Asked every week, answered straight.

You need to be under 65 when you apply, an Australian citizen, permanent resident or Protected SCV holder, and have a permanent disability that significantly affects your daily life. Early intervention pathways also exist for children and some conditions. Our eligibility checker walks you through it in a few minutes.

The NDIA aims to decide on access within 21 days of a complete application, and a first plan usually follows within weeks of approval. In practice, allow one to three months end to end. Strong evidence up front is the best way to avoid delays.

Applying is free. Some people pay for specialist reports to support their application; ask your GP what evidence already exists before commissioning anything new.

Yes. We cannot fill in the form for you, but we can explain what evidence the NDIA looks for, review what you have, and point you to the right people for anything missing. This costs you nothing.

Supports that relate to your disability and help you pursue your goals: support workers, therapies, equipment, home modifications, supported accommodation and more. It does not pay for everyday living costs like rent, groceries or utility bills.

It does not roll over into your next plan. Consistent underspend can also lead to a smaller plan at review, because the NDIA reads it as funding you did not need. If you are underspending because you cannot find providers, tell your planner that story at review.

Both let you use any provider. Self-managed means you pay invoices and claim reimbursement yourself; plan-managed means a plan manager does that admin for you, funded separately by the NDIS. NDIA-managed is the third option: no admin, but registered providers only.

Yes. If your circumstances change significantly you can request an early review, called a plan reassessment. Talk to your support coordinator or planner, and bring evidence of what has changed.

Yes. Choice and control is the point of the scheme. Service agreements set out notice periods, usually two to four weeks. A good provider makes leaving easy; be wary of any that do not.

A plain agreement between you and a provider covering what supports you receive, when, at what rates, and how either side can end the arrangement. Read the exit clause before you sign. Ours is written in plain English and we walk through it with you.

Generally no. The NDIA only approves payments to family members in exceptional circumstances. Independent support workers also bring a fresh set of eyes, which many families find valuable in itself.

Raise it with the provider first if you feel safe doing so. Beyond that, the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission takes complaints on 1800 035 544. Complaining never affects your funding.