If you live in Australia and are an Australian citizen, or if you have permission to live here permanently.
• Disability – If your disability is life-long and affects how you manage everyday activities. This means you need help from other people or require special equipment to do certain things.

What if I am over 65?

The Commonwealth will provide continued support to older people with disability through the Commonwealth Continuity of Support (CoS) Programme, which began in October 2017.

The CoS Programme will support people aged 65 years and over, who are receiving DHS funded specialist disability services at the time the new arrangements are implemented in their region.

The Continuity of Support arrangements mean that you can continue to receive services without significant disruption to your existing arrangements. 

The Commonwealth Department of Health is responsible for the CoS Programme.

If you would like more information you can visit the Department of Health website or https://agedcare.health.gov.au/programs-services/commonwealth-continuity-of-support-programme

Call us on  (08) 8429 1200 and we help you work through what this means for you.

Looks like I am eligible. What do I do now?

Community Support is a registered provider under the NDIS and can assist you with your NDIS preparation. We can explain the services available to help you achieve your goals and support your lifestyle. 

Once you have received confirmation that you are eligible for the NDIS, it is a good idea to start thinking about your goals for supports and services, and what help you need each day and what supports you will need to meet your goals. We are able to assist you during this pre-planning process to identify what supports could be useful and can help you to complete the pre-planning paperwork in preparation of your NDIS Planning Meeting.

Will I be able to choose the type of support I receive?

Yes. The NDIS was established to give you more choice and control over how, when and where your supports are provided and enable you to choose who delivers them. Now you can decide what works and what does not work for you.

If you would like help in understanding your plan Community Support can assist you with managing your plan and help you to access the funds you need to life your life your way.

How do I manage my NDIS funds and support?

There are three choices available to you to help you manage your NDIS Plan:

 1. Self-managed:

Choosing this option means that you will take care of the financial and administrative processes related to managing your plan. This will allow you to have:

• Complete control of your funds
• The ability to choose either NDIS Registered or Non-Registered Service Providers
• The ability to manage your funding package to engage providers who charge either above or below the price guide , or to employ your own team.

 2. Plan Managed:

You can nominate a service provider or organisation registered as a Plan Manager, to oversee all the financial and administrative processes on your behalf. This option allows you all the flexibilities of Self-Managing your Plan, without having to process invoices and payments yourself.

3. NDIA/Agency Managed:

If choosing for your Plan to be NDIA/Agency Managed, you will be limited to only using NDIS Registered Providers for your supports. Providers, in agreement with you, will ‘allocate’ a portion of your funding to themselves in the NDIS Portal in what is known as a Service Booking. This ensures that the Provider has access to the funding they have agreed upon with you and will draw from this as you access services. This funding can be released at any time by request to your provider.

4. A mixture of the above:

You can choose to have a mixture of the above funding types, either choosing to have certain funding areas managed by the funding type that suits you best, or even having one funding area managed by 2 or more funding types.

It is important to discuss how you would like your Plan funded during your Plan Review meeting, but you can also request throughout your Plan to change the way your Plan is funded. 

What safeguards are in place?

On 1 July 2018, the NDIS Quality and Safeguarding Commission began operating in South Australia and will work with NDIS participants, service providers, workers and the community to introduce a new nationally consistent approach so participants can access services and supports that promote choice, control and dignity.

Does the funding rollover to my next plan if I don’t use it all?

No, in most cases, the funding does not rollover to the next period if you have not used it. However, your plan will be reviewed usually every 12 months and new funding will be allocated.

My plan ends soon.  What happens next?

Generally, an NDIS Plan will run for 12 months (but this can vary, with plans lasting between 3 months to 2 years). Within the last 6 to 8 weeks of your plan, you should be contacted by your LAC or the NDIS to book you a plan review, or to let you know your plan has been extended. If booking a plan review, it is important that you contact all of your providers and let them know you have a review meeting booked and you would like a Review Report from them to take with you to the plan review meeting. These reports need to include details on what services they have provided to you during your plan, what progress was made towards your Plan Goals, and any future recommendations. It is also often a good idea to get your providers to include a quote for the requested services for your new plan.

I didn’t spend all my funding.  What happens to the money?

NDIS Plan funding does not roll across to your next plan, so any unspent funding will return to the NDIA. It is often important to try and spend your funding as this can make it easier for the NDIS to see the future ‘need’ for funding, however it is not always possible for you to spend all of your funding due to a number of reasons. Often, the NDIS is very understanding if you let them know why you were not able to spend all of your funding, whether it be because of a holiday, hospital stay or illness, or difficulties finding a provider or workers who fit your needs and you are comfortable with. It is often a good idea to mention this during your plan review, or to speak with your Coordinator and have them include this in their Review Report.

I am going on holidays. What happens to my funding while I am away?

Depending on your funding type and your holiday destination, your funding can be used to engage local Support Workers whilst you are away to provide the support you need whilst away. Outside of this, your funding will sit in your plan unspent. For short holidays, this often will have a very minimal overall impact on your funding usage, however longer holidays may result in an underspend in your plan. If this is the case, it is always a good idea to let the NDIS or your LAC know during your plan review that you went on a holiday during your plan, or chose to take a break from supports for a period of time, and this is the reason for the underspend in your plan.

My old plan has ended and I haven’t received my new one yet. Can my supports continue and what do I do about this?

This is called a ‘Plan Gap’, where the NDIS or your LAC either need more information to complete your new plan,  or if  are waiting on final approval of your plan from a Plan Delegate. If you experience a Plan Gap, it is important you speak with your Providers and discuss this with them. It is at each Providers discretion to determine what they will do during a Plan Gap. At Community Support, we will continue to provide services at the current rate you were in your previous NDIS Plan, but it is important that you get in contact with your Client Support Coordinator as soon as possible to let them know and to discuss what we can do to help you during this time.

Where can I learn more?

For further answers to any questions you may have relating to the NDIS or the services provided by Community Support call us on 08 8429 1200.