Under the law for the NDIS, there are things that the NDIS can’t fund or provide. They can’t fund or provide supports that:
Are not legal
Are income replacement
Are likely to cause harm to you, or pose a risk to other people
Are not related to your disability
Relate to a ‘day-to-day living cost’, such as groceries, rent or utilities, that are not attributable to your disability support needs. These are costs that are not caused by or as a result of your disability support needs.
Duplicate other supports provided by the NDIS under alternative funding.
Is the support legal?
They can’t fund a support if it does not comply with the law. This includes both:
an Australian government law: a law that applies to all of Australia
a State or Territory government law: a law that only applies in your state or territory.
supports for illegal activities, such as support for criminal behaviour or illegal drugs.
Is the support ‘income replacement’?
The NDIS don’t fund income support or income replacement. This means NDIS funding can’t replace or add to money you’d usually earn from working, or income payments you get from Centrelink.
They can’t fund any supports that are likely to either:
cause harm to you
be a risk to other people.
They need to consider this for all supports, such as support workers, therapies or equipment. It also means The NDIS won’t fund supports that involve a regulated restricted practice , such as restraint, unless it follows the requirements of the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission .
Is the support related to your disability?
The NDIS can’t fund a support if it’s not related to your disability. This means there must be a direct link or a connection between your disability and the supports we fund.
They look at whether the support addresses your disability support needs. Your disability support needs are those that arise from, or are caused by, your disability.
An example of this would be,
Frank needs some changes to his house, so he can use his bathroom and kitchen in his wheelchair. He also wants to set up an outdoor entertainment area for when his friends visit.
The NDIS may be able to fund home modifications so he can access areas of his home such as his bathroom or kitchen.
He needs the home modifications because he can’t access those areas due to his disability and needing to use a wheelchair. Frank needs the support because of his specific disability support needs. However, Frank will need to pay for the outdoor entertainment area, as it’s not related to his disability. He doesn’t need the entertainment area because of his disability, it’s just something he would like so he can have his friends over for a barbecue.
Is the support related to a ‘day-to-day living cost’?
The NDIS can’t fund supports related to day-to-day living costs that everyone has to pay, and aren’t caused by or result from your disability support needs. This means they don’t fund things like:
rent
groceries
utilities such as electricity, water, gas and internet bills
the general cost of owning a home, like renovations, mortgage repayments, repairs and maintenance.
In some situations, the NDIS can fund supports related to your day-to-day living costs. They can do this if the costs are attributable to, or caused by, your disability support needs. This means they may fund supports that relate to day-to-day living costs where either:
you have additional living costs that are solely and directly as a result of your disability support needs
the living costs are connected to another support that is funded or provided in your plan, and you wouldn’t incur that cost if it wasn’t in your plan.
Does the support duplicate other supports funded through the NDIS?
The NDIS can’t fund a support if it duplicates other supports delivered under alternative funding through the NDIS.
For example, if the NDIS is providing support through your early childhood partner or local area coordinator, they usually won’t fund Support Coordination in your plan.
This is because your early childhood partner or local area coordinator is already funded to provide similar supports. If they funded the same Support Coordination, we would be duplicating a support we’re already providing you as general supports.
However if you need extra support, the NDIS may be able to fund additional Support Coordination in your plan. They may do this if it’s above the amount of support your early childhood partner or local area coordinator are able to provide.
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