Applying for NDIS

Follow this step-by-step guide to help you apply for NDIS. You are eligible if you have Parkinson’s are under 65 years, and meet the requirements set out here.

Generally speaking, you must meet three requirements:

  1. AGE – be aged under 65 years
  2. RESIDENCE – reside in Australia and be an Australian citizen, or hold a Permanent or Protected Special Category Visa
  3. DISABILITY OR EARLY INTERVENTION – have a physical, intellectual, cognitive, neurological, visual, hearing or psychosocial impairment that meets either the disability or early intervention requirements (of which Parkinson’s does in Section 25 of the Act).

If you think you are eligible for the NDIS, you can: contact your local Parkinson’s organisation, NDIS Office or local NDIS partner or call 1800 800 110 for more information on supports available to you.

Staying Connected with Community
Living with Young Onset Parkinson’s can be challenging, but there’s support available to help you stay connected with your community. The best part? You don’t need to be an National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) participant to access this service. Both people with disability and NDIS participants can connect with their Local Area Coordinator to learn about and access mainstream and community supports. These coordinators will also assist with applying for the NDIS and developing your plan if you meet the eligibility requirements and have Parkinson’s.
What is Community Connections?
Community Connections offers various forms of support, including:
  • Access to local information and resources
  • Guidance on mainstream, state/territory government-funded and community supports
This service is available even if you’re not eligible for the NDIS,
ensuring everyone can stay connected and engaged with their community.
Benefits of Community Connections
Being part of your community is vital for wellbeing and connection. Community Connections helps you:
  • Find supports for independence and daily living
  • Pursue activities and hobbies in your local community
  • Build relationships with people and places that matter.
Don’t miss out on this opportunity to stay connected and thrive. Reach out to your Local Area Coordinators to learn more about Community Connections today!

To become an NDIS participant you need to download the NDIS Access Request Form or telephone 1800 800 110 and ask for one to be posted out to you. Be sure to get an NDIS reference number. You may be offered the option of filling the form out over the phone, but given the detail required on the form, we strongly encourage you to fill it out with assistance from the following support people:

Primary treating health professional

Ask your GP to provide a copy of your diagnosis and a letter of support as to why you are applying for the NDIS, including the impacts of your Parkinson’s symptoms on your everyday life. They will also need to fill out Section 2 of the Access Request Form.

NDIS-Partner supported Applications – NEW!

An NDIS-partner, e.g. Local Area Coordinator, can now support you to apply for NDIS. Find out more at the NDIS website.

Allied Health Professionals

If you are already seeing an allied health professional (e.g. OT, PT, SP, EP) for at least 6 months you can request a supporting letter for your application. If you are newly diagnosed, as you assemble your care team and when they have been treating you  you can include these in your reviews too. Don’t worry though, as the initial plan if accepted often provides funding for these initial assessments.

State/Territory Parkinson’s Organisations

Many states and territories have Parkinson’s organisations that can support you with your application. For example, South Australia has Parkinson’s Nurse Specialists, wellbeing officers and OTs. The following assessments can be carried out by an Occupational Therapist to include in your application (but these can be funded through NDIS if your plan is accepted as they are sometimes costly to do privately):

  • Functional Assessment
  • Home Safety Assessment
  • Balance and Mobility Assessments
  • Cognitive Assessment
  • Disability Impact Assessments

A Primary Support Person/Carer Impact Statement template examples are available. It can be a valuable supporting document for your NDIS application to demonstrate everyday difficulties you experience through the eyes of the primary person who supports you. It is written by the person who is your primary support, for example your spouse, partner, housemate, best friend, parent or sibling. They will need to provide additional details of how young onset Parkinson’s is impacting on your quality of life and the lives of those around you. You can email them to ask them to complete one from My NDIS Info – Primary Support Person’s Statement button in the app.

Other health professionals can provide support letters or you can include any of their reports including speech pathologists, psychologists, psychiatrists, exercise physiologists and physiotherapists that have been treating you for at least six months. Access request form – supporting evidence form can be used.

Whatever reports you provide, make sure they are clear about the impact your Parkinson’s has on each aspect your daily life, addressing the key domains of mobility, communication, socialising, learning, self-care and self-management.

To strengthen your application it is recommended to submit the following along with your completed NDIS Access Request Form:

  • Complete all questionnaires, check-ins and surveys as well as goal setting in My NDIS Info. Printed My NDIS Info (Export pdf and email to yourself from the YOPX App)
  • Letter of diagnosis and the impacts of Parkinson’s symptoms on your quality of life from your primary treating professional (GP or specialist that has been treating you for at least 6 months)
  • Any supporting letters from allied health professionals who have been treating you for at least 6 months*
  • Primary support person/carer impact statement
  • Evidence of age and Australian residence including citizenship or visa status.

*don’t worry if you are newly diagnosed and haven’t been treated by an allied health professional (e.g. OT, PT, Exercise Physiologist, Speech Pathologist or Psychologist) for more than 6 month, or at all… successful NDIS Plans will usually fund these initial assessments.

Once your application form has been completed, the fastest way you can return it is email it with all supporting information attached to enquiries@ndis.gov.au. However, you can take it to an NDIA office or an NDIA Local Area Coordinator (LAC) to be lodged.

In this way, you will be given a delivery receipt, and you can expect to receive a response within 21 days. Remember to attach the supporting documents to your signed and dated Access Request Form.

If you do need to print and post the completed forms, make sure you keep a copy of everything before putting in the mail to: PO Box 700, Canberra, ACT 2601.

Getting your plan right the first time

It is difficult to get more money for your plan once your application has been approved, and a plan review may take a long time. For this reason, getting the correct supports included in your first application for the NDIS is really important.

Encourage your treating health professionals to contact your local Parkinson’s organisation. They can provide a secondary consult, helping improve their understanding of your Parkinson’s symptoms and the impact of them on your everyday function.