Access The NDIS

Steps to Check Eligibility

Availability in your area

The National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) is available in every state and territory in Australia:

  • Australian Capital Territory
  • New South Wales
  • Northern Territory
  • Queensland
  • South Australia
  • Tasmania
  • Victoria
  • Western Australia

Age

To be eligible for the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), you must be under 65 years old.

Residency

You must live in Australia and be an Australian citizen, permanent resident, or Protected Special Category Visa holder.

Disability

Have a physical, intellectual, cognitive, neurological, visual, hearing, or psychosocial impairment that meets the disability or early intervention requirements.

You meet the disability requirements if:

  • Your disability is caused by an impairment
  • Your impairment is likely to be permanent
  • Your permanent impairment substantially reduces your functional capacity to undertake one or more of the following activities: moving around, communicating, socialising, learning, or undertaking self-care or self-management tasks.
  • Your permanent impairment affects your ability to work, study or take part in social life

Early Intervention Requirements

You may meet the early intervention requirements:

  • If you have an impairment or condition that is likely to be permanent and there is evidence that getting supports now (early interventions) will help you by:
  • Reducing how much help you will need to do things because of your impairment in the future and
  • Improving or reducing deterioration of your functional capacity or
  • Helping your family and carers to keep helping you and
  • Those supports are most appropriately funded through the NDIS, and not through another service system.

OR

  • You are a child aged under 6 years of age with developmental delay which results in:
  • Substantially reduced functional capacity in one or more of the areas of self-care, receptive and expressive language, cognitive development or motor development and
  • Results in the need for a combination and sequence of special interdisciplinary or generic care, treatment or other services which are of extended duration, and are individually planned and coordinated; and
  • Those supports are most appropriately funded through the NDIS, and not through another service system.

How long until your access request is assessed?

Upon receiving a valid access request, the NDIA must respond within 21 days. You can find more information about this in the NDIA Operational Guidelines. This timeframe applies to a person who resides in an NDIS area, and who has made a valid request with all relevant information and evidence about their disability or impairment.

In some cases, the NDIA may need more documents, assessments or evidence, which means it might take longer for your request to be assessed.

To access the NDIS

If you think you are eligible for the NDIS, you can:

  • contact your local NDIS Office or local NDIS partner or call 1800 800 110 to be supported to apply to the NDIS.
  • download and complete the NDIS Access Request Form on your computer and email it to enquiries@ndis.gov.au with supporting information.