What is the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS)?

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The National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) provides support to people with disability, their families and carers. It is jointly governed and funded by the Australian and participating states and territory governments. The NDIS is being introduced across Australia from July 2016, except in Western Australia where it is still being trialled.

The main component of the NDIS is individualised packages of support to eligible people with disability. When the NDIS is fully implemented in 2019, it is expected that around 460,000 Australians will receive individualised supports.

The NDIS also has a broader role in helping people with disability to:

• access mainstream services, such as health, housing and education

• access community services, such as sports clubs and libraries and

• maintain informal supports, such as family and friends.

The NDIS is not means tested. Like many other Australian Government social policy programs—such as Medicare, the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme and income support payments—the NDIS is an uncapped (demand-driven) scheme.