NDIS Funding Information
Wrapping your head around the funding framework of the NDIS can be a challenge. At Align Ability, we’re committed to ensuring you not only understand, but can effectively implement and leverage the resources provided by the NDIS to achieve best outcomes for you or your loved one.
What can the NDIS fund?
The NDIS funds supports that are both reasonable and necessary.
The NDIS will generally fund a requested support if it:
Is related to your disability needs; AND
- Meets all of the following:
Will help with your individual goals and aspirations
Will help your social and/or economic participation
It is value for money
It is effective and beneficial for you
It helps to maintain your informal supports
It is the responsibility of the NDIS to fund
The NDIS will generally not fund a requested support if it:
Is likely to cause harm to you or others
Is not related to your disability
Provides the same benefit as another support already funded by the NDIS in your plan; or
It relates to a day-to-day living cost (e.g. rent, groceries, utility costs) that are not directly related to your disability support needs
It is being used as income replacement
Options for Managing Your Plan
The NDIS allows for different options relating to how your NDIS plan is managed. These options allow for varying degrees of choice, control, responsibility and ease.
Self-management
You directly manage the funds. This option provides maximum flexibility, control and responsibility for your NDIS funds. Self-management allows you to make decisions in line with your plan goals and choose any provider, regardless of their NDIS registration.
Find more information and download the guide to self-management here.
Plan management
You choose a registered Plan Manager who will pay service providers on your behalf. This merges flexibility with ease, as you can access both registered and non-registered providers while having a financial intermediary help you to pay your NDIS support providers by processing claims and paying invoices on your behalf.
Find out more and download to guide to plan management here
NDIA Agency Management
The NDIA manages the funding. With this option, you can only engage with NDIS-registered service providers. Registered providers claim for services provided directly via the NDIS provider portal. You can access the MyPlace participant portal to see what claims providers are making against your NDIS funds and monitor expenditure. Registered providers are only able to charge in accordance with the NDIS pricing arrangements.
Combination
Some participants opt for a mix of the above options, with different parts of their plan being managed in various ways. Any combination of the different management methods might suit you best or be most appropriate for your current situation.
What is the NDIS responsible for?
Responsibilities
Individualised planning and support
Crafting personal plans based on individual needs and goals
Funding
Providing financial backing for reasonable and necessary supports
Linking and referral
Connecting participants to community and mainstream support services
Non-responsibilities
Universal services
This includes heath, education, and public transport which are delivered by other government bodies.
Income replacement
The NDIS does not provide income support, as this is catered for by schemes like the Disability Support Pension
NDIS Plan Budget and Rules
All NDIS participants receive a customised plan with an allocated budget. This budget is divided in 3 primary support categories.
Core Supports
Your core budget is the most flexible and you can generally use your Core funding that has been allocated to one support category, to purchase supports under another support category.
There are 4 sub-categories within Core Supports.
- Daily Activities
Assistance with self-care activities - Assistance with Social and Community Participation
Supports to enable you to engage in community or recreational activities - Consumables
Purchasing everyday use items such as continence aids - Transport
If you are unable to use public transport because of your disability
Capacity Building Supports
Your capacity building funding is allocated across 8 sub-categories, each matched with the goals in your plan.
You can choose how to spend your funding to purchase any approved individual support within its category, but won’t be able to move funding from one category to another.
- Choice and Control
Training in planning and plan management - Daily Activity
Therapy aimed at building your capacity to participate - Employment
Employment related assessment and counselling - Health and Wellbeing
Exercise advice required because of impact of disability - Home Living
Support to obtain/retain appropriate accommodation - Lifelong Learning
Assistance moving from school to further education - Relationships
Positive behavioural support strategies to reduce behaviours of concern - Social and Community Participation
Individual life skills development and training including public transport training and support, developing skills for community, social and recreational participation.
Support Coordination (if required) is included in the Capacity Building budget. This is a fixed amount for strengthening participant’s abilities to coordinate and implement supports in their plans and to participate more fully in the community.
Capital Supports
Your Capital Support budget relates to supports such as assistive technology or modifications to your home and as such depends on quotes from suppliers. Funds within this budget can only be used for their specific purpose (e.g. a rail in the bathroom or a wheelchair) and cannot be used to fund other items.
The Capital Support budget has two support categories.
- Assistive Technology
Includes equipment items for mobility, personal care, communication and recreational inclusion (e.g. wheelchairs or vehicle modifications) - Home Modifications
E.g. rail in the bathroom.
Conclusion
Regardless of which management option you choose, it’s super important to spend your budget in alignment with the specified categories, ensuring that the funds are used for their intended purpose. Regular plan reviews ensure that participants receive the most fitting resources based on evolving and changing needs.
We understand that navigating your NDIS plan and funding can be complex. Align Ability is here to guide, advise and support you throughout the process from start to implementation and beyond.