What is the NDIS? The National Disability Insurance Scheme provides funding to eligible Australians with permanent and significant disability, to help them have greater independence and an improved quality of life. If you are buying disability equipment or consumables with that funding, the questions that matter are narrower: which budget pays, which suppliers you can use, and what paperwork a purchase needs. This guide answers them from the NDIS’s own published guidance.
The NDIS in brief
The scheme provides funding directly to individuals, and the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) makes the final decision on eligibility. Once someone is a participant, an NDIA planner weighs the information and evidence they provide and decides which supports go into their plan.
That funding can only be spent on NDIS supports: the services, items and equipment that NDIS laws say the scheme can fund. Each purchase must be an NDIS support, related to your disability and in line with your plan. An item does not have to appear as a named example to qualify, but it has to fit one of the 37 categories on the NDIS supports list and must not be on the list of supports that are not NDIS supports.
Before a support is funded, it also has to meet the reasonable and necessary criteria. For equipment, the tests that come up most are whether it:
- relates to your disability
- helps you work towards your goals
- is value for money
- is likely to be effective and beneficial for you.
The same criteria exclude day-to-day living costs.
Which budget pays for equipment and consumables
A plan is built from up to four support budgets: core supports, capacity building supports, capital supports and recurring supports. You only receive funding in the budgets relevant to your disability, and two of them do most of the work when you are buying equipment:
- Core supports: within it, consumables funding covers everyday items, with continence products as the NDIS’s own example, as well as low-cost assistive technology such as non-slip bathmats and small aids for dressing, eating, drinking or cleaning. The NDIS describes core funding as flexible, so the total can be used across its support categories.
- Capital supports: the assistive technology category covers items that are usually expensive, that you might only buy once, or that replace equipment you already have, and it is where the NDIS asks for reports, assessments and quotes. Capital funding is stated, so it cannot be moved between categories and must be spent on the supports described in the plan.
Your plan spells out what any assistive technology funding is for, and it also tells you whether you need a quote for those supports.
Plan management types and what each means when ordering
There are three ways to manage NDIS funding, and one plan can combine them, for instance self-managing core supports while capital supports stay NDIA-managed. The management type decides which suppliers you can use and who pays them, so tell the supplier which type applies to the budget you are spending.
NDIA-managed
With NDIA-managed funding, providers are still your choice, but only registered ones can be used, and they claim payment against your plan through the provider portal. The NDIS usually pays a correct claim from one of your recorded providers within 2 to 3 business days, and it checks with you by SMS before paying a provider that is not recorded for your plan. Allcare Warehouse is a registered NDIS provider and can fill NDIA-managed orders.
Plan-managed
Under plan management, your plan manager settles supplier invoices from the plan and holds the paperwork, and you may use registered or unregistered providers. Plan managers must be registered themselves, and they get your approval before submitting a claim. When ordering, give the supplier your plan manager’s details so the invoice reaches them, then approve the claim when asked.
Self-managed
With self-managed funding, you, your plan nominee or a child representative manage the money. You can use either kind of provider and negotiate prices above or below the NDIS price limits, but you are responsible for paying providers, keeping invoices and receipts, and making sure the funding lasts the length of the plan. You can pay first and then claim, with the money usually reaching your bank account within 2 business days, or claim once the supplier’s invoice arrives and pay it from the funds.
When you need advice, evidence or a quote
For assistive technology, the NDIS works in three cost bands per item, and the paperwork grows with the price:
- Under $1,500 (low-cost): for a low-risk item, the NDIS asks for no quotes, evidence or assessments, and no approval before purchase.
- Between $1,500 and $15,000 (mid-cost): written evidence from your allied health practitioner or another assistive technology advisor, such as a letter, email or report. It should state the type of item, why it is the best value, how it helps your goals and an estimate of the cost, though a formal assessment is not required.
- Over $15,000 (high-cost): an assessment report from a qualified assistive technology assessor, plus a quote that includes delivery, installation and any training costs. One quote is usual, though the NDIS sometimes asks for a second to check value for money.
The NDIS gives mobile hoists, mobile shower chairs and adjustable beds as examples of mid-cost items. If you are considering larger equipment such as patient hoists or home care beds, confirm with your advisor which band and evidence apply before you order.
Risk can matter as much as price. The NDIS treats some items as higher-risk assistive technology whatever they cost, with examples ranging from adjustable beds and transfer aids to pressure care devices, breathing support devices and complex bathing and toileting equipment. Written advice is needed before buying or renting any of them.
Allcare Warehouse does not carry out assessments or provide clinical advice, so arrange any evidence through your own allied health practitioner. Our article on OT assessments for NDIS equipment explains when one is likely to be needed, and the assistive technology funding guide looks at which equipment can be claimed.
Getting an order ready
A funded order goes more smoothly when the supplier knows from the start how it will be paid. Before you get in touch, gather:
- the product names as listed, with any size, length or colour option
- which budget the purchase comes from, and how that part of the plan is managed
- your plan manager’s contact details, if you have one
- any written advice, evidence or quote the purchase needs
- whether you want delivery or pick-up.
The NDIS also recommends a written service agreement whenever you start with a new provider, setting out the supports, what they cost and how payment will be made, although one is not required in most cases.
There are no prices or cart on the Allcare Warehouse website. You order by phone, by emailing [email protected] or in person, following the steps on the how to order page. Allcare delivers across Sydney and can send freight within NSW, its listings show delivery Australia wide, and the Croydon Park store doubles as a pick-up point; delivery and pick-up covers the options. For an overview of equipment for participants, see our NDIS equipment page.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I apply for the NDIS?
If you think you are eligible, contact your local NDIS office or local NDIS partner, or phone the NDIS on 1800 800 110 to be supported to apply. The NDIS eligibility checklist on its website is only a guide, and the final decision rests with the NDIA. Once you receive an access decision letter, the next step is creating your plan.
Does unused NDIS funding roll over?
Within the same plan, yes. Funding is released in funding periods, usually 3 months long, and anything you do not use in one period rolls over to the next. It does not roll over to a new plan, so the funding has to be spent within the current one. This is worth keeping in mind when you plan larger or bulk purchases.
Can I use NDIS funding for something that is not an NDIS support?
Only with approval. The NDIS can fund items that are not NDIS supports in some situations, which it calls replacement supports, but you need to apply and be approved first. If funding goes on items outside the NDIS supports list that also fall outside your plan, the NDIS might ask you to pay it back.
How long do I have to claim a self-managed purchase?
The NDIS says you must make a claim within 2 years after a support is delivered, and self-managers need to keep receipts for 5 years. Each claim needs the support dates, the support category, the amount, the provider’s name and ABN, a description of the support, and a copy of the receipt or invoice.
To see equipment before you commit, head to the Liverpool showroom at Shop 7 inside Northumberland Arcade, 230 Northumberland Street, Liverpool, or ring 1300 767 777 to start an order.
This guide is general information, not medical advice. Read our disclaimer.