What the NDIS is, and who it is for

An insurance scheme, not a welfare payment

The National Disability Insurance Scheme was created by the National Disability Insurance Scheme Act 2013. It funds supports for Australians with a permanent and significant disability so they can pursue their goals, take part in the community and live as independently as possible.

It works on insurance principles: the whole population contributes, and funding goes to the people who need it, early, so that support costs and disadvantage do not compound over a lifetime. Funding is attached to the person, not to a service or a building — which is why you can change providers without losing your funding.

Two different agencies, two different jobs

People often use "the NDIS" to mean both bodies. They do separate things, and knowing which is which saves a lot of time on the phone.

• The National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) decides who gets access, approves plans and manages funding. Call 1800 800 110.
• The NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission regulates providers and workers, handles complaints and oversees behaviour support. Call 1800 035 544.

Who can access it

Broadly, you need to be under 65 when you apply, be an Australian citizen, permanent resident or hold a Protected Special Category Visa, and meet either the disability requirements (a permanent impairment that substantially reduces your functional capacity) or the early intervention requirements.

The Australian Government has legislated further reform through the NDIS Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Act 2026, which received Royal Assent on 20 August 2026. The Government has stated there will be no changes to NDIS access arrangements before 1 January 2028, and that the NDIA will contact participants before any change affects them.

What the NDIS does not do

The NDIS is not the whole system. Health, education, housing, transport and aged care remain the responsibility of those mainstream systems, and the NDIS is not meant to duplicate them. If a support is properly the job of the health system or a school, the NDIA will generally not fund it.