NewsPeople with disability wanted to host NDIS info sessions
22 January 2021
Are you a person with disability?
Do you have experience hosting information sessions and workshops?
Do you have an excellent understanding of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS)?
Register your interest with AFDO before 5pm on Friday February 26 for your chance to join a national team of NDIS workshop facilitators and help people all over Australia get the most from their NDIS plans.
Consultation Papers – Have your say!
26 November 2020
Also this week, the Agency released a media release, along with three consultation papers. It’s important that people with disability and their families/carers, along with the wider disability sector has a say on these papers.
You can have your say on these papers by making a submission in writing, by audio or video. Submissions close at 10.00am (ADST) on Tuesday 23rd February 2021.
NDIS Reforms and Information Paper
25 November 2020
In August, the Minister for the NDIS, Stuart Robert announced significant reforms to the NDIS, including the use of Independent Assessments for new and existing NDIS participants to be paid for by the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA).
This week, the Minister announced that the legislation to introduce the new Independent Assessments has been delayed. The draft legislation will now be released for consultation, with the legislation expected to be passed by 1st July next year. The Minister also released an Information Paper on these reforms.
NDIA Announces Increased Price Limits
18 November 2020
PRICE INCREASES
- Assistance with Self Care Activities
- Assistance in SIL
- Establishment fees for personal care/participation
- Short Term Accommodation (STA) incl. Respite
- Social, Community & Rec Access
- Group Activities
- Supports in Employment
- Support Connection
- Psychosocial Recovery Coaching
- Skills development, training in plan management and travel training
- Training for carers/parents
More news on Independent Assessments
1 October 2020
The National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) has released some more information this week about the introduction of compulsory Independent Assessments.
They have released some information on the first trial, and some short information about six of the tools that will be used during the assessments.
Virtual Information Sessions for Victoria and Tasmania
11 September 2020
The National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) would like to invite Victorian and Tasmanian participants, families, carers, people with a disability, and the disability community to attend a session about recent NDIS announcements and updates.
- Monday 21 September 2020 1:30pm – 3:00pm (AEST)
- Tuesday 22 September 2020 1:30pm – 3:00pm (AEST)
- Wednesday 23 September 2020 7:00pm-8:30pm (AEST)
- Thursday 24 September 2020 10.30am – 12.00pm (AEST)
Government response to the Tune Review
31 August 2020
Last week, the NDIS Minister, Stuart Robert released the Government’s response to the Tune review, which was held last year.
The Tune Review included a lot of very sensible and practical recommendations such as explaining things in simple and clear language, greater flexibility in how you can use your NDIS funds, and outreach and support for people who are really missing out – like First Nations people with disability or people from a culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) background.
The Government has said that they accept all the recommendations and will work over the next six months in close collaboration with people with disability and the disability sector to implement these reforms, including consultation on any legislative changes required.
Vic and NSW Providers to directly claim costs of PPE
22 August 2020
The NDIS Minister has announced temporary changes to allow NDIS providers in Victoria and New South Wales to directly claim the costs of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) from the NDIA.
These changes will see providers able to claim an allowance of $1.70 per hour of support delivered in the Activities of Daily Life Support Category, to cover the cost of PPE.
NDIS update for Queensland
22 August 2020
NDIS participants and providers in "restricted" areas in Queensland can now claim for personal protective equipment (PPE) - following the same recent changes for Vic and NSW.
Purchasing personal protective equipment (PPE)
13 August 2020
Temporary changes to funding arrangements for PPE have been made to better support participants during the extended COVID-19 pandemic.
New temporary changes for Victoria
11 August 2020
Minister for the National Disability Insurance Scheme, the Hon Stuart Robert, today announced additional temporary measures for NDIS participants and providers in Victoria to ensure continuity of services in a COVIDSafe setting.
New temporary measures to support providers and participants living in residential settings in Victoria.
