The NDIS provides ‘reasonable and necessary’ supports to help eligible people living with disability to lead an ordinary life. To determine if a you are eligible for funded supports you need to complete the NDIS Access Request Form (ARF). If you are deemed eligible, the funded supports you receive are based on the information gathered at a planning meeting which is held with either an NDIA Planner or a Local Area Coordinator.
The funded supports you receive in your plan are generally reviewed on an annual basis to make sure you are receiving the right supports at the right time. For more information on the eligibility criteria, the Access Request form or being prepared for a planning meeting please call MS Connect on 1800 042 138.
Once you have an NDIS plan you will no longer be eligible for the Mobility Allowance. However, this should be replaced by funding for transport in your NDIS plan if it is deemed reasonable and necessary. It is important to tell the NDIS Local Area Coordinator or NDIS Planner about your Mobility Allowance when you have your planning conversation.
There are three tiers of transport funding in NDIS plans and the amount you receive will depend on a number of things, including but not limited to: your ability to use public transport, whether or not you are working, looking for work, studying or volunteering. If you
do not become an NDIS participant, you will be able to keep your Mobility Allowance. For more information please visit the NDIS website at
www.ndis.gov.au.
Eligibility is not limited to people with mobility issues. The NDIS wants to know about the functional impact of your condition. This can include things like fatigue, heat sensitivity, brain fog, cognition changes, incontinence, numbness and any other of your MS symptoms that impact on your day to day life and your ability to complete everyday tasks and activities.
Your work or financial status does not impact on your eligibility. Eligibility depends on whether you meet the disability requirements which are based on your level of functional impairment and your ability to complete everyday tasks and activities. There are many people who are living with MS who continue to work and are NDIS participants. If you want to talk through your individual situation, please contact MS Connect on 1800 042 138.
We’re here to provide people living with multiple sclerosis with practical, real-world advice about things such as driving, finances, benefits and entitlements, travel, eligibility for services, supporting carers, legal issues, telling their loved ones about their diagnosis and much more.
We are able to offer mission services through the generosity of our fundraisers and supporters.
Those who are not eligible for the NDIS will still rely on MS services to maintain their quality of life, employment viability and delay of disease progression. Our mission services are there to meet these needs. This includes:
- MS Connect — our gateway to MS information, advice, support and services. This includes information about the disease, symptom management, support for people who are newly diagnosed, adjustment support and help to navigate the NDIS.
- MS Advisor — access to allied health professional advice for free, without having to travel or wait for long periods of time. Our MS Nurse Advisor, MS Social Work Advisor and MS Continence Nurse Advisor are available for in-depth consultation and specialist advice over the phone, Skype or FaceTime. The Advisors can also help you connect into local support and services.
- MS Peer Support — provides connections into others living with the disease, to give and receive practical and emotional support. It’s also a great way to make new friends! It can be one-on-one or in a group, face-to-face, online, or over the phone — whatever makes people feel the most comfortable.
- MS Education — our sessions cover a wide breadth of topics and can be accessed face-to-face, over the phone or via a webinar in the comfort of your own home, and you can access archived recordings too.
- MS Go for Gold Scholarships — open to people living with multiple sclerosis, who wish to follow a dream in a number of areas, including education, travel, the arts, music, sport, employment and lifestyle. Each scholarship is around $3,000 in value, and they are funded by our MS 24 Hr Mega Swims.
- MS Financial Assistance Program — provides one-off funds for those facing financial hardship. The funds can be used to purchase equipment or air conditioners to promote quality of life and help with health-related matters. Call MS Connect (1800 042 138) for more information.
- Tailored information — about living well with multiple sclerosis, such as health and wellness, symptom management, sexuality, complementary and alternative therapies and parenting.
You will need to download an Access Request Form from the
NDIS website here. This form is the document the NDIS uses to determine your eligibility, so making sure it is filled out correctly is very important. The Access Request Form needs to be completed by your treating health professional, such as your GP, an allied health professional, or your Neurologist, outlining the impact of MS on your everyday tasks.
While eligibility requirements must be met in order to receive NDIS support, this does not necessarily mean an increase in paperwork.
One of the aims of the NDIS is to avoid duplication and stop people having to repeat themselves, so the NDIA encourages participants to provide their current information and assessments.
It’s really good to be prepared before you contact the NDIA, and we can help you with this. Call MS Connect on 1800 042 138.
People who acquire a disability under the age of 65 years and become a Participant of the scheme can continue to receive support from the NDIS for the rest of their life unless they choose to move to the aged care system.
People who acquire a disability after the age of 65 years can access the aged care system. Advocacy continues around this issue.
If you’re over 65 or turning 65 soon, call MS Connect on 1800 042 138 and we can discuss your situation.
Local Area Coordinators (LACs) help people enter the NDIS and make the most of their NDIS plan. They are there to support people to build strong, inclusive relationships in their communities. If you are deemed eligible for funded supports through the NDIS you will probably have a planning conversation with a LAC
https://www.ndis.gov.au/search?keywords=lac+partners+. During this conversation the LAC will discuss with you how your MS affects your ability to complete everyday tasks and activities, your goals and aspirations, your current supports and any unmet needs you may have.
We know that people who are well prepared for this planning conversation are more likely to receive the right supports and services in their plan. Your LAC is your primary contact and is there to help you understand, activate and make the most of the funded supports you have in the plan.
If you would like help to prepare for this meeting call MS Connect on 1800 042 138.
The NDIA has LAC partners in each state,
check their site for further details.
NDIA planners are employed directly by the NDIA, they have a similar role to a Local Area Coordinator, however they generally work with people with more complex needs. If you would like help to prepare for this meeting call MS Connect on 1800 042 138.
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Carers
It depends on how the funds are managed in your plan.
If your NDIS funds are agency managed, then you can only use registered service providers. If your funds are plan managed, you can use providers who are not registered with the NDIS. If you are self-managing your funds you can also use service providers who are not registered with the NDIS, however they will need to provide you with an ABN and tax invoices which you must keep for at least five years in case you are audited.
To become a registered service provider, organisations or individuals must meet a number of requirements including, but not limited to, complying with NDIS Practice Standards and the NDIS Code of Conduct, having a complaints management and resolution system, an incident management system and fulfil worker screening requirements.
There may be some situations where you would prefer to use registered providers for some of your services such as personal care and support coordination, however you may not feel it’s necessary for your provider to be registered if they are mowing your lawns or cleaning your home.
The NDIA will work with you to determine how much care is required from informal carers, and this will determine the funding you’ll receive.
Many supports and services will relieve the pressure on carers.
It is completely appropriate for you to discuss your informal supports and family circumstances with NDIA.
NDIA will also determine what is needed to strengthen and sustain these informal supports, when they are looking at your funding.
It’s really good to be prepared before you contact the NDIA, and we can help you with this. Call MS Connect on 1800 042 138.
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Providers
The NDIS has been designed to give people with disability a lifetime approach to deciding where you allocate your funding to improve your outcomes. It gives you greater ‘choice and control’ as you can choose your own providers based on your individual needs and values.
For some people this means choosing providers close to their homes, while for others it may mean they choose someone with experience in multiple sclerosis. You can decide what’s important for your own needs.
Remember it is your funding and you can choose who provides you with a service. There are several things to consider when deciding about who is best to work with you and your individual needs.
Things to consider should include:
- Does the provider understand multiple sclerosis and its hidden symptoms?
- How big is the organisation, bigger does not necessarily mean better?
- Are the workers suitably qualified?
- Do they share your values and do they listen to you?
- How flexible can they be?
- Is there a waiting list for their services?
- Do they understand your goals?
- Can they provide carer consistency?
The National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) Quality and Safeguards Commission is an independent agency established to improve the quality and safety of NDIS supports and services.
The NDIS Commission manages the registration and quality assurance of NDIS providers under a nationally consistent framework. There are many requirements providers must meet to become registered and maintain registration with the NDIS Commission.
The NDIS Commission currently operates in all Australian states and territories except Western Australia. The National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) will continue to manage provider registrations in Western Australia until the NDIS Commission begins operating in WA on 1 July, 2020.
Further information on registered provider requirements and fact sheets are available on the
NDIS commission website.
Once you become an NDIS participant you will have access to the provider portal – which provides contact details for a whole range of providers.
Some types of support don’t need to be registered providers – for example, you may choose a local lawn mowing service. They won’t need to be registered, but the method of payment may be different.
We can help you with any questions you may have about this. Contact MS Connect on 1800 042 138.
Depending on where you live, yes — it is anticipated that there will be an increase in providers offering greater choice, and you’ll be able to determine which provider is right for you.
This will vary according to where you live and the opportunities for providers there and it may take some time for new services and providers to come to your area.
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Managing funds
The NDIS is funded on an “as needs” basis, based on your specific and individual needs. The supports are funded based on what is deemed “
reasonable and necessary” to achieve your goals.
This is to ensure people are receiving the right services and support they require, when they need it.
Funds do not rollover from one plan to the next.
If your circumstances change, you will have another conversation with the NDIA to modify your plan.
