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.
The NDIS is not means tested
Eligibility for the NDIS is based on your age, residency, and whether your disability (or developmental delay for young children) meets the access requirements — not on what you earn or own. There is no income test and no assets test, for you or for your family.
The same goes for the amount of funding in your plan. Plan budgets are built around what supports are reasonable and necessary for your circumstances and goals. Two people with similar incomes can have very different plans, and a higher income never shrinks a plan.
Why people think it's means tested
The confusion usually comes from the Disability Support Pension (DSP). The DSP is a Centrelink income-support payment, and it IS means tested — your income and assets affect whether you get it and how much.
The NDIS and the DSP are completely separate. You can be on both, either, or neither: NDIS funding pays for disability supports and services, while the DSP helps with living costs. Getting an NDIS plan doesn't affect your DSP, and your DSP doesn't affect your NDIS funding.
- NDIS — Funds disability supports and services. Not means tested.
- Disability Support Pension (DSP) — Centrelink income support for living costs. Means tested (income and assets).
- Carer Payment / Carer Allowance — Separate Centrelink payments for carers — the Payment is means tested; the Allowance is not income-tested in the same way. Both separate from the NDIS.
What can affect your funding
While your income doesn't matter, a couple of financial things can interact with the NDIS. If you've received compensation for your disability (for example from an injury claim), that can be taken into account when your plan is worked out — the scheme expects compensation intended for support costs to be used for them.
And as always, plan budgets reflect your support needs, goals and circumstances, which are reassessed over time. If your needs change, your funding can change — in either direction — but never because of your bank balance.
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Will my partner's or parents' income affect my NDIS plan?
No. There's no income or assets test for the NDIS — not for you, your partner, or your family. Family finances are never part of an access decision or a plan budget.
Is the Disability Support Pension the same as the NDIS?
No — they're separate systems. The DSP is a means-tested Centrelink payment for living costs. The NDIS funds disability supports and isn't means tested. Many people receive both.
Do I have to spend my own money before the NDIS pays?
No. The NDIS funds the reasonable and necessary supports in your plan from the start. Everyday living costs (rent, groceries) stay your own responsibility — the NDIS covers disability-related supports, not general living expenses.
This is general information to help you get oriented — not official advice, and everyone’s situation is different. 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.