Temporary Changes to claiming the cost of PPE including masks
29 July 2020
Survey for NDIS participants about COVID-19 changes to the Scheme
3 July 2020
The NDIA is encouraging NDIS participants to take part in the new University of Melbourne survey about the changes we made to the NDIS in response to COVID-19. The survey gives participants, their families and carers a chance to share their experience of interacting with the NDIA and the Scheme during the COVID-19 pandemic. The survey will also help us to understand how NDIS participants have found using telehealth to access allied health services.
June Data Reports released
3 July 2020
Changes to NDIS Independent Advisory Council
2 July 2020
Minister for the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), Stuart Robert, has announced the new and returning members of the Independent Advisory Council (IAC) from 1st July 2020.
The Independent Advisory Council provides formal advice to the Board of the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA), the governing body of the NDIS, on the most important issues affecting participants, carers and families.
NDIS Price Guide 2020-21
28 June 2020
The National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) has released the NDIS Price Guide for 2020-21 financial year, and the Support Catalogue, effective 1st July 2020.
The Assistive Technology and Consumables Code Guide, effective 1st July, is also now available.
Early Childhood Early Intervention (ECEI) Information Pack
5 May 2020
The NDIA is developing information packs for NDIS participants, families, and carers to help during the CoronaVirus pandemic. These packs collate information that is often available in different places and pulls that information together into a single resource.
The first of these packs - Early Childhood Early Intervention for children aged 0 to 6 years old - is now available on the NDIS website.
What happens when?
25 March 2020
The National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) has published a new page called "What happens when."
This page answers questions such as:
- What happens when I have a planning or plan review meeting booked
- What happens when my plan is about to end
- What happens when I need important changes made to my plan
COVID19 Updates
25 March 2020
The National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) is making some changes to the plan review process in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
If a participant has a scheduled plan review, the NDIA will contact them by phone or email to undertake their review.
As part of this plan review process, a participant can discuss having a new plan in place for up to 24 months.
In addition, the NDIA will be making changes to NDIS systems over the weekend to make sure participants have the funding they need during the COVID-19 pandemic.
CoronaVirus (COVID-19) Information
17 March 2020
The Australian Federation of Disability Organisations (AFDO) has set up a page with information and resources on the CoronaVirus (COVID-19) for Australians with disability and their families.
Please visit the AFDO website for more information on the CoronaVirus. The CoronaVirus Information page will be updated as new information and resources become available.
New NDIS Price Guide with Transport changes
25 February 2020
A new NDIS Price Guide with transport changes has just been published.
The 2019-20 NDIS Price Guide and Support Catalogue went into effect 1 July. Information was added in late February 2020 to support the introduction of participant transport changes from 1 March 2020.
NDIS Participants Welcome Pack
19 February 2020
NDIS participants have the right to feel safe and to receive quality service from NDIS providers.
The NDIS Quality and Safeguard Commission (The Commission) has released a Participants Welcome Pack.
The information provided in this pack gives participants information about their rights, the role of the NDIS Commission, choosing quality and safe supports, and how to make a complaint.
System improvement - removing gaps between plans
12 February 2020
The NDIA has made more improvements to the NDIS myplace portal.
From Monday 10th February 2020, the new improvements include:
- Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) and Supported Independent Living (SIL) supports will have service bookings increased automatically where a 28-day extension has been applied to a plan.
- Unclaimed funds within a participant’s previous plan and service bookings will now be available for 90 days after a new plan has been approved. This gives participants and providers more time to make payment requests for services delivered during the previous plan period.
You can find more information on the NDIS website.
Joint Standing Committee Interim Report
4 December 2019
The Joint Standing Committee on the NDIS has released the first of their reports - the NDIS Planning Interim Report.
The report outlines 14 recommendations, several of which focus on NDIS planning timelines and the participant's involvement in the drafting process.
It also calls for extra training for NDIA staff, to increase their awareness and familiarity with all types of disability
NDIS Quarterly report: 2019-20 Q1
14 November 2019
The NDIS Quarterly Report for Quarter 1 of 2019 - 2020 is now available, along with its accompanying state-by-state data.
The report highlights that as of 30 September, 311, 774 people had approved plans & were using the Scheme. Of those, 114,069 were accessing supports for the 1st time.
