How do I maximise my NDIS funding?

October 12, 2023myAutonomy NDIS

For participants, the core goal in building a helpful NDIS plan is ensuring that there’s funding to cover all necessary supports.

When participants start out with NDIS plans, something we often see is that the plan doesn’t cover everything required. While it may have been created with the best intentions, it doesn’t give the support it needs to.

That’s because many participants, and their families, are often unaware of the importance of goal setting in a plan. Here we’re covering what you need to know about maximising your NDIS funding.

The critical importance of goal setting in NDIS plans

NDIS plans revolve around goals. This is one of the most important things new participants need to know.

While there are many requirements that must be met when the NDIS considers funding for supports, two of the most essential are:

Whether the support relates to the participant’s disability

Whether or not the support relates to a goal in the participant’s NDIS plan

NDIS plans function from goals, not supports. The supports that will be eligible will relate back to the goals in the plan. Insufficient goals, then, can mean a plan that doesn’t work in the way you need it to.

Articulate goals clearly for better support

To ensure participants have the supports they need to thrive, goals must be clearly articulated––the more granular and specific the better.

Say a participant, “Jennifer”, wants to learn to drive so that she can be more independent. The goal written within the NDIS plan is:

For Jennifer to increase her independence within the community.

While this goal may be reasonable for some supports, it may not result in the level of coverage that Jennifer actually requires given it is quite vague.

An alternative, that will likely increase Jennifer’s level of support could be:

For Jennifer to increase her independence in the community by learning to drive a car safely and independently from her home to her local shopping centre, local beach, and nearby city safely.

Given this goal is significantly more specific, it helps to identify that Jennifer will need coverage for all of the supports necessary for her to learn to drive a car. This will likely include a medical fitness test, an assessment by an occupational therapist, driving lessons, and assistive equipment as needed.

The takeaway is: by being more specific with your goals, you have a much better chance of having a plan that actually works for you.

NDIS goals: things to keep in mind

To set better goals, it’s also helpful to keep a few things in mind.

Relatability to NDIS categories: there are six functional domains as considered by the NDIS. These are mobility, communication, social interaction, self-management, learning, and self-care. Therefore, goals should reflect working on one of those areas.

Flexibility to cover potential changes: things can change during the duration of an NDIS plan, so try to include a degree of flexibility that will help ensure you still maintain sufficient support if your situation should alter.

The chances of no funding: while there are many supports the NDIS does cover, any support must meet the reasonable and necessary test. Regardless of how well-written a goal may be, it may still not be covered by the NDIS if it doesn’t fulfil the test requirements.