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Getting your head around the NDIS

Short, plain-language explainers for when you’re just getting started — or helping someone who is. No jargon, no sales pitch. Each takes a few minutes. Filter by topic below.

Your NDIS plan

How your plan is managed (and why it matters)

How your plan is managed decides two things: who pays your providers, and which providers you're allowed to use. It's worth understanding before you start choosing supports.

5 min readRead

What happens at a plan reassessment

Before your plan ends, the NDIA reviews it and works out your next one. You may still hear this called a "plan review" — the current term is a plan reassessment. Here's what to expect.

5 min readRead

Funding & budgets

How NDIS funding works

Your NDIS plan splits your funding into separate budgets, and each one works a little differently. Knowing which is which saves a lot of confusion.

4 min readRead

What can NDIS funding be used for?

NDIS funding pays for disability-related supports — not the everyday living costs everyone has. Here's what it generally covers, what it doesn't, and how to tell the difference.

5 min readRead

NDIS support budgets & categories explained

Inside your NDIS budgets are smaller “support categories” that decide what each part of your funding is actually for. Here's what the common ones mean.

6 min readRead

NDIS transport & travel funding

The NDIS can help with getting around, and providers can charge for their travel to you — two different things people often mix up. Here's how transport and travel funding work.

4 min readRead

Is the NDIS means tested?

Short answer: no. Your income, savings and your family's finances don't affect NDIS eligibility or funding. But the NDIS often gets confused with payments that are means tested — here's the difference.

3 min readRead

Support types & roles

Who does what: coordinator, plan manager, support worker

Support worker, support coordinator, plan manager — the names sound alike, but they do very different jobs. Here's who does what.

4 min readRead

What is a support coordinator?

A support coordinator helps you understand your NDIS plan and turn it into real, working supports. Here's what they do, whether you have one, and how to find the right fit.

5 min readRead

NDIS respite & short-term accommodation (STA)

What many people call “respite” is funded on the NDIS as Short Term Accommodation, or STA. Here's what it covers, who it helps, and how it works.

4 min readRead

SLES: School Leaver Employment Supports

SLES — School Leaver Employment Supports — helps young people with disability build the skills and confidence to move from school toward work. Here's how it works.

4 min readRead

Assistance with Daily Life (NDIS)

Assistance with Daily Life is the NDIS support most people picture first — everyday, hands-on help. Here's what it covers, and how it differs from the confusingly-similar "Improved Daily Living".

4 min readRead

Supported Independent Living (SIL)

Supported Independent Living (SIL) helps people with higher support needs live as independently as possible — usually with support in a shared home. Here's what it covers, and what it doesn't.

5 min readRead

How to become an NDIS provider

Thinking about delivering NDIS supports? The first thing to understand is whether you need to register at all — it depends on what you'll offer and who you'll support. Here's the lay of the land.

6 min readRead

Assistance animals & the NDIS

The NDIS can fund assistance animals — but the word “assistance” is doing real work in that sentence. Here's what qualifies, what doesn't, and how the process usually goes.

4 min readRead

Choosing a provider

How to change your NDIS provider

You choose your providers under the NDIS — and you can change them. Here's how to switch smoothly, without a gap in the support you rely on.

4 min readRead

Registered vs unregistered NDIS providers

Registered and unregistered NDIS providers both deliver real supports — the difference is about formal oversight and who's allowed to use them. Here's what it means for you.

5 min readRead

For providers

How do NDIS providers get more clients?

Great support is the foundation, but on its own it isn't enough — families and support coordinators have to be able to find you first. Here's where NDIS clients actually come from.

5 min readRead

These guides are general information to help you get oriented — not official advice. The NDIS is changing, so for the current rules always check ndis.gov.au or talk to your planner, Local Area Coordinator, or support coordinator.