Minister reveals plan to improve NDIS
14 November 2019
The Minister for the National Disability and Insurance Scheme (NDIS) Stuart Robert has today released the government’s plan to improve the NDIS.
It has six focus areas with specific activities allocated under each area to deliver on the promise of the NDIS.
- Quicker access and quality decision making
- Increased engagement and collaboration
- Market innovation and improved technology
- A financially sustainable Scheme
- Equitable and consistent decisions, and
- Improve long term outcomes for people with disability, their families and carers.
NDIS Independent Advisory Council (IAC) Communique - September 2019
5 November 2019
Independent Advisory Council Communique 3 & 4 September 2019
Disability Loop eNews Issue #47 (Spring 2019)
24 October 2019
Welcome to Disability Loop eNews for Spring 2019. Here you will find recent news about the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), and helpful NDIS-related resources either from the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) or from other organisations.
Explaining developmental delay for young children
11 September 2019
New information is available for health professionals who are referring children with developmental delay to the NDIS.
Removing gaps between plans
11 September 2019
The National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) is making changes to the NDIS myplace portal to improve the process when there is a gap between new and old participant plans.
Sometimes there is a delay in the approval of a new plan. This can create a ‘gap’ between the old plan and the new plan.
A new NDIS Participant Service Guarantee
26 August 2019
During the 2019 Federal Election, the Australian Government promised to develop and legislate an "NDIS Participant Service Guarantee" to improve participant experiences with the NDIS.
The Guarantee will set new standards for the time it takes for key steps in the NDIS process. This means there will be shorter, agreed timeframes for people to get their access decision, to have their NDIS plan approved and to have their plan reviewed.
The new Guarantee will be in place from 1 July 2020.
Joint Standing Committee on the NDIS
8 August 2019
Parliament has appointed its new 10 member Joint Standing Committee on the NDIS.
The Joint Standing Committee is made up of five lower house Members of Parliament and five Senators. This committee oversees the rollout of the NDIS and reports on progress to Parliament at the end of every financial year.
The committee also holds formal Parliamentary Inquiries into how the NDIS is being rolled out, how it’s progressing, how it’s being managed, and how issues can be fixed.
New Inquiries on NDIS Planning and Supported Independent Living
8 August 2019
- NDIS Planning, and
- Supported Independent Living
Disability Loop eNews Issue #46 (Winter 2019)
23 July 2019
Welcome to Disability Loop eNews #46, the Winter 2019 edition.
This newsletter contains information, resources and news from the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA), and disability organisations to keep you up-to-date with all things NDIS.
Understanding the NDIS Workshop Video Series
5 July 2019
The "Understanding the NDIS" workshop was run multiple times throughout Victoria in 2018-19 for people with disability, families and carers. However, we wanted to help those who could not attend the workshop in person and therefore missed out on the information at the time. So we filmed the workshop, and it has been divided into 9 videos which have been placed on our YouTube channel.
The workshop explains things in plain, easy to understand language, and helps to increase your understanding of the NDIS and will build your confidence in dealing with the NDIA.
All videos have Auslan interpreting, captioning and audio description. A transcript for each video is also available.
The workshop handbook and fact sheets are available in PDF and Word and are written by people with disability, and are in plain language.
Disability Loop eNews Issue #45
19 April 2019
Welcome to Disability Loop eNews for Autumn 2019. Here you will find recent news about the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), and helpful NDIS-related resources either from the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) or from other organisations.
What to do when things haven't gone right with the NDIS
28 February 2019
Disability Advocacy NSW have created two 19-page PDF booklets for people who need help understanding what they can do when things haven’t gone right with the NDIS:
UpSkill for NDIS Support Providers
12 February 2019
The Summer Foundation is launching a flagship program "UpSkill" to build the capacity of NDIS Support Coordinators who assist young people to explore their housing options and find alternatives to aged care, and many support coordinators will need a significant amount of professional development to do this effectively.
