If you are an Australian Citizen or Permanent Resident and are aged between 7-65 years and have a significant permanent disability, you are eligible for NDIS Funding. 

Please note, you may still be eligible if you have a child under 7, information can be found via this NDIS website link.

Next, you need to contact the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) to make your ‘Access Request’ (request for NDIS Funding).

You can make your access request-

• Over the phone by calling the NDIA on 1800 800 110.
• Or by completing a Request Access Form online. Click on this link to download the Access Request Form (PDF). We recommend using Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, or Microsoft Edge to download.
• You can also request a copy of the form is mailed to you by calling the NDIA on 1800 800 110.

After Access Request approval you need to prepare to meet with a local NDIA coordinator for your NDIS Planning Meeting. The coordinator is also known as a Local Area Coordinator (LAC), Early Childhood, Early Intervention services (ECEI) Coordinator, or NDIA planner. You may enter your postcode in the NDIS Partner Locator to search for the LAC nearest to you. 

The NDIS Planning Meeting is a crucial step in creating your NDIS Plan. Your NDIS Plan is unique and personalised, and it is created with your involvement and the assistance of your support person and LAC. It outlines all of your goals, how you plan to achieve them, and how your NDIS funding will be allocated.

As per your convenience, your NDIS Planning Meeting can be conducted either in person or over the phone.

It is critical to go to your planning meeting well prepared. The NDIS has a handy NDIS Planning Meeting checklist that will help you prepare for your meeting.

At the meeting, similar questions to those you answered to validate your eligibility and during your Access Request, will most likely be asked.

You will also be questioned about any present support you are receiving, whether from service providers, the local community, or friends and family.

Setting goals is the most crucial element of any planning meeting. Setting short- and long-term goals will help you figure out what kind of support you’ll need to attain your objectives and live a happy life.  

You’ll be asked how you want to manage your plan funding. Self-managed, plan-managed, and NDIA-managed finance are the three possibilities. On the NDIS website, you can find more information on all three options, as well as a brief film describing them.

You can have a copy of your plan produced in Braille, electronic text (on CD), big print or audio (on CD) at your planning meeting, or have it translated into your preferred language.

The following stages and how long it will take to get your approved plan will be explained by your ECEI Coordinator, LAC, or NDIA planner.

Following your Planning Meeting, the NDIA will develop your approved NDIS Plan and deliver it to your home, either in person or by mail.

You may also access your NDIS Plan via the myplace portal,’ an online tool available to NDIS members. MyGov users may use the myplace portal in the same way they can access Medicare and other government services. 

Unless otherwise specified, your NDIS plan will generally be for a duration of 12 months. Following this period, the plan is generally revisited with your support person and LAC as part of another NDIS Planning Meeting to help you establish new objectives and detect changes in your life.

You can start using your funding for the support you need after your NDIS Plan has been approved. How you access your fund and pay the service providers, will vary depending on whether your plan funds are managed by the NDIA, self-managed, or by a registered third party such as Disability Plan Services or Plan Partners.

Now it’s time to implement your plan.

You can either do this on your own or with the aid of a support coordinator or your Local Area Coordinator (LAC). Your LAC can assist you in finding a support coordinator who is a good fit for you.

Your support coordinator will link you with community support and services to assist you to implement your NDIS Plan. If you know of any service providers you’d want to employ, be sure to inform your support coordinator.

Here’s where we step in. 

Better Best Care is a one-of-a-kind service provider because we offer a variety of support services offered by a competent, diverse, loving, and enthusiastic team of experts. We match you with the right support person and work closely with you to ensure that you achieve all of your objectives and live a dignified, fulfilling life.

Your NDIS plan will continue for 12 months, after which you must evaluate it to ensure that it continues to meet your requirements and goals.

You should seek a plan review if your disability requirements or living conditions change before your scheduled plan review. The NDIS may or may not need to review and alter your plan, depending on the circumstances.