The National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) provides funding and support to Australians living with a disability. It ensures that people with a disability receive the necessary funding and support to achieve their goals, improve their quality of life, and participate in their community. However, not all supports are funded under the NDIS. In this article, we will explore the limitations of NDIS funding and the supports that are not funded.
Supports That Are Not Legal
The NDIS cannot fund or provide supports that are not legal. This includes supports that are illegal under state or federal law or those not in line with community standards and expectations. For example, the NDIS cannot fund or provide support for drug use or criminal activities.
Income Replacement
Income replacement is also not funded by the NDIS. They can’t provide funding or support to replace lost income due to a disability. For example, the NDIS cannot provide funding or support for lost wages or income due to a disability.
Likely to Cause Harm or Pose a Risk
Supports that may cause physical harm, emotional harm, or financial harm cannot be funded by the NDIS. For example, extreme sports and gambling can be harmful for the person with a disability or the people around them, so the organisation won’t support that.
Not Related to the Disability
The NDIS can only fund or provide support related to the person’s disability. So if you need support for something unrelated to your disability, the NDIS will not grant that. Travel or leisure activities are some examples of these.
Day-To-Day Living Costs Not Attributable to Disability Support Needs
The NDIS cannot fund or provide support for day-to-day living costs that are not caused by or as a result of the person’s disability support needs. This includes groceries, rent, or utilities that are not caused by or as a result of the person’s disability support needs.
Duplicate Supports Provided by the NDIS under Alternative Funding
The NDIS cannot fund or provide supports that duplicate other supports provided by the NDIS under alternative funding. This means that if funds or support are already provided by state or federal government programs, then the organisation cannot fund it again.
Criteria for Supports
It is important to note that all NDIS supports must meet the reasonable and necessary criteria. An NDIS provider can help individuals understand the criteria and assist them in developing a plan that meets their specific needs. The criteria include assisting the person to:
- pursue their goals
- facilitate their social and economic participation
- represent value for money
- be effective and beneficial
- take into account what is reasonable to expect from families and communities
- be appropriately funded through the NDIS.
The law for the NDIS sets out the things that need to be considered when applying the reasonable and necessary criteria, and each support must be reasonable and necessary individually as well as in a package of supports. By working with an NDIS provider, people with a disability can ensure that their supports meet these criteria and receive the necessary funding and disability services to achieve their goals and improve their quality of life.
Conclusion
The NDIS provides funding and support to Australians living with a disability, but not all supports are funded. The organisation has limitations on funding for things that are not legal, income replacement, likely to cause harm, not related to the disability, day-to-day living costs not attributable to disability support needs, and duplicate other supports.
Also, all NDIS supports must meet reasonable and necessary criteria. By understanding both criteria and limitations, people with disability can receive the necessary funding and support to achieve their goals and improve their quality of life.
If you or a loved one needs quality disability support services, OSAN ABILITY is here to help. We are a registered NDIS provider in Sydney that offers various services such as disability support, disability accommodation, community participation, domestic assistance, and more. Contact us today for our services, and let’s see how we can help you.
