The National Disability Insurance Scheme ('NDIS'), established under the National Disability Insurance Scheme Act 2013 (Cth) ('NDIS Act'), is a scheme that provides support to people with a disability.

Eligible participants receive funding that allows them to access appropriate services and supports to assist with their disability and to enable them to participate in social and economic life.

The agency responsible for implementing the scheme is the National Disability Insurance Agency ('NDIA'), an independent Commonwealth Government agency. The NDIA works in partnership with State governments and local service providers to deliver the NDIS around Australia.

As the NDIS is an insurance scheme, assistance from the NDIS is not means tested and there is no impact on the receipt of social security payments such as the Disability Support Pension.

The NDIS commenced in a number of trial sites in July 2013, before a progressive roll-out began on 1 July 2016. The NDIS became fully operational across Australia on 1 July 2020.

The NDIS Act is supplemented by the National Disability Insurance Scheme Rules ('NDIS Rules') and the National Disability Insurance Scheme Operational Guidelines ('NDIS Guidelines').

For more information about the National Disability Insurance Scheme, visit the NDIS website.

For information on the National Disability Insurance Scheme Quality and Safeguards Commission, see NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission.