Who can help me with my NDIS application?

The National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) is absolutely life changing! But like anything that can change your life, making it happen can take a lot of effort.

No reward without hard work, right?

Fortunately, applying to access the NDIS has a relatively clear path to follow, and at My Plan Manager, we’ve got the map!

Step 1: Are you eligible for the NDIS?

There are five elements you need to consider to see if you’re eligible to join the NDIS.

1. You must be aged between nine* and 65 years. *Children younger than nine may be eligible for the early childhood approach.
2. You must be an Australian citizen, permanent resident, or the holder of a protected Special Category visa.
3. You must live in Australia.
4. You must have a disability that’s caused by a permanent impairment. This can be one or more of intellectual, cognitive, neurological, sensory, physical or psychosocial disabilities.
5. You need disability-specific supports to help you in your daily life.

More information from the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) is available here.

Step 2: Make an NDIS access request

You’ll need to fill out an NDIS Access Request Form and submit it to the NDIA.

Having trouble filling it out? Help is available. You can:

• contact your local NDIS office
• contact your local NDIS partner
• call the NDIA on 1800 800 110 if there’s no nearby NDIS office or you don’t have a local NDIS partner

You can also ask a family member or friend to help you.

Step 3: Get your health professionals on board

Your treating health professional (e.g., general practitioner) will need to fill out Section 2 of the Access Request Form.

If you have any existing reports or documentation, make copies and include them with your application too.

Step 4: Provide evidence about your identity and disability

The NDIA will use the evidence you provide to determine if you’re eligible to access the Scheme. It will also be needed down the track when you discuss your needs in readiness for your first plan, and for your future plans.

Evidence needs to be recent and include reports and documentation that:

• are completed by a health professional who’s treating you, and which pertain to your primary disability (the disability that affects you the most in your day-to-day life)
• address the impact of your disability on your life
• discuss treatments and therapies you’ve tried so far and the results of these treatments
• flag future treatments and therapies you might be able to try and what outcomes could be expected

For more information about providing evidence, click here.

You’ll also need to provide proof of your age and residency. You can do this with your existing Centrelink record (if you’re a current Centrelink customer).

Alternatively, for proof of age, you can provide copies of your birth certificate, passport, driver’s licence or proof of age card.

To confirm your residency status, you can provide a copy of your birth certificate, Australian citizenship or naturalisation certificate, or a foreign passport or travel document which includes a valid Australian permanent visa or a protected Special Category visa.

That's it!

Now, you wait – and the wait times can vary. However, you should get an answer about your access request within 21 business days (around a calendar month).

If you haven’t heard back in that timeframe, make sure you follow up with the NDIA directly, or if you received help from a local NDIS office or NDIS partner, get in touch with their team to check in on the progress of your application.

If your access request is successful, the NDIA will contact you to set up a planning meeting to discuss your needs.

Read our tips for preparing for a planning meeting here.

Requesting plan management

Plan managers (like My Plan Manager) are NDIS-registered providers who support participants to manage the funding in their NDIS plans. That means the NDIS pays for our services and we work with you to:

• manage your budget
• deal with your providers
• speak with the NDIA about your claims
• process your invoices
• offer independent guidance and support
• provide accurate and compliant financial reporting across the lifetime of your NDIS plan

And best of all, we do all of this at no cost to you! Plus, by choosing to have your funding plan managed, you can access a wider range of providers – NDIS-registered and unregistered – and we’ll handle the rest.

Once your chosen providers are locked in, you can sit back, and we’ll take care of your finances and make sure you’re paying exactly what you should be for every support and service you receive.

Think plan management is right for you? There’s no cost involved – all you need to do is ask!

If your NDIS access request is successful, you just need to let the NDIA know you’d like a plan manager to support you – and which plan manager you want to work with – and your choice will be recorded on your plan.

Not the outcome you wanted?

If you’ve received a response to your request for access to the NDIS and it wasn’t the outcome you were hoping for, don’t be disheartened.

Whether your application was rejected outright or you’re unhappy with how it was handled, you can ask to have the decision reviewed. For more information, click here.

Your family members, friends or a disability advocate can also support you. For more information about how a disability advocate can help you to exercise your rights, click here.

You can also email feedback@NDIS.gov.au or contact the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission if you’re concerned about an NDIA decision or process.

Contact us

You may be aware of some of the upsides of plan management – like being able to access more providers and having someone on hand to take time consuming paperwork off your plate.

But at My Plan Manager, there’s a lot more to what we do – and that translates into a whole lot more that our clients and their supports can expect from us!

If you have questions about plan management and exactly what we can do to make life a little less complicated, give us a call on 1800 608 298 from 8am-5.30pm, Monday to Friday. If email suits you better, you can contact us via enquiries@myplanmanager.com.au.

Updated 17 February 2025