Understanding the NDIS
What the NDIS Is
A plain language explanation of the National Disability Insurance Scheme and how it supports eligible people with disability.
A national scheme
It provides funding to eligible people with disability for approved supports.
The NDIA runs it
The scheme and the organisation running it are not the same thing.
Every participant is different
What is in a plan depends on the person’s disability, circumstances, goals and needs.
Plain language guide
The detail, broken into useful sections.
Read the sections that matter to you. The content has not been shortened or changed, only organised so it is easier to scan.
What is the NDIS?
The National Disability Insurance Scheme provides funding to eligible people with disability to purchase supports related to their disability.
Those supports may help someone complete everyday activities, build skills and independence, take part in work, study or community life, access equipment or assistive technology, and work towards their own goals.
The NDIS does not give everyone the same support. Each person’s circumstances and needs are considered individually.
What is the NDIA?
The National Disability Insurance Agency is the Australian Government organisation that runs the NDIS. It decides whether someone can access the scheme, works with participants to create plans, decides which supports and funding are included, manages plan changes and reviews, and pays providers where funding is NDIA managed.
The NDIS is the scheme. The NDIA is the organisation.
The two names get used interchangeably, but they are different things — and it matters when you are working out who to contact.
What can it fund?
Services, items and equipment that meet the NDIS funding rules and relate to your disability. Examples include assistance with daily activities, community participation, capacity building, therapeutic support, assistive technology, home or vehicle modifications, and certain accommodation related supports.
A support being useful does not automatically mean the NDIS can fund it. It must meet the current rules.
What it does not replace
Health and hospital services, education, employment services, housing and homelessness services, family and community services, and ordinary living expenses. The NDIS is designed to work alongside family, community and mainstream services, not instead of them.
What this means for you
Becoming a participant does not mean the NDIA controls your life or makes decisions for you. You stay involved in decisions about your goals, supports and providers. Your funding still has to be used according to your plan and the rules.
SCL Support Services
What SCL can help with
SCL can:
- Explain the services we provide
- Help you understand how our services relate to your plan
- Provide information about our prices and Service Agreement
- Work with your Support Coordinator, Plan Manager, nominee or representative where you have authorised us
SCL cannot decide whether you are eligible for the NDIS, or what funding should be in your plan. Those are NDIA decisions.
Official information
This page explains things in plain language. The NDIS is the authority on the rules, and they change. Check the official pages for the current position.
Last checked: August 2026
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