Understanding NDIS and the Disability Support Pension

It is vital that the NDIS community receive the care and support they deserve, in order to focus their attention on things that matter most. One important aspect of life is the financial burden of day-to-day life. Thus, the NDIS and Disability Support Pension is a system meant to ease the burden of money on the NDIS community.

First of all, what are NDIS and DSP?

NDIS stands for the National Disability Insurance Scheme. It is a new and improved method of providing individualized support for individuals with disabilities. It also extends care to provide for family and carers in the participant’s life. The NDIS provides funding for all Australians under the age of 65 with a disability that impacts one’s everyday life and is permanent. As such, individuals are supported reasonably and necessary in a way that allows them to live an ordinary life. Additionally, for more information, visit us here.

The DSP stands for the Disability Support Pension. It is payment for individuals who hold a physical, intellectual, or psychiatric disability preventing them from working. To receive this payment, potential receivers must meet the guidelines of both non-medical and medical rules.

NON- MEDICAL RULES

Non- medical rules include categories such as:

• Age (must be between 16 and age pension age)
• Residence status
• Income and assets – the amount of assets and income both you and your partner have could impact your payment

MEDICAL RULES

Medical rules fall into two categories – manifest and general medical rules.

A condition will satisfy the manifest medical rules if they:

• are permanently blind
• are at nursing home level care
• have a terminal illness- less than 2 years expectancy
• hold an intellectual disability, IQ <70
• have category 4 HIV/ AIDS
• get a department of VET affairs special rate disability pension

Who is eligible for NDIS?

To be eligible for the NDIS, you must be aged between 7 and 65 years old, live in Australia, and hold a residency. Usually, to be considered, you must hold support from a person due to permanent and significant disabilities. Furthermore, the individual must require special equipment or support due to the disability.

The NDIS provides support to eligible individuals with intellectual, physical, sensory, cognitive, and psychosocial disabilities. However, it is important to note that children under 7 do not require a diagnosis to receive early intervention support from the NDIS. The first step would be to contact the NDIA to organise contact with an NDIS early childhood partner.

How does the NDIS affect my disability support pension?

The NDIS generally does not affect the disability support pension. Although the two schemes can work together, they are entirely separate. Both Centrelink and the ATO do not consider NDIS payments as income. Thus, this means that your disability support pension has no effect on your NDIS payment when Centrelink monitors your income and assets. However, it must be noted that just because you qualify for an NDIS plan, doesn’t mean you qualify for DSP, and vice versa.

For example, NDIS provides the support you may need to live independently with a disability. It does this intending to close the gap between those who are disabled and those who are not. An example of this is that NDIS would provide funding for a wheelchair, pay for vehicle modifications, or pay additional assistance to be present in your living environment. On the other hand, the DSP would be used to cover day-to-day expenses for example utilities, food and rent if necessary.

How much is the disability support pension?

The disability support pension is updated on the 20th March and September annually if:

• you are 21 and older, with or without children
• younger than 21 with a child in care

It is updated on the 1st January for those younger than 21 with no children. It should be noted that partner and individual assets and incomes can affect rates of payment.

To view the actual rates of payment, with their specific guidelines, visit the website here.

What other benefits can I get if I identify as having a disability?

There is a wide range of benefits that you can potentially claim due to your disability. However, these are dependent on the seriousness and status of your disability.

If you have a disability that makes it difficult to get around, you can claim the disability living allowance. This can be claimed if you are under 16; personal independence payment can be claimed if you are over 16 but not yet reached the state pension age. Attendance allowance can be claimed if you have reached the state pension age.

If you are unable to work due to your sickness or disability, you can claim statutory sick pay. However, this is only eligible for you if you are/ were employed but are unable to work. There are other options, such as the employment and support allowance, which is for those who are employed but cannot receive the SSP due to their income being too low. This allowance can also be claimed if SSP has ended, or by those who are not employed.

If you are low on income or have no income, you can check ‘universal credit.’ To apply, ask your doctor for a ‘fit note’ and send it in with a claim form.

What should I do now?

Now that you have all the information you need to determine if you are eligible for these payments, start looking today! The NDIS and Disability Support Pension make it easier for the NDIS community to focus on things that they love, rather than getting caught up in financial burdens.