NDIS guides & explainers

Free, plain-English guides to the NDIS — how it works, applying, understanding your plan and funding, plan management, choosing providers, housing and children — each with detailed FAQs.

Eligibility & application

Understand access, age limits, evidence and how to apply for the NDIS.

• How the NDIS works: a plain-English overview — What the NDIS is, who runs it, and how access, plans, funding and supports fit together.
• Am I eligible for the NDIS? — The access requirements — age, residence and the disability or early intervention rules — and how they’re assessed.
• How to apply for the NDIS, step by step — From gathering evidence to making an access request, and what happens after you apply.
• What evidence does the NDIS need for your application? — The kind of evidence that makes an access request strong — recent, specific and focused on function.
• What types of disability does the NDIS cover? — How the NDIS looks at physical, intellectual, sensory, neurological and psychosocial disability — and why function matters more than a label.
• What are the age limits on the NDIS? — Who can apply by age — under 65, the early childhood approach for young children, and what happens at 65.
• What to do if your NDIS application is taking too long — The 21-day decision target, why decisions get delayed, and how to follow up or escalate.
• Psychosocial disability and the NDIS — Access, evidence and recovery-focused support for disability arising from a mental health condition.
• Should I get application help from a disability advocate? — How free, independent advocates can strengthen an application, review or appeal.

Plans & funding

How NDIS plans work — funding categories, meetings, goals and management options.

• Understanding your NDIS plan — How to read your plan — your goals, budgets and dates — and how to start using it.
• What can I use my NDIS funding for? — What “reasonable and necessary” funding covers — and the everyday costs it doesn’t.
• NDIS funding explained: Core, Capacity Building and Capital — What each budget covers, how flexible it is, and how support categories and items work.
• Plan management options: self, plan and agency managed — The three ways to manage your funding, what each involves, and how to choose.
• Reasonable and necessary — the tests every support must pass — The criteria the NDIA weighs before it funds a support, explained in plain English.
• Your NDIS plan meeting — what to expect and how to prepare — What happens in a planning conversation, and how to get a plan that fits your life.
• Writing good NDIS goals for your plan meeting — How to word goals so your plan has something to anchor your funding to.
• Making your NDIS plan last — Track your budget, avoid running short, and get the most from your funding across the plan.
• How to prepare for your NDIS plan reassessment — A countdown to a calmer reassessment (formerly the plan review), backed by fresh evidence.
• NDIS funding periods — what they are and how they affect your plan — Why funding can release in instalments across your plan, and how to pace it.
• What the NDIS won’t fund — The everyday, health and mainstream costs that sit outside the NDIS — and who covers them.
• What happens to unused NDIS funding — How underspending works within a plan and at plan end, and why it matters.
• What the NDIS funds vs what other services fund — How the NDIS works alongside health, education, housing and other systems.

Working with the NDIS

Navigating the system — portals, contacts, agencies and life changes.

• NDIS check-in calls — what they are and how to prepare — What a check-in with your NDIA contact, LAC or Early Childhood partner is really for.
• When to share your NDIS plan — and with whom — Your plan is private — how to share the right parts with providers safely.
• Moving house or interstate with the NDIS — The NDIS is national — what to update and what to expect when you move.
• Using your NDIS funding when you travel — What generally applies to your supports while you’re away from home or overseas.
• NDIS contact details: phone numbers, portal and who to call — The key NDIS phone numbers, the my NDIS portal and app, and who to contact for what.
• Tracking your plan budget: myplace and the my NDIS app — How to check your budget, see the claims made against your plan, and download statements.
• NDIA vs the NDIS Commission: who does what — The agency that runs your plan vs the body that regulates providers — and who to call for what.
• Carer Gateway vs the NDIS: support for carers explained — How support for unpaid carers differs from the participant’s NDIS supports and carer income payments.

Reviews & appeals

Changing a plan, internal reviews and appeals to the tribunal.

• Changing your plan between reassessments: variations and unscheduled reassessments — How to change a plan outside the normal cycle when your circumstances change.
• How do I appeal an NDIS decision? — The two-stage process — internal review, then the Administrative Review Tribunal — and the free help available.

Specific supports

Home modifications, assistive technology, therapy, behaviour support, work, education and health.

