How to Apply for the NDIS: A Step-by-Step Guide

What this guide covers

• Who’s eligible for the NDIS (age, residency, and disability requirements)
• How to complete and submit an Access Request Form, step by step
• What evidence you actually need — and the common mistakes that get applications rejected
• How NDIS funding works across three categories (Core, Capacity Building, Capital)
• What’s changed in 2025–2026
• What to do if your application is declined

Key takeaway:

The NDIS doesn’t fund based on your diagnosis. It is funded based on how your disability affects your everyday life. While a diagnosis can help to prove that you’ve fully explored your treatment options, that distinction changes everything about how you approach your application.

Here’s something most people don’t realise about the NDIS: it doesn’t care about your diagnosis. Not really.

Two people with the exact same condition can apply on the same day, with the same GP, and one gets approved while the other is declined. The difference almost never comes down to what disability someone has. It comes down to how well they can explain what that disability does to their everyday life.

That’s the single most important thing to understand before you fill in a single form. The National Disability Insurance Scheme funds functional impact, not medical labels. And once you understand that, the entire application process starts to make a lot more sense.

Whether you’re exploring the NDIS for yourself, your child, or someone you care for, this guide walks through every step of the application process — from checking your eligibility through to what you can do if you’re declined. It’s written in plain English, updated for the latest 2025–2026 changes, and designed to help you submit the strongest possible application the first time around.

Who is eligible for the NDIS?

Before you apply, it’s worth checking whether you meet the basic eligibility criteria. There are three gateway requirements, and you need to meet all of them.

Age

You must be under 65 when you first apply. If you’re already a participant, you stay in the scheme past 65 — but you can’t make your first application after that birthday. Children under 9 are supported through a separate pathway called the Early Childhood Approach, which we’ll cover below.

Residency

You need to live in Australia and be an Australian citizen, a permanent visa holder, or hold a Protected Special Category Visa. Temporary visa holders don’t qualify, though in Western Australia, the Continuity of Support Arrangements (CoSA) administered by the WA Department of Communities may provide alternative support.

Disability requirements

This is where it gets specific. Under Section 24 of the NDIS Act 2013, you need to demonstrate all of the following:

• You have an impairment that is intellectual, cognitive, neurological, sensory, physical, or attributable to a psychosocial disability
• That impairment is, or is likely to be, permanent (including episodic or fluctuating conditions), with no further treatment options
• The impairment substantially reduces your functional capacity in at least one of six domains: mobility, communication, social interaction, learning, self-care, or self-management
• It affects your capacity for social or economic participation
• You’re likely to require support for the duration of your lifetime

What about children under 9?

The NDIS Early Childhood Approach provides support for children younger than 9 with developmental delay or disability. Children under 6 don’t need a formal diagnosis — evidence of developmental delay is enough. Children with conditions on the NDIA’s List D (such as Down syndrome, cerebral palsy, or Autism Level 2 or 3) are generally eligible without additional functional assessments.

In WA, the Early Childhood Approach is delivered by Wanslea Family Services (1300 969 645) across the Perth metro area and several regional areas.

What about early intervention?

There’s a second pathway into the NDIS under Section 25 of the Act, called the early intervention requirements. This doesn’t require “substantially reduced functional capacity” — it’s for people whose impairment may not yet severely affect their day-to-day functioning, but where early support could prevent things from getting worse. If that sounds like your situation, it’s worth discussing with your GP or treating specialist.

How to apply for the NDIS — step by step

The NDIS application process centres on one document: the Access Request Form (ARF). Think of it as the front door to the scheme. Here’s how the process works, from start to finish.

Step 1: Get the Access Request Form

You can get the ARF by:

• Downloading it from ndis.gov.au
• Calling the NDIA on 1800 800 110 and requesting one by email or post
• Visiting an NDIS office in person
• Through a Local Area Coordinator (LAC) or Early Childhood Partner, who can help you complete and submit the form

Each ARF has a unique identification number, so you can’t photocopy one or download a blank template from a third-party site. If you’re unable to complete the form yourself, an NDIS Partner or someone you trust can submit it on your behalf. You can also apply verbally by phone if you can’t access or sign a written form.

