Carers and the NDIS – guides to help you
If you are caring for someone with disability, they may be able to get support from the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS). The NDIS aims to help the person to reach their goals and increase their independence.
As a carer, you may need to help the person you care for to work with the NDIS to get the support they need.
The basic NDIS process
To get support under the NDIS, you will need to:
- find out if the person you care for is eligible
- confirm your access to the NDIS
- work with the NDIS to develop a plan, including meeting with an NDIS staff member in your area (this person is called a Local Area Coordinator or LAC)
- get your plan approved
- then use the plan
Your role with the NDIS
As a carer, you may need to:
- guide the person you care for through the NDIS process
- go to NDIS planning meetings with the person you care for
- help the person you care for to tell the NDIS what they need and want
- speak on behalf of the person you care for, if they can’t speak for themselves
- write a carer statement, to help the NDIS to understand the needs of the person you care for
Getting help with the NDIS
The NDIS system can seem complicated and scary at first. Luckily, there are many websites, resources and guides to help you.
The Carers Australia website has useful information and resources for carers, including:
- an explanation of the process of making an NDIS plan
- examples of carer statements
- a carer checklist to help you through the process
You can download an NDIS planning app from your app store to help you through the process, and other guides and videos are available online.