🖤 This article provides assistance accessing supports which are not typically funded by the NDIS.
There are a number of pathways you can explore to potentially gain approval to get a support included in a NDIS plan if it is not clearly funded in your plan.
1. Written NDIS Approval
You can request written approval from a NDIS Delegate to include a support in your plan. To do this, you can contact your ‘My NDIS contact’ which is on your NDIS plan, email enquiries@ndis.gov.au or by phoning 1800 800 110. Phoning the NDIS is typically the fastest way to gain a response. Whilst the NDIS webchat is a great resource for general information, written approval will be needed in this case.
2. Including the Support in Your Plan
You can also work with your NDIS planner to include this support directly in your NDIS plan during your next plan review. They can guide you through the process and determine if it aligns with your individual needs and goals. To help support your request for funding, gathering some supporting evidence can be really beneficial.
Supportive Evidence:
This evidence, such as a report from an Allied Health Professional, should demonstrate how the support meets the following NDIS criteria:
- It directly relates to your impairment(s) that meet the disability or early intervention requirements.
- It aligns with your individual goals and aspirations.
- It promotes your social and/or economic participation.
- It represents value for money, meaning:
- the cost of the support is similar to or cheaper than alternative options that can provide you with the same outcome (NDIS Supports for Participants Rule 3.1(a)); and/or
- purchasing the support is likely to reduce the costs of funding for other supports in the long term (NDIS Supports for Participants Rule 3.1(c)).
- It is effective and beneficial for you.
- It helps to maintain your existing informal supports
- It is an NDIS-approved support.
For more detailed information about the "reasonable and necessary" criteria, please visit Our Guideline - Reasonable and Necessary supports. You can also refer to the NDIS Operational Guidelines for further guidance.
Submitting Your Request:
You can submit your funding request through your Early Childhood Partner, Local Area Coordinator (LAC), NDIS Planner/Delegate, or your myplace portal. The myplace portal is usually considered the best option as you can securely upload documents and track the progress of the request. Whilst you can discuss your request over the phone, submitting the request via the phone is not an option.
Please note: While Plan Managers play a vital role in managing your NDIS funds, contacting the NDIS directly to gain approval for specific supports falls outside their scope. The NDIS is best equipped to provide guidance and make decisions about funding requests.
We hope this information is helpful! Please don't hesitate to contact the NDIS directly if you have any further questions. They are your best point of contact for specific inquiries regarding your plan and funding options.