The NDIA will generally review your plan to see how you’re tracking in achieving your goals once a year. This annual review provides an opportunity to discuss any changes to your support and any new goals you may have. If your needs change before your annual review you can initiate a review, by contacting NDIA or your Support Coordinator.
NDIS is all about being responsive when you need changes to your support, and being proactive to avoid more costs in the long-term. This is great news for people living with multiple sclerosis, due to its unpredictable nature.
During the review conversation with NDIA, you’ll discuss other elements of your life in context — such as informal care, the circumstances that have changed and your goals.
It’s really good to be prepared before you contact the NDIA, and we can help you with this. Call MS Connect on 1800 042 138.
Yes it may be possible to overspend.
In your plan there will be an agreed number of support and service hours, and the funding to match.
You will need to track the funding in your plan against the supports you’re using. NDIA can include funding for somebody to help you manage this if it’s considered reasonable and necessary.
Plans do have some flexibility to purchase more hours from time to time however you can exceed the total value.
Support Coordinators can also help you plan out your services and supports which will keep you on track. We offer this service – contact MS Connect on 1800 042 138 for more information.
No. Funds allocated to you are to provide the support in your plan and enable to you to achieve your goals.
Providers will be regulated as per their industry.
As the NDIA is an Australian Government agency, it falls under the jurisdiction of the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) and the Commonwealth Ombudsman.
Receiving a Disability Support Pension will not lessen the amount of funding you receive from the Agency for support and services. The scheme is not means tests.
There are a number of safe guards and processes in place to ensure funds are appropriately managed. For example if a participant self manages their funds they will need to provide statements or receipts associated with purchases.
Funds are paid in instalments if the participant or nominated person is managing the funds.
You can contact the NDIA for more information.
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Support and services
The types of supports that the NDIS may fund for participants include:
- daily personal activities
- transport to enable participation in community, social, economic and daily life activities
- workplace help to allow a participant to successfully get or keep employment in the open or supported labour market
- therapeutic supports including behaviour support
- help with household tasks to allow the participant to maintain their home environment
- help to a participant by skilled personnel in aids or equipment assessment, set up and training
- home modification design and construction
- mobility equipment, and
- vehicle modifications.
If you want to talk through your individual situation, please contact MS Connect on 1800 042 138.
The NDIS includes Support Coordination in some plans. This service helps you to make your plan active and select the right providers for you. You can ask NDIA to include this in your plan if you think it may be of benefit.
MS is a registered NDIS provider for Support Coordination and some other services. With 60 years’ of insights, we have a deep understanding of how progressive neurological symptoms can impact your everyday life and goals.
We’re here to stand beside you, support you and empower you to make your NDIS plan active. We work with you in partnership to make sure your plan works well for you.
We take direction from you about how you want to manage your plan. You might choose to allocate some responsibilities to us, while you take others. The choice and control is yours. And together, we can work toward your goals and improve your life.
We’re excellent listeners, we have great insights into a wide range of providers, and we can help match you with those who meet your values.
Call MS Connect on 1800 042 138 to discuss your individual situation.
No. Support is based on each person’s goals, and what is deemed
reasonable and necessary – so it’s different from person to person.
We’re not sure how new accommodation and respite facilities will be provided yet, as the N does not have block funds to purchase or build new services.
There is a specialist taskforce looking at broader residential options.
Better residential options and a more responsive funding model may mean that some people will be able to keep living at home comfortably.
We offer some respite options. Contact MS Connect™ (Freecall 1800 042 138 or email
msconnect@ms.org.au) for more information.
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Learning about the NDIS
It is not an official requirement for neurologists and doctors to inform patients about the NDIS. Most of them, however will know how NDIS works and how it can benefit you.
We know people who are well prepared for their planning meeting are more likely to receive an appropriately funded plan, allowing them to purchase the right supports and services at the right time. We have helped thousands of people living with multiple sclerosis and other progressive neurological conditions to access NDIS-funded support and services across Australia.
The first step to access the NDIS is to complete the NDIS Access Request Form (ARF). The ARF provides the National Disability Insurance Agency with the information they need to decide if a person is eligible to become a participant in the NDIS. You can
download an ARF here.
You will need your treating health professional, such as your GP, an allied health professional, or your Neurologist to complete the form. We have prepared some resources to help you have this conversation with your Neurologist or Doctor. This video provides some really important tips for successfully completing the form, or you can share this information sheet with your doctor.
When the form isn't completed correctly you may be deemed ineligible - so it's important to get it right so you dont have to request a review of the decision or re-apply at a later date.
We are also very happy to help you understand it. Call MS Connect on 1800 042 138.
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