NDIS Dictionary: Breaking down the Jargon
Support Coordinators
The National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) can be quite perplexing, particularly for those who have never had an NDIS plan. Once you’ve cut through the NDIS jargon and technical phrases, you’ll understand your plan, how to use your assigned money, and how to apply your plan to achieve your goals. Of course, your plan manager may assist you with this as well.
NDIS
- National Disability Insurance Scheme
National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA)
- National Disability Insurance Agency, the government department that delivers the NDIS
LAC
- Local Area Coordinators work for the NDIA to generate and authorise your plan.
Agency, Self or Plan Managed
- Types of ways you can choose to manage your NDIS funding.
AAT
- The Administrative Appeals Tribunal is where participants can go to appeal a decision made by the NDIA.
Funded Supports
- Funded Supports are goods and services that the NDIS will pay for through your NDIS plan.
Informal Supports
- Informal support is one that you receive from family or friends, as well as from other mainstream supports such as education, mental health, or the health system. The NDIS does not cover these. In most cases, the NDIS will not pay your grandma to care for you or pay for drugs that should be paid for by the health system.
Registered Provider / Unregistered Provider
Registered providers have completed the NDIS registration procedure and are available to all NDIS participants.
Unregistered providers have not completed the NDIS registration procedure but can still be used by participants with self-managed or plan-managed plans.
Reasonable and Necessary Supports
The NDIS pays for reasonable and required’ assistance, which means they must fit NDIS standards, be relevant to your disability, and not be a daily expenditure.
Price Guide
The NDIS pricing guide includes line item price restrictions that providers can charge NDIS participants and information on which services you may be eligible to claim under support budget categories.
Budget Support Category
You will have multiple budget support categories to claim different services in your plan. Budget assistance is divided into three categories: core supports, capital supports, and capacity-building supports. There are 15 budget support categories among these three types of subsidies.
Line Item
A line item contains a unique code, a service name/description, and a unit/price. Your provider will select a line item that accurately reflects the service they are providing to you. If you hire a cleaner, they will claim under the House Cleaning and Other Household Activities line item.
- The core budget provides cash to support all your day-to-day responsibilities related to your plan and life objectives.
A capital support budget finances equipment and technologies that lessen the impact of your disability.
This budget pays for services that improve your ability to complete day-to-day chores in all aspects of your life.
Improved Life Choices
This is the support category from which your plan manager gets paid. The NDIS will add this budget to your care requirements to pay your plan manager, which means that plan management is free for all NDIS participants.
