Understanding NDIS Coverage: What Supports and Services Are Included?

 

The NDIS is a groundbreaking initiative by the Australian government aimed at helping individuals with permanent and significant disabilities.

With NDIS, individuals get the specific help they need to manage their daily lives and pursue their personal aspirations.

From personal care to professional therapies and everything in between, the NDIS covers a wide range of supports. It includes NDIS funded activities and NDIS support services designed to promote better health, education, and social participation.

For those wondering what services does NDIS cover in Australia or what can NDIS funds be used for, this guide is for you. In short, the scheme supports various needs, from physical and occupational therapy to educational aids and community activities, ensuring that participants have access to necessary services.

Understanding the NDIS and what does NDIS cover, can significantly change the lives of those it serves. By taking full advantage of the scheme, participants can gain greater control over their lives, access necessary resources, and pursue a future defined by their aspirations and abilities, not their disabilities.

 

Who Is Eligible For NDIS

Before wondering what does NDIS cover, figuring out who is eligible for NDIS is important. Here’s what you need to know about who can use this support:

Basic Requirements to Qualify for NDIS

• Residency: You must live in Australia and be an Australian citizen, hold a Permanent Visa, or have a Protected Special Category Visa.
• Age Requirements: You need to be under 65 years old when you ask to join the NDIS.
• Location: Your home needs to be in an area where the NDIS is up and running.
• Disability Needs: You should have a permanent and significant disability. This includes conditions that make it very hard to do everyday activities on your own.
• Need for Support: You must need support from others, special equipment, or services to manage daily activities and improve your life over time.

Checking Your Eligibility

To see if you are eligible for NDIS, you can use the NDIS eligibility checklist. This tool helps you understand whether the NDIS can support you based on your personal circumstances.

 

What Does NDIS Cover?

The National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) offers a comprehensive range of NDIS funded activities and services to help participants with disabilities enhance their skills, independence, and involvement in the community.

Here’s a detailed breakdown of NDIS services list:

Core Supports

• Daily Activities: NDIS provides funding for assistance with daily personal activities to enhance your ability to live as independently as possible. This includes help with personal care activities during the day or night.
• Consumables: This includes everyday items like continence aids and other low-cost products or equipment related to your disability.
• Transport: To enable participation in community, social, economic, and daily life activities, the NDIS may cover transport costs, especially if you are unable to use public transport due to your disability.
• Assistance with Social and Community Participation: This includes supports for activities that promote social interaction and community involvement, such as sports coaching, art classes, or camps.

Capacity Building Supports

• Improved Living Arrangements: NDIS funds support to help you find and maintain appropriate accommodation.
• Increased Social and Community Participation: Does NDIS pay for courses? Yes, when they are part of an approved plan. Such as courses or programs that help develop skills and learning, enabling participation in community and social activities.
• Finding and Keeping a Job: Supports include job skills training and employment-related assessment and counselling.
• Improved Relationships: Specialist behavioural interventions to help you maintain relationships, manage conflict, and interact with others effectively.
• Improved Health and Wellbeing: This might include exercise advice required due to the impact of your disability, not the general health and fitness expenses.
• Improved Learning: Includes training and advice to move from school to further education, like university or TAFE.
• Improved Life Choices: Plan management to help manage your funding for supports in your plan.
• Improved Daily Living: Assessment, training, or therapy to assist in the development or increase in skills for independence and community participation.

Capital Supports

• Assistive Technology: Includes items or equipment to help participants do things more independently, such as wheelchairs, adjustable beds, and vehicle modifications.
• Home Modifications: Modifications to your home to improve safety and access, like ramps or bathroom modifications.
• Vehicle Modifications: Modifications to your vehicle to help you travel safely as a driver or passenger.

Specialised Services Covered by NDIS

The NDIS also covers more specialised services tailored to specific needs:

• Therapeutic Supports: These include occupational therapy, speech therapy, and physiotherapy services.
• Behaviour Support: This includes funding for specialised support for participants whose disabilities impact their behaviour.
• Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA): For those with extreme functional impairments or very high support needs, NDIS may cover specialised housing solutions.

Understanding the answer to what does NDIS cover, can help you or your loved one maximise the benefits of the scheme, ensuring that the NDIS support categories provided are well-aligned with the participant’s needs and goals.

 

What Does NDIS Not Cover

While the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) provides significant support for many aspects of life for those with disabilities, there are specific areas it does not cover. Knowing these can help participants plan their finances and support needs more effectively.

• Daily Living Costs: NDIS does not cover day-to-day expenses unrelated to a participant’s disability needs, such as standard household utilities like electricity/water or regular food items and groceries.
• General Transport Costs: Regular transport costs like public transport fares and personal vehicle petrol that are not directly related to disability needs are not included.
• Medical Services: NDIS doesn’t cover routine doctor visits and treatments not specific to disability management, standard hospital care, or medications covered by other healthcare programs.
• Educational Costs: NDIS supports some educational aids related to improving employment skills or daily living but does not cover regular tuition for schools or universities and standard educational materials.
• Non-Specialized Equipment: Items that are not disability-specific, such as common devices like computers, smartphones and general gym equipment unless prescribed for therapy.
• Entertainment and Leisure: Costs for leisure activities, such as movie tickets, concert tickets, and holiday expenses, are not covered.
• Housing Costs Unrelated to Disability: Regular housing expenses like rent or mortgage payments, except for approved disability-related home modifications, are also not covered.

Understanding these exclusions helps clarify what NDIS covers and the role of NDIS funding to ensure that participants can supplement their support through other means for non-covered areas.

 

How To Maximise Your NDIS Plan

Now that you know what services NDIS covers in Australia, understanding how to make the most of your NDIS plan can be a game-changer and it can significantly enhance your quality of life.

Support coordinators are crucial in this effort, offering personalised guidance and strategies tailored to your unique needs.

Support coordinators have an in-depth knowledge of the entire range of NDIS support services and what services NDIS covers in Australia. They guide you through the process, ensuring you understand what NDIS funds can be used for.

Support coordinators are your frontline help in tackling the logistical and administrative challenges of the NDIS. They make it easier by simplifying the complex parts of the scheme, such as explaining what does NDIS pay for and what can you use NDIS funding for.

 

Connect With Our Support Coordinators Today

At Selective Support, our support coordinators are highly skilled and dedicated professionals, committed to empowering NDIS participants.

They are well-versed in the intricacies of the NDIS and have extensive experience in a variety of support scenarios. Our team is trained in the latest NDIS updates and guidelines, ensuring they can offer the most current and effective support.

They pride themselves on building strong, supportive relationships with participants, helping them to achieve their goals and enhance their quality of life through tailored support planning and robust advocacy.

They are committed to making the process as smooth and worry-free as possible, ensuring you feel supported and at ease.

With our coordinators, you can trust that everything is handled expertly, allowing you to focus more on your personal goals and less on the logistics.