Ask a plan manager
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Do you have questions about your child’s NDIS Plan or what the NDIS may fund? Our friends at Leap in! plan management support thousands of families across Australia to get the most value from their child’s NDIS Plan.
Melanie E. is an experienced plan manager with Leap in! She answers some of the most frequently asked questions about kids and the NDIS.
What exactly does “reasonable and necessary” mean?
Reasonable is something that is fair and necessary is something your child needs because of their disability.
The NDIS funds “reasonable and necessary supports” to help your child live an ordinary life and achieve their goals. They must be:
➜ Related to the child’s disability and support needs
➜ Good value for money
➜ Likely to be effective and beneficial.
Everyday living expenses that people without a disability have to pay, like food, train travel or movie tickets are not covered.
How does respite care work under the NDIS?
Respite care provides an opportunity for a child to get support from someone else while parents or regular carers take a break. It may also give your child a change of scenery or help them achieve other goals like becoming more independent.
The NDIS may fund respite in your home or at a respite centre for up to 14 days at a time.
Respite care covers accommodation, assistance with self-care or accessing the community, overnight support, food and additional negotiated activities.
Refer to STA and Assistance (inc. Respite) in the NDIS Support Catalogue for pricing.
Do I need a quote to purchase consumables?
The Core – Consumables budget covers the purchase of items required to manage your child’s personal disability-related needs. Examples include pull-ups and nappies, absorbent products, food preparation products and modified eating aids. Items under $1,500 generally don’t need a quote.
Does the NDIS fund prescription medication?
The NDIS does not fund prescription or over the counter pharmaceutical products. Prescription medicines are the responsibility of the health system while over the counter medicines such as cough medicines or supplements are day-to-day living costs which the NDIS does not fund.
My child has been diagnosed with ADHD. Are they eligible for the NDIS?
On its own, ADHD is not usually covered by the NDIS because it can be hard to meet the NDIS eligibility criteria. Eligibility is determined on a case-by- case basis rather than diagnosis. Your child must have a disability causing an impairment that:
➜ Is permanent or likely to be permanent
➜ Results in substantially reduced capacity to undertake day-to-day activities
➜ Affects their capacity for social or economic participation
➜ Means they are likely to need lifelong support.
Where ADHD occurs alongside another condition such as an intellectual disability, the child may be more likely to obtain NDIS funding.
Can a provider charge my child’s NDIS Plan for transport costs?
NDIS participants can use Core funding flexibly for support worker costs associated with transport to and from NDIS funded community-based activities.
Where a worker accompanies a participant or transports them from home to an activity, the worker’s travel time can be charged at the agreed hourly rate for the support. The worker may also be able to claim other costs such as transport, road tolls or parking fees.
Claims for transport can only be made against a plan if you agree to the cost in advance. We recommend including transport costs in service agreements with providers.
Do you have a question you’d like us to answer in the next edition of Source Kids? We’d love to hear from you. Send your question to: [email protected]
Leap in! can help you navigate the NIDS and get the most from your child’s plan. We also take care of all the NDIS bookkeeping for you! Call us on 1300 05 78 78 or email [email protected] to find out if plan management is right for you.
