Background Information
In December 2012, the ACT signed a bilateral agreement with the Commonwealth Government to become a launch site for the NDIS.
The NDIS is a national insurance scheme which will be available to people with
disability including those with a psychosocial disability, people who have intellectual
or developmental disability, people with significant sensory impairment, people born
with a physical disability; and people who acquire a disability from an accident.
The NDIS will put the needs of people with a disability at the centre of all decisions
about their supports and services. To find out more about the NDIS visit www.act.gov.au/NDIS.
From July 2014 eligible ACT residents will begin to transfer to the NDIS. Up to 5000 Canberrans with disability and enduring psychosocial disability will receive their
supports and services through the NDIS by June 2016.
The Commonwealth Government has contributed $10.6m to assist the ACT to
provide enhanced access to supports and services and the assist in preparation for the NDIS. From July 2013 ACT residents will have access to an enhanced suite of supports related to their disability, which will improve their quality of life and potentially enable their families and carers to have more regularly scheduled assistance or respite.
Who will be eligible to apply for assistance from the
Enhanced Service Offer?
The Enhanced Service Offer is designed to meet the disability related needs of the broadest possible range of people. All ACT residents aged 64 years and under with ongoing support needs related to a disability will be eligible to apply for a grant.
Each application will be assessed and prioritised on the basis of the needs,
circumstances of, and likely impact of the requested item on, the applicant.
Detailed Eligibility Criterion
A. To be eligible you will need to be an ACT resident aged 64 years and under and:
1. have a disability that is attributable to one or more intellectual, cognitive, neurological, sensory or physical impairments, or to one or more impairments attributable to a psychiatric condition; and
2. the impairment or impairments are, or are likely to be, permanent; and
3. the impairment or impairments result in substantially reduced functional
capacity to undertake, or psychosocial functioning in undertaking, one or
more of the following activities:
i. communication;
ii. social interaction;
iii. learning;
iv. mobility;
v. self-care;
vi. self-management; and
4. the impairment or impairments affect your capacity for social and economic participation; and
5. your support needs in relation to the impairment or impairments are likely to continue through your lifetime.
B. An impairment or impairments that vary in intensity may be permanent, and your support needs in relation to such an impairment or impairments may be likely to continue through your lifetime, despite the variation.
Priority of Access
Access to the different elements of the Enhanced Service Offer will be determined on
the basis of assessed priority of need. More information about the criterion to
be used by the panel, in determining an individual’s priority, will be provided with the Application Kits.
Application Kits
Application Kits are not yet available.
We are working on the application, assessment, allocation and priority criterion and processes as well as the information and supports we will need to provide, to assist applicants and service providers.
We will be doing some user testing to make sure our forms and processes work and aren’t too bureaucratic.
What will I be able to apply to use for a grant for?
Eligible Canberrans will be able to apply for Grants which may be used in a variety of
ways to best meet their needs, goals, and lifestyles.
If you are thinking about putting in an application for a Grant when the rounds open,
we really encourage you to start thinking and talking to people now about the
different ways you could use funds to meet your disability related needs.
When you are thinking about what you might apply to purchase through a
Grant, please consider the following Purchasing Parameters.
The request for funding must:
1. Be directly related to your disability support needs.
2. Be consistent with a planned approach to addressing your support needs.
3. Have the potential to minimise the impact of your disability, and to maximise
your capacity, quality of life, and independence; and potentially that of your family or carer.
4. Represent the most cost effective and relevant option to respond to your
identified needs.
5. Be reasonably justifiable in the public arena.
The categories of things you might apply for include:
A. Aids, equipment and minor modifications to your home or car which will
increase your independence or reduce your need for support from paid or
unpaid carers. You can apply for Grants up to $5000.
B. Once off items and supports which may generally increase your Quality of Life.
You can apply for Grants up to $5000.
C. Regular or additional supports to be provided up to June 2015 which
may enable you to:
i. take part in a social, recreational, educational or vocational activity;
ii. learn new skills;
iii. increase your independence; and/or
iv. build your social and personal networks.
The result of this support may also be that your family, or other people who assist you without payment,:
A. don’t need to undertake the caring role for the purposes of the funded activity;
B. have increased time away from their caring duties and feel more supported in
their carer role; and
C. have confidence in the quality of the support provided to you so they can have a genuine break.
Don’t let this list limit your thinking about how you might have your needs me.
Who can help you to start thinking about how you
might use a grant?
Anybody with some imagination and a few minutes.
You could also talk to the Local Area Coordinators, your service provider, case worker, advocate, teacher or friend.
We are recruiting new positions for workers who will be available to help with grant applications. We are also talking to other government agencies so their staff will be able to help applicants. As further information is available we will send it out through our contact lists and post it on our web page www.act.gov.au/NDIS
How Will I Find Out about the Open Grant Rounds?
The Grants will be broadly advertised in local newspapers, at the places people go like chemists and libraries and the ACT Government Shopfronts. We will send out information to
all mental health, Home and Community Care Young People’s program providers and disability services, through Housing ACT tenants newsletters ... anything we can think of to get the word out.
If you would like to receive regular updates from the ACT NDIS Taskforce, including the when the grants open, please forward your email address to ndis@act.gov.au or contact the Disability ACT Information Service on 6207 1086 and provide them with your postal address.
How and When Will I be able to Apply?
Two Grant Rounds will be held.
The first Grant Round will be announced in July 2013, the second Grant Round
will be opened approximately from September 2013.
When we advertise the Grant Rounds we will also let you know about information
sessions to be held, where and how to lodge your application and how you can get a
hand with your application.
You won’t have to apply if:
You won’t need to apply if you are a young person with high and complex needs, who left school since 2008 and are already receiving some supports and services funded by Disability ACT.
We will contact you directly to talk about your circumstances and needs and what additional supports and services might benefit you.
Not sure if this includes you:
If you are not sure whether this includes you please ring Disability ACT Information Service on 6207 1086.
What about 2013 Quality of Life Grants?
These two rounds will include the funds and selection criterion used in the annual Disability ACT Quality of Life Grants so a separate Quality of Life Grants will not be
held in 2013.
Will Service Providers Be Able to Apply For Grants?
No. The grants will be allocated to individuals.
What if I want enhanced supports but don’t want to hold a grant myself?
You won’t have to hold the funds yourself if that doesn’t suit you. A Facilitator will be available
to talk to you about your options.
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