About NDIS

The National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) is Australia’s national program for people with disability. It’s run by the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) and is built around giving participants more choice, flexibility and control over the supports they use.

To be eligible, you need to have a permanent and significant disability that affects your ability to do everyday tasks. You must be under 65 when you apply, and be an Australian citizen, a permanent resident, or a New Zealand citizen holding a Protected Special Category Visa. Young children can get early support without a formal diagnosis through the early childhood approach. This is available to children under 6 with developmental delay and children under 9 with disability.

The NDIS funds supports such as help with daily living, therapy and rehabilitation, assistive technology and home modifications. What you receive is based on your own needs and goals. Funding can only be used for items that are NDIS supports, and there is also a list of things the NDIS can’t fund. In some situations, participants can apply for a replacement support if an item that isn’t on the NDIS supports list would work better for them. The NDIA needs to approve it in writing first.

As at 30 June 2026, there were 782,013 active participants in the NDIS. Children make up a big part of the scheme, with 167,787 participants under the age of 9 as at 31 March 2026.