Step 2: Complete the form and gather evidence

The form itself asks for personal details, proof of identity and residency (or consent for the NDIA to check your Centrelink records), and information about your disability.

Section 2 of the ARF is designed to be completed by a treating health professional — your GP, specialist, psychologist, or therapist. Alternatively, you can attach existing reports and assessments instead of having a professional complete that section. Either way, the evidence needs to cover your diagnosis, the permanency of the impairment, and — crucially — how it affects your functional capacity across your daily life.

We’ll go deeper on evidence in the next section, because this is the part that can genuinely make or break your application.

Step 3: Submit your application

You can submit the completed ARF and supporting documents by:

• Email: NAT@ndis.gov.au
• Post: GPO Box 700, Canberra, ACT 2601
• In person at an NDIS office
• Through your LAC or Early Childhood Partner

Digital signatures are accepted. Once the NDIA receives your complete application, the clock starts on a 21-day decision window under the Participant Service Guarantee.

Step 4: Wait for a decision (and respond to requests promptly)

The NDIA may come back to you asking for more information. If they do, you have 90 days to provide it, after which they have a further 14 days to make their decision. If you’ve gathered strong evidence upfront, this step is less likely — but don’t panic if it happens. It’s a normal part of the process.

One practical note: if the NDIA doesn’t make a decision within the 21-day window, that’s legally treated as a refusal — which means you can immediately request an internal review. More on that later.

What evidence do you need for an NDIS application?

If there’s one section of this guide worth reading twice, it’s this one. Evidence is where most applications succeed or fail — and it’s almost always about quality, not quantity.

What good evidence looks like

The NDIA needs your evidence to show three things: what your disability is, that it’s permanent (or likely to be), and how it affects you functionally. That last part is everything.

A strong supporting letter from a treating professional should include their qualifications and how long they’ve been treating you, a clear diagnosis with confirmation of permanency, specific examples of functional impact across the relevant domains (not just “has difficulty” but “requires 45 minutes to shower and dress, posing a safety risk due to falls”), and a description of what support is needed and why conventional treatment won’t resolve the impairment.

Compare that to what the NDIA sees far too often: a short GP letter stating “Patient X has condition Y and would benefit from NDIS support.” That kind of letter, on its own, is almost always insufficient.

The six functional domains

Your evidence should map clearly to whichever of these six domains your disability affects. You don’t need to address all six — only the ones that are genuinely impacted:

1. Mobility: Moving around, getting from place to place, balance, transfers
2. Communication: Speaking, listening, reading, expressing yourself, and being understood
3. Social interaction: Interacting with others, maintaining relationships, managing social situations
4. Learning: Thinking, processing information, remembering, acquiring new skills
5. Self-care: Showering, dressing, eating, toileting, personal hygiene
6. Self-management: Managing daily life, making decisions, organising, planning, finances

For each affected domain, describe what you can’t do without support, how often the difficulty occurs, what happens when support isn’t available, and any safety risks involved. Be specific. Numbers, frequencies, and real-world examples carry far more weight than general statements.

The “worst day” principle

This is something the NDIS community talks about a lot — and it matters.

When describing how your disability affects you, focus on your hardest days, not your best ones. Many people instinctively downplay their challenges. They describe what a good day looks like because they want to be positive, or because it feels uncomfortable to dwell on difficulties. But the NDIA can only fund what your evidence supports. If your application reads like everything is manageable, that’s how they’ll assess it.

This doesn’t mean exaggerating. It means being honest about the full picture — including the days when things are genuinely hard, the tasks that take three times longer than they should, and the consequences when support falls away.

Functional capacity assessments

A functional capacity assessment (FCA) is a comprehensive clinical evaluation by an allied health professional — typically an occupational therapist — that measures how your disability impacts the six domains. It’s not formally required for every application, but it can significantly strengthen your case, particularly for psychosocial disabilities, complex conditions, or borderline eligibility scenarios.

An FCA typically costs approximately $2,500, involves 2–3 hours of face-to-face assessment, and produces a detailed report. The NDIA has noted that expensive new assessments aren’t required if sufficient evidence already exists — so talk to your treating team before investing.

