National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS)

What is the NDIS?

The National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) aims to support a better life for Australians with a significant and permanent disability and their families and carers.

There is a Myplace online portal for Participants and Providers. The portals help people manage care and services. 

How do you access the NDIS?

Local Area Coordinators (LACs) are local organisations that help participants, their families and carers access the NDIS. LACs help participants write and manage their plans and also connect participants to mainstream services and local and community-based supports.

More information is available on www.ndis.gov.au 

How is the NDIS rolling out in our region?

Bayside Peninsula

The NDIS has been available in the Bayside Peninsula since 1 April 2018. The LAC for Bayside Peninsula is Brotherhood of St Laurence. They cover the LGAs of:

•  Bayside
• Frankston
• Glen Eira
• Kingston
• Mornington Peninsula
• Port Phillip
• Stonnington

Southern Melbourne 

The NDIS has been available in the Southern Melbourne area since 1 September 2018. The LAC for Southern Melbourne is Latrobe Community Health Service. They will cover the LGAs of:

• Cardinia
• Casey
• Greater Dandenong

The role of the GP and other health professionals 

The NDIS has published a GP’s guide here. 

GPs and other health professionals may be asked by their patients to explain the Scheme, discuss patient eligibility for NDIS supports, and to support a patient request for NDIS access. 

Providing evidence to support a request to access the NDIS may involve: 

• completing the Supporting Evidence section of the NDIS Access Request Form; 
• documenting that the person has or is likely to have a permanent disability; and 
• providing copies of reports or assessments relevant to the diagnosis, that outline the extent of the functional impact of the disability. 

GPs and patients need to contact the NDIA to request an Access Request Form – call 1800 800 110 or use the online contact form. 

The NDIS advises that GPs can complete the Access Request Form. GPs can summarise existing medical reports to describe the diagnosis AND the impact of the disability on the person’s function.

A form to help GPs provide evidence when working with people with a disability prior to NDIS commencement can be found here.

Eligibility

To become an NDIS Participant, an individual must:

• Have a permanent impairment that significantly affects their ability to take part in everyday activities, or meet the early intervention requirements;
• Be aged less than 65 when they first apply to enter the NDIS;
• Live in Australia in an NDIS rollout area on a specified date;
• Be an Australian citizen or hold a permanent visa or a Protected Special Category visa.

Early Childhood Early Intervention (0-6)

Children aged 0-6 years access the NDIS via a separate pathway called Early Childhood Early Intervention (ECEI). 

 The provider for ECEI in Bayside Peninsula is Brotherhood of St Laurence 

The provider for ECEI in Southern Melbourne will be Link Health and Community

People aged over 65 years

People who are aged 65 years and over are not eligible to access the NDIS.  However if they currently receive disability supports, they will not be disadvantaged.   They may be eligible for support under the Commonwealth Continuity of Support Programme.

The Continuity of Support Programme will support people with disability that are:

• 65 years and over or 50 years and over for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people 
• an existing client of state-administered specialist disability services at the time the CoS Programme commences in their region.

Associated tags

• general practice
• health professionals
• ndis