The support must help you:

1. Do an activity, and

2. Through that activity, participate socially and/or economically.

Participation can include:

• Employment or education.
• Relationships and family life.
• Community activities.
• Daily living that enables independence.

Example:
Support worker assistance → allows community access → improves relationships and wellbeing

Evidence to use:
• Statements of Lived Experience.
• Occupational Therapist or functional assessments.
• Carer statements showing isolation without supports.

The NDIS must be satisfied that:

The benefits of the support are worth the cost.

This often involves comparing options, not just looking at price alone.

You can show value for money by evidence that:
• The support prevents higher future costs.
• It provides multiple benefits (safety, independence, wellbeing).
• Cheaper options won’t meet your needs.
• Professionals recommend this support after considering alternatives.

Example:
Higher upfront cost for daily support prevents hospital admissions or residential care.

Useful evidence:
 • Provider quotes.
 • Expert reports comparing support options.
 • Evidence of cost escalation without the support.

The support must be:

• Likely to work, and
• Likely to make your life better.

Ways to prove this:
• Professional recommendations (OT, psychologist, GP).
• Research or best-practice guidelines.
• Evidence the support has helped you before.

This can be hard if:
• The support is experimental.
• There is little professional backing.
• It may pose risks to health or safety.

Tip: Clear, cautious professional language is more persuasive than optimistic claims.

The NDIS will not fund supports that are ordinarily expected from:
• Family.
• Friends.
• The community.

But this depends on:
• Age (children vs adults).
• Family circumstances.
• Sustainability of informal care.

You can meet this test by showing:
• The support is not a normal family role, or
• Family already provides as much as is reasonable and more is needed.

Example:
Overnight supervision due to wandering risk is not a normal family responsibility.

Helpful evidence:
• Carer statements.
• Evidence of burnout or limits of informal care.
• Risk reports.

The NDIS will not fund a support if:
• Another system (e.g. health, education, housing, justice) should provide it

Examples:
• Surgery → Medicare.
• School curriculum support → Education system.

This area is complex, especially when:
• Another system should fund the support but does not in reality.

The Administrative Review Tribunal has made different decisions on this issue depending on the
facts.

Important: If the NDIA relies on this argument, legal advice is strongly recommended.

☐ How late is the application?

☐ Is there a clear, documented reason for delay?

☐ Did the person try to act during the delay?

☐ Is the case reasonably strong?

☐ Is there evidence explaining the delay?

If most answers are
, it may be worth applying.