Carer and family impact statements

These aren’t compulsory, but they can be powerful. A carer statement describes the day-to-day support you provide — from morning to night — and the impact on your own life. Structure it around the six functional domains, give specific examples rather than generalisations, and describe what would happen if the support you currently provide were no longer available. Templates are available from Carers Australia and the Association for Children with a Disability.

What happens after you apply?

If your application is approved, things move reasonably quickly. You’ll receive an access decision letter and, from January 2025, an impairment notice listing the recognised impairment(s). Within 21 days, a planning meeting is arranged with an NDIS planner or LAC. Your first plan should be approved within 56 days of your access decision (or 90 days for Early Childhood participants), with a copy sent to you within 7 days and an implementation meeting to follow shortly after.

Your plan will include funding across up to three categories. Understanding these is important because they determine what you can actually use your funding for.

Core Supports

This is the most flexible part of your plan. Core Supports covers everyday assistance — personal care, household tasks, meal preparation, community access, short-term accommodation (respite), social and recreational activities, low-cost consumables (under $1,500), and transport. Funds are generally flexible across these sub-categories, meaning you can shift spending between them as your needs change — provided they share the same management type. If some of your Core categories are self-managed and others are plan-managed or agency-managed, you can’t move funds between them.

Transport is generally only funded if you’re unable to drive or can’t use public transport without substantial difficulty because of your disability. If you do qualify, funding is allocated at three levels: Level 1 ($1,784/year) for community access, Level 2 ($2,676/year) for part-time work or study, and Level 3 ($3,456/year) for those working or studying at least 15 hours per week.
Important change from 1 July 2025: The temporary arrangement that allowed allied health therapies to be billed from Core Supports has largely ended. The therapy-specific line items have been removed, though some line items — particularly those related to nursing care and low-cost assistive technology — remain in Core. In most cases, occupational therapy, physiotherapy, psychology, and other therapies must now be funded through your Capacity Building budget (Improved Daily Living).

Capacity Building

Capacity Building funds are designed to help you build skills and independence over time. Unlike Core Supports, these budgets are not flexible between categories. Key categories include support coordination (helping you understand and implement your plan), Improved Daily Living (which funds allied health therapies like OT, physio, speech, and psychology), employment support, health and wellbeing, and improved relationships.

Capital Supports

Capital Supports cover higher-cost items and investments: assistive technology (from wheelchairs and communication devices to vehicle modifications), home modifications (grab rails, bathroom renovations, widened doorways), and Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) for those who qualify. These are not flexible and must be used for the specific items identified in your plan.

Tips for a stronger NDIS application

Based on common reasons applications are rejected, here are the things that tend to make the biggest difference:

• Lead with function, not diagnosis: Your application should tell the story of what your disability does to your daily life. A diagnosis opens the door, but functional evidence is what walks through it.
• Map your evidence to the six domains: Don’t leave the NDIA guessing. If your disability affects self-care and mobility, make sure your evidence addresses those domains explicitly, with measurable examples.
• Use recent evidence: Reports older than 12 months may be questioned. If your last assessment was years ago, it may be worth getting an updated letter from your treating professional.
• Don’t rely on a single GP letter: A brief letter confirming your diagnosis is rarely enough. Combine your GP’s input with reports from specialists, therapists, or allied health professionals who know how your disability plays out in daily life.
• Include a carer statement if you have one: Carers see the reality that clinical reports sometimes miss. A detailed carer impact statement can fill critical gaps in your application.
• Be honest about bad days: Describe the full spectrum of your experience. If mornings are a three-hour ordeal to get ready, say so. If you can’t leave the house without support, say so. This isn’t complaining — it’s giving the NDIA what they need to fund you properly.

What if your NDIS application is declined?

A declined application is not the end of the road. Not even close.

Step 1: Request an internal review

You have 3 months from the date of the decision to request an internal review. You can do this by calling 1800 800 110, completing the “Request for a Review of a Decision” form on ndis.gov.au, writing a letter, or visiting an NDIS office.

A different NDIA staff member will review your case — someone who wasn’t involved in the original decision. Crucially, they consider the facts and circumstances at the time of the review, which means you can submit new evidence. If your original application was light on functional detail, this is your chance to strengthen it. The review should be completed within 60 days (maximum 90 under the Act).

