What is Reasonable & Necessary Supports?

The NDIS will only fund supports that it considers reasonable and necessary. This however is very individualistic and hence open to interpretation, confusing many people. Below we have provided a series of questions you can ask yourself when trying to decide is something meets the reasonable and necessary criteria of the NDIS. 

If you can answer yes to the questions below, then then it's likley it can be funded by the NDIS.

We do realise this is complex, so if you have any questions get in touch!

1. Is it directly related to your disability?

You should be able to justify how your NDIS support relates to your disability, which essentially means that the reason you need the product or service is directly because of your disability.

For example: If your disability makes it challenging for you to mow your loan, it would be necessary for you to hire a gardener to mow the lawn for you. 

2. Is it something that is not considered to be an everyday living expense?

Everyday living expenses are basically everyday expenses which apply to all individuals regardless of whether they have a disability or not such as clothing, groceries, petrol costs and bills. These are daily living costs and apart of costs which apply to everyone, hence the NDIS doesn’t consider it reasonable to fund them in your plan. 

For example: The NDIS can fund specialised shoes for someone who may require it as a result of their disability, however it will not fund it in all plans as would be an everyday living cost for most people.

3. Does it offer value for money?

Scheme sustainability is crucial and any supports funded by the NDIS should be reasonable in price and represent value for money. For example, if there are two things which offer the same functionality and specifications, the NDIS will deem the cheaper option that serves the same purpose, to be reasonable and necessary. 

In the case of an electronic device such as iPad for telehealth therapy, you will be expected to purchase a device with functionality required that is reasonably priced rather than the most expensive iPad available.

4. Does it help you achieve your NDIS goals or become more active in the community?

If a support can be linked to the goals in your plan, help you build your independence or become more active in the community, then it meets this criteria. Keeping your goals broad can help to ensure you can answer yes to this question. 

5. Is it unreasonable to expect you family and friends (informal supports) or other bodies to provide the support?

The NDIS will will not fund supports which fall under other mainstream systems or are considered reasonable to expect of family members. For example, transport for a child will not be funded as it is expected reasonable for a parent to take their child where they need to go. Similarly, the NDIS will not fund supports which fall under the responsibility of other government bodies for example, supports a child requires at school fall under the responsibility of the Department of Education and schools and will not be funded by the NDIS.

View the information available on the NDIS website for further information on this at the link here.