The National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) provides funding to eligible Australians under 65 who have an intellectual, physical, sensory, cognitive or psychosocial disability.

The NDIS is designed to support you to live life your way. It helps you identify what is important to you – whether that’s building independence, being involved in your community, studying, working, or improving your health and wellbeing – and provides funding for the supports you need to reach those goals.

One of the biggest benefits of the NDIS is choice and control. You decide who provides your supports, when and how you receive them, and how your funding is managed.

The NDIS also places a strong focus on early intervention – offering early supports that can make a lifelong difference for children and adults by reducing the impact of disability over time.

At Sunshine Coast Plan Manager, we are here to help you make the most of your NDIS funding with confidence and clarity – so you can focus on what matters most: living your life, your way.

An “NDIS support” is a service, item or piece of equipment that the NDIS may fund – provided it is included in the relevant list and meets the ‘reasonable and necessary’ criteria. 

Supports that are not found on the ‘Supports that are NDIS supports’ list cannot be funded.

Things the NDIS will not fund include:

• General day-to-day living costs not related to your disability support needs (for example, ordinary groceries, general rent, utilities).

• Services or items that are better funded via other systems (for example mainstream health, education or community services) unless there’s a clear disability-related need and the NDIA has approved it.

A replacement support is a specific scenario in which you ask to use your funding for an item or service not directly listed as an NDIS support – but only if it replaces a listed support in your plan and the NDIA approves it in writing.

The ‘reasonable and necessary’ criteria are key to whether a support may be funded. All supports in a plan must individually, and as a package, meet the criteria. Some of the core criteria:

• The support is related to your disability.

• It will help you to pursue your goals and aspirations.

• It will help social or economic participation (reducing disability-related barriers).

• It is value for money.

• It is likely to be effective and beneficial for you (based on evidence and good practice).

• It takes into account what informal supports (family, friends, community) and mainstream services are already available.

• It is most appropriately funded by the NDIS rather than by another system.

You can get the support lists and fact sheets in PDF or DOCX formats, including Easy Read versions. The NDIA website and guidelines site provide these.

The NDIS can fund a support when it:

• Relates directly to your disability (or early intervention needs).
• Helps you achieve your individual goals and aspirations.
• Enables your social and/or economic participation (for example, reducing disability-related barriers to work, study, or community life).
• Represents value for money (the cost is reasonable compared to alternatives or helps reduce the cost of other supports over time).
• Is effective and beneficial — likely to achieve the intended outcome.
• Is reasonable and necessary for your disability.
• Helps maintain informal supports (such as family, friends, or community networks).
• Is an NDIS-recognised support.

From 3 October 2024, participants may only use their NDIS funding for items that are on the ‘Supports that are NDIS supports’ list.

There is also a list titled ‘Supports that are not NDIS supports’.

In some circumstances, you may request a support from the ‘Replacement supports list’.

To access National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) funding, you will need to apply directly to the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA).

This process involves checking your eligibility, providing complete supporting evidence, and submitting an access request.

We can connect you with the right resources and local supports to guide you through each step. If you would like this support, please contact us.

While we can’t apply for you, we can guide you through what to do and where to start.

Here’s what’s involved:

1. Check your eligibility
   You must be under 65, live in Australia, and have a permanent or significant disability that impacts your daily life. Check eligibility on the NDIS website.
2. Gather supporting evidence
   Ask your GP, specialist or therapist to provide reports or complete the Supporting Evidence Form showing how your disability affects you day to day. Access the NDIS supporting evidence form here.
3. Complete an Access Request
   
   • Call the NDIS on 1800 800 110, or
   • Download the Access Request Form and send it to the NDIA by email (NAT@ndis.gov.au) or post: GPO Box 700, Canberra ACT 2601.
   • The request asks questions to confirm your identity, verify your eligibility, help you consent to enter the NDIS and provide evidence of your disability.
4. Wait for your decision
   The NDIA will review your application and contact you once a decision has been made. This can take up to 21 business days for the NDIA to notify you if your application for the NDIS has been successful.
5. NDIA will let you know if you are successful
   If you are approved, the NDIA will contact you to organise a Planning Meeting to further discuss your needs.
   At your NDIS Planning Meeting you will express what your needs and goals are so that your Local Area Coordinator (LAC) understands what you want to include in your NDIS Plan. Here you can tell NDIA staff or your LAC that you would like a Plan Manager to support you.
6. Choose how to manage your plan
   Once you have a plan, you may contact Sunshine Coast Plan Manager to handle your provider payments, reimbursements and monthly budget tracking — at no cost to you. Click here to learn more about how plan management works.

Need help?
We are not part of the NDIS, and we don’t decide whether you receive funding or how much you will get.

For NDIS-specific questions you may:
– Speak with your Local Area Coordinator
– Call NDIS on: 1800 800 110
– Email NDIS: enquiries@ndis.gov.au

We can point you in the right direction – explaining what’s involved, what evidence you’ll need, and where to start. While we’re not able to assist with applications directly, we’ll happily share trusted local supports and NDIS resources to guide you.