Step 2: Escalate to the Administrative Review Tribunal (ART)

If the internal review doesn’t resolve things, you can apply to the Administrative Review Tribunal (ART), which replaced the Administrative Appeals Tribunal on 14 October 2024. Applications must be lodged within 28 days of receiving the internal review decision. There’s no fee for NDIS-related matters.

The process typically moves through case conferences, conciliation, and (if needed) a formal hearing. Most matters settle before reaching a hearing. Analysis from Queensland Advocacy Incorporated found that where cases did reach a hearing decision, the tribunal set aside or varied the NDIA’s original decision in roughly three-quarters of cases.

Free advocacy support

You don’t have to navigate appeals alone. The Australian Government funds the NDIS Appeals Program, which provides free advocacy in every state and territory.

In WA, key advocacy organisations include:

• People With Disabilities WA (PWdWA) — 08 9420 7279 or 1800 193 331
• Midlas — 08 9250 2123 (north-east Perth metro; has specific NDIS Appeals funding for ART escalations)
• Developmental Disability WA (DDWA) — specialist advocacy for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities

Recent NDIS changes you should know about (2025–2026)

The NDIS has been through significant reform. Here are the changes most likely to affect your application or plan:

The Getting the NDIS Back on Track Act (October 2024): This major legislative amendment introduced new definitions for NDIS supports, impairment-linked funding (all supports must now link to the specific impairment that meets your access requirements), and updated reasonable and necessary criteria. From January 2025, all new participants will receive an impairment notice listing their recognised impairments.

Core funding for therapy removed (1 July 2025): A COVID-era flexibility that allowed Core Supports to fund allied health therapies has been revoked. Therapy must now be funded exclusively through Capacity Building — Improved Daily Living. If you’re applying for the first time, this won’t affect you directly, but it’s important to understand when your plan is built.

Staged funding periods (19 May 2025): New and reassessed plans now release funding in smaller instalments rather than as an annual lump sum. While most funding periods are set at three months, they can also be 1, 6, or 12 months depending on the type of support and your individual circumstances. Your total plan amount doesn’t change — only the timing. Unspent funds roll over within the same plan.

Pricing changes (1 July 2025): Disability support worker price limits increased by 3.95%. However, Support Coordination rates at Levels 2 and 3 have been frozen for a sixth consecutive year. Therapist travel time is now capped at 50% of the regular hourly rate, with a maximum of 30 minutes each way (60 minutes in remote areas).

New planning framework (mid-2026): A new planning system using an assessment tool developed by the University of Melbourne has been announced for mid-2026. Plans will include a mix of “stated supports” and a “flexible budget.” The rollout will be phased over several years.

Getting help with your NDIS application

If you’re in Western Australia, your first point of contact for the NDIS application process is usually a Local Area Coordinator (LAC). LACs can help you understand eligibility, complete the Access Request Form, and connect with services after approval.

WA’s LAC partners are:

• APM Communities: 1800 276 522 (Central South Metro, North Metro, South Metro, Great Southern, Inner Wheatbelt, South West)
• Mission Australia: 1800 370 776 (Central North Metro, North East Metro, South East Metro)
• Wanslea Family Services: 1300 969 645 (Early Childhood Approach, Perth metro and select regional areas)
• For regions without an LAC partner (Kimberley-Pilbara, Midwest-Gascoyne, Outer Wheatbelt, Goldfields-Esperance), the NDIA provides planning services directly on 1800 800 110

And once you’re approved, that’s where the right provider makes a real difference.

St Jude’s has been supporting people with disabilities across Western Australia and Queensland for over 40 years. As an NDIS-registered provider, St Jude’s doesn’t provide NDIS funding — that comes from the NDIA. What St Jude’s provides is the services and coordination that help you use that funding well.

That includes support coordination to help you understand and navigate your plan, allied health therapies (occupational therapy, physiotherapy, speech pathology, psychology, and paediatric therapies), in-home support, community participation, recovery coaching for psychosocial disability, and housing and accommodation options, including SDA and short-term accommodation.

Whether you’re just starting to explore the NDIS or you’ve recently been approved and want help making the most of your plan, the team at St Jude’s is here when you’re ready. Get in touch or call WA: (08) 9279 4343 | QLD: (07) 2800 6050.