How to apply for the NDIS

To apply for the NDIS, you need to be:

• Younger than 65 when you apply

• An Australia citizen or permanent resident

• Living in Australia

• Able to meet the disability or early intervention requirements

The disability requirements are that you have one or more impairments that are likely to be permanent, substantially impacting your ability to do life activities. Your impairment must also affect your social life, or your ability to work or study, and you must be likely to need support under the NDIS for your whole life. The early intervention requirements are that you have one or more impairments that are likely to be permanent and supports would help you by reducing your need for supports in the future.  For children younger than six with developmental delay to meet the early intervention requirements there are different requirements.

Information and evidence you’ll need to provide includes documents proving: 

• You’re an Australian citizen or permanent resident

• Your personal details, like name, date of birth, and address

• Your disability is permanent and significant

• An explanation of your functional capacity, and informal, mainstream and community supports.

You can work with your treating health professionals to provide evidence of disability. For each primary disability, the NDIA has a list of health professionals most appropriate to provide standardised assessments considered to be best practice in evidence. You can access the list here.

Once the NDIA has all the information and evidence it needs to decide if you’re eligible for the NDIS, it will make a decision and will tell you within 21 days. This timeframe is set out under the Participant Service Guarantee.