When you’re approved for NDIS funding, you can choose how your plan is managed. Each option offers a different level of flexibility and responsibility:

1. Self-managed
You manage all payments and claims yourself through the NDIS portal.
– Pros: Full control and flexibility — you can use any provider.
– Cons: You handle all invoices, record-keeping and compliance.

2. Plan-managed (by a registered plan manager like Sunshine Coast Plan Manager)
We manage the financial side of your plan — paying providers, processing claims, and sending monthly statements.
– Pros: You can use registered or unregistered providers, we handle all the paperwork, and it’s fully funded by the NDIS.
– Cons: You will still need to approve invoices and communicate with your plan manager.
Click here to learn more about plan management

3. NDIA-managed (Agency-managed)
The NDIA pays your registered providers directly.
– Pros: The NDIA takes care of payments and compliance.
– Cons: You can only use registered providers and have less flexibility or control.

Most participants choose plan management because it offers the best of both worlds — flexibility and freedom of choice, without the stress of managing payments or paperwork.

Contact us to learn more about including plan management in your NDIS plan.

Having a plan manager makes managing your NDIS funding simple, stress-free and fully compliant – so you can focus on achieving your goals, not chasing invoices.

With Sunshine Coast Plan Manager, you will have a local, independent team who genuinely cares about getting things right for you. We handle all the financial admin – from paying your providers and processing reimbursements to tracking your budget and sending monthly statements – at no cost to you (plan management is fully funded by the NDIS).

Here is why participants choose Sunshine Coast Plan Manager:

• Fast payments – we pay most invoices within 2-4 business days
• Same-day reimbursements when you’ve paid out of pocket
• Personalised support – we take the time to explain how your plan works, in plain English
• Freedom to use registered or unregistered providers
• Monthly budget statements to help you stay on track
• Local knowledge – we understand Sunshine Coast, Brisbane, Gympie, Bundaberg and the North Coast and surrounding communities. And we’re now expanding across Australia!

Whether you are new to the NDIS or looking to change plan managers, we’ll make the process easy and transparent from day one.

Contact us to find out how we can help you get the most from your NDIS plan.

Your NDIS funding is designed to give you choice and control, but to use it effectively, you need to understand the three main categories (or ‘support purposes’). Each budget has its own rules about what supports can be purchased and how flexible the money is.

1. Core Supports (Daily Living & Community Access)

The Core Supports budget is the foundation of your plan, assisting you with everyday activities and social/community participation. This is often the largest portion of a plan and covers your immediate, essential needs.

What it covers:

• • Assistance with daily life: Funding for support worker hours for personal care (showering, dressing, teeth brushing), meal preparation, house cleaning, yard maintenance or short-term accommodation (respite).
  • Consumables: Everyday products you require because of your disability, such as continence aids, wound care, or low-cost assistive technology (like adaptive cutlery).
  • Assistance with social and community participation: Supports that help you engage in activities outside the home, such as a support worker to accompany you to a hobby class, a sports group or a social event.
  • Transport: Funding to help you travel to and from activities when you cannot use public transport due to your disability.

If you have any questions about what core supports you are entitled to in your plan, please reach out to your Support Coordinator.

2. Capacity Building Supports (Skill Development & Therapy)

The Capacity Building Supports budget is an investment in your future independence. Its purpose is to fund services that help you develop new skills, increase your independence, and achieve your long-term goals.

What it covers:

This category is divided into nine specific focus areas, with some of the most common being:

• • Improved Daily Living: Therapeutic supports to build functional skills for independence, such as Occupational Therapy (OT), Speech Pathology, Physiotherapy, Psychology and Developmental Education.
  • Support Coordination: Funding for a Support Coordinator or Psychosocial Recovery Coach to help you understand your plan, connect with providers and implement your supports effectively.
  • Improved Health & Wellbeing: Supports to help you manage the impact of your disability on your health, such as Dietitian services or Exercise Physiologist (EP) sessions.
  • Finding & Keeping a Job: Supports to help young people and adults prepare for, find, and maintain employment (including School Leaver Employment Supports or SLES).

3. Capital Supports (Equipment & Modifications)

The Capital Supports budget is for investments in high-cost, one-off purchases. These are significant items or changes that improve your safety, independence, or access.

What it covers:

• • Assistive Technology (AT): High-cost equipment and devices required because of your disability, such as customised wheelchairs, mobility scooters, communication devices, or complex high-risk home safety equipment.
  • Home Modifications: Structural changes to your home (rental or owned) that are required to make it safe and accessible, such as installing ramps, accessible bathroom upgrades, or ceiling hoists.

Above all, remember to only apply what is ‘reasonable and necessary’.

By understanding these three categories and their respective flexibility rules, you will be well-equipped to manage your NDIS funding throughout the entire plan cycle.

The NDIA publishes ‘Our Guideline – Reasonable and necessary supports‘ and ‘Would-we-fund-it’ style guides that provide practical examples and decision-making frameworks.

No, you can only have one plan manager linked to your NDIS plan at any time.

The NDIS portal only allows a single registered plan management provider to be connected to your plan. This provider is responsible for receiving invoices, making payments, tracking your budget, and reporting spending to the NDIA.

If you wish to change plan managers, you can do so at any time – simply contact your desired plan manager to check availability and notify your current plan manager, so the NDIA can update the record.