More roadblocks removed for NDIS participants to move into work
4 February 2019
The Federal Government has announced that new and practical changes to help NDIS participants with career aspirations to find work are kicking in this month.
"The first change is that NDIS participants will have easier access to employment support funding in NDIS plans by being able to activate employment supports as soon as they find a job, instead of waiting for the next plan review.
Media Release: $25 million for NDIA Early Childhood Services in Western Australia
8 January 2019
Western Australian children with a developmental delay or disability will benefit from an investment of more than $25 million to deliver front line Early Childhood Early Intervention (ECEI) services under the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS).
Minister for Families and Social Services Paul Fletcher, and Assistant Minister for Social Services, Housing and Disability Services, Sarah Henderson, have today announced Wanslea Family Services as the first NDIS Partner in the Community to deliver ECEI services in Western Australia.
Disability Loop eNews Summer Issue #44
20 December 2018
Welcome to AFDO Disability Loop eNews for Summer 2019. In this edition, you will find recent news about the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), and helpful NDIS-related resources either from the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) or from other organisations.
Disability Loop eNews Issue #43
31 October 2018
Welcome to AFDO Disability Loop eNews for Spring 2018.
This newsletter is packed with lots of positive news and useful resources. There is news about what the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) is doing, the changes and improvements they have made, and some of their recent announcements. There is also news on some things that government has done that relate to the NDIS outside of the NDIA. After all of the news, you will find several resources described and at least one of them is bound to be helpful to you with your NDIS-related activities.
Free NDIS Workshops in Cranbourne and Narre Warren
30 October 2018
AFDO Disability Loop is rolling out more NDIS workshops across Victoria. Our “Understanding the NDIS” workshops are designed by people with disability, for people with disability and their families and carers.
Our November workshops will be held in Cranbourne as a weekday evening session (5pm–8pm), and in Narre Warren as a weekend session (10am–1pm). You can learn more about our NDIS workshops and register, by visiting our Disability Loop website “events” page:
https://www.disabilityloop.org.au/events.html
New Autism Advisory Group (AAG)
30 October 2018
The Minister for Social Services, the Hon Dan Tehan MP iannounced the Autism Advisory Group (AAG) priorities for the next 12 months.
The new Autism Advisory Group (AAG) will provide a strong voice on behalf of people with autism who are participating in the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS).
National Disability Insurance Scheme Quarterly Report 2018
28 October 2018
The NDIA has released the latest National Disability Insurance Scheme Quarterly Report for the period of 1 April 2017 to 30 June 2018.
Free NDIS Workshops in the Western Melbourne and Brimbank Melton regions
9 September 2018
AFDO Disability Loop is rolling out more NDIS workshops across Victoria. Our “Understanding the NDIS” workshops are designed by people with disability, for people with disability and their families and carers.
Victorian NDIS workshops
19 February 2018
AFDO Disability Loop has been writing a new workshop for people with disability and their families. The three-hour workshops will cover lots of different parts of the NDIS; including knowing who is eligible for the NDIS, working out what support you can get in your NDIS plan, to actually using the funds in your NDIS plan to live a better life in the community.
More news about the new NDIS pathway pilot
16 November 2017
The NDIS made an announcement about changes to the NDIS pathway a few weeks ago. They promised to give us some more details soon. Today the NDIS posted a media release talks about when and where the pilot will happen, what happens next, and a few other important details.
What are the new changes to the NDIS pathway?
18 October 2017
The NDIS is making some changes to the NDIS pathway.
These changes will be piloted (tested) with a small group of people first, and then introduced to everyone else a bit later. They will include things like face to face planning meetings instead of over the phone; more info in Braille and plain English; a "consistent point of contact"; an easier to use portal; and more.
Results of the AFDO Disability Loop reader survey
17 October 2017
AFDO Disability Loop asked readers “what do you need?” Lots of people completed the survey. Most people want AFDO Disability Loop to be even more busy. Many of you also want us to run more events. Your top three topics Disability Loop topics were the NDIS, Disability Advocacy, and organising your supports We just want to say thank you to everyone for participating in the survey and being involved with AFDO Disability Loop.