• A guide to assistive technology on the NDIS — From low-cost aids to complex equipment — how assistive technology is assessed and funded.
• NDIS housing options: SIL, SDA, ILO and more — The home-and-living supports explained in plain English, and who each option suits.
• SIL and SDA explained: funded support vs funded housing — The difference between the support that helps you at home (SIL) and the specialist housing itself (SDA).
• Behaviour support and restrictive practices explained — What positive behaviour support is, who delivers it, and how restrictive practices are regulated.
• Allied health and the NDIS: what each therapist does — OTs, physios, speech pathologists, psychologists and more — and the reports the NDIA relies on.
• How can the NDIS help with home modifications? — Ramps, rails, bathroom changes and bigger modifications — how they’re assessed and funded.
• How can the NDIS help with transport? — How transport support works when your disability affects your ability to travel.
• How can the NDIS help me at work? — The employment supports the NDIS funds, and how they work alongside other services.
• How can the NDIS help at school or in tertiary study? — The disability-specific supports the NDIS funds for learning — and what the school or uni provides.
• How can the NDIS help me access health supports? — The disability-related health supports the NDIS funds — and where the health system takes over.

Children & families

Early childhood support and family-focused help.

• The NDIS for children: the early childhood approach — How young children get support — with or without a diagnosis — and what families can expect.

Providers & services

Finding and choosing providers, service agreements, fees, screening and complaints.

• How to choose the right NDIS provider — What to look for, the questions to ask, and how to switch if a provider isn’t working out.
• Support coordination explained — What a support coordinator does, the levels of support, and how to get it in your plan.
• Service agreements with NDIS providers: what to look for — What a service agreement covers, and what to check before you sign.
• Cancellation and no-show fees: what providers can charge — How short-notice cancellations and no-shows work under the NDIS pricing rules.
• Provider travel charges: what providers can and can’t bill — When a worker’s travel can be claimed from your plan, and the limits that apply.
• What to do if your NDIS supports go wrong — How to raise concerns and complaints, and where to get help if something isn’t right.
• The NDIS Worker Screening Check explained — The national check for workers in risk-assessed roles, and why providers ask for it.

What these guides are

The NDIS can be a lot to take in — a new language, new processes, and big decisions about support. These guides explain the parts of the scheme that matter most to participants and families in plain English: how the NDIS works, how to apply, how plans and funding work, and how to find and manage supports.

Each guide is written by Novida, is free to read with no account needed, and ends with answers to the questions people ask most. Where a guide connects to a form, a checklist, a letter template or a glossary term on Novida, we link to it so you can act on what you’ve learned.

How to use them

Start with whatever fits where you are — “How the NDIS works” if you’re brand new, or a specific guide if you have a plan and a question. You don’t have to read them in order. For anything official, we point you to ndis.gov.au and the NDIS Our Guidelines, because the NDIA updates its rules from time to time and the official version is always the one to follow.

NDIS guides — common questions

Are these NDIS guides free?

Yes — every guide is free to read, with no account or sign-up needed. They’re written by Novida as plain-English explainers to help participants, families and carers understand the NDIS and make confident decisions. You’re welcome to share them with anyone who’d find them useful.

Are these official NDIS guides?

No. These are independent, plain-English guides written by Novida, not official NDIA documents. We aim to be accurate and we link you to the official source — ndis.gov.au and the NDIS Our Guidelines — for the rules and definitions. If an official source differs from our summary, follow the official version.

Where should I start if I’m new to the NDIS?

Start with “How the NDIS works” for the big picture, then “Am I eligible for the NDIS?” and “How to apply for the NDIS”. Once you have a plan, the guides on understanding your plan, funding and plan management will help you put it to use. You can read them in any order.

Do the guides replace advice from the NDIA or a professional?

No. They’re general information, not personal or professional advice. For decisions about your own situation, check with the NDIA, your planner, your plan manager or support coordinator, or an independent advocate. The guides are designed to help you understand your options and ask better questions.

How often are the guides updated?

We review the guides so they reflect how the NDIS works, and we avoid quoting exact dollar figures or dates that go out of date quickly, pointing you to the official source instead. If you spot something that looks out of step with current NDIS rules, always rely on ndis.gov.au and the NDIS Our Guidelines.

Novida is an independent directory, not the NDIA. We explain each form in plain English and link you to the official copy — always download and submit the current version from the official website, as forms are updated from time to time.