What Does “Reasonable and Necessary Support” Mean, and
What Will the NDIS Fund?
Wondering what the NDIS will fund, and how you know what will be accepted and what won’t?
The NDIS website can often have terminology that seems confusing, and can be complex. We’re here to help simplify all the details and pages of reading, to help you understand what can be claimed, and what sort of supports will most likely be declined.
“Reasonable and necessary supports” is the term the NDIS use, meaning the supports funded in a client’s plan to meet their disability needs. All NDIS supports funded in a plan need to meet specific criteria set out by the NDIS, which is bound by law.
What do the NDIS consider when approving funded supports?
Keep in mind when you’re thinking of a particular support – this NDIS support should complement, not replace other supports available to the client.
Here’s what the NDIS consider:
- the things the client is able to do themselves
- support the client may have from others in their network, including family members, relatives, friends, local community services and mainstream government services
Once the individual situation is considered, they follow rules determined under the law for the NDIS in planning decisions.
So What Do Reasonable and Necessary Supports Mean?
When a plan is created, the NDIS will discuss the client’s disability support needs to ensure that person can pursue their goals, increase their independence, and help with work, study and joining in social activities.
The NDIS will only fund a support if it meets all the reasonable and necessary criteria, and will not fund a support if the law says it can’t be funded. So before an NDIS support is included in a plan, the NDIS need to be satisfied it meets all the following criteria:
- The support is related to the disability – there must be a direct link between the disability support needs and the NDIS supports funded.
- The support will help a person pursue their goals, objectives and aspirations
- The support will help a person undertake activities to facilitate their social and economic participation, meaning it will help them join in social outings, recreation, work and study by reducing the disability-related barriers that prevent their participation.
- The support represents value for money, meaning they consider the costs and benefits of the support, as well as the costs and benefits of alternative supports. This one is important as it ensures financial stability of the NDIS.
- The support will be, or is likely to be, effective and beneficial for the client – the NDIS consider if there is evidence the support works for someone else with similar disability support needs. They then don’t require an expert report for every support, as they can often rely on other information or evidence.
- The NDIS need to consider and take into account what support is reasonable for the family, friends and community to provide, to support this person, and what additional is needed.
- The support is an ‘NDIS support for you’, meaning it is a necessity for the client’s specific disability.
Cover off this criteria and the client’s plan will move forward without delays, and they will reach out for your services to assist.
More information on the NDIS guidelines can be read HERE.
The NDIS ‘No’ List
As a NDIS provider, you put time, energy and heart into delivering support—but knowing what not to claim is just as important as knowing what you can. The NDIS has strict rules about what can and can’t be funded.
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