Your Complete Guide to Moving Home With NDIS Help
Around 1 in 6 Australians have a disability. That’s almost 4.5 million people. Many are on the go, with recent data showing that 12 per cent of all households moved at least once in the previous year.
For those who have disabilities, the stress of a move can become compounded by extra expenses and trying to get sufficient support.There is help out there in various forms, including assistance with NDIS removals. Read on to learn how to tap into it all and make moving house with NDIS work for you.
What Is NDIS?
NDIS stands for National Disability Insurance Scheme, and a government body runs it. It gives out funding to eligible people in Australia with disabilities. The extra cash is to help them achieve a variety of goals tailored to their needs. These include:
- Spending more time with family and friends
- Having greater independence
- Gaining access to new skills, jobs or volunteering in their community
In essence, the key aim of the NDIS is to improve quality of life. The scheme’s mission is also to connect anyone with a disability to relevant services within their community. A team of NDIS planners will work hard to ensure those eligible get the support they need for a better future.
The Basics of Moving House With NDIS
The NDIS can cover funding for housing, transport and other critical services. Moving house is often a life-changing moment. It often tops the list of major events that can lead to excessive anxiety.
Any alteration to our daily routine can have a negative impact on our mental health. However, for those with disabilities, moving home can also be a golden opportunity to improve their quality of life.
You may be moving somewhere more accessible and more suited to your needs. You may also need to carry out modifications to your new home so that it’s safe and works better for any special needs you may have.
NDIS can also offer the support and funding that’ll help reduce the stress involved in the move. This can come in the form of storage, cleaning and NDIS removalist services.
You may, for instance, need a little extra help packing and unpacking your belongings. This might involve ensuring that certain items are always on hand and available. Choosing the right NDIS removalists who are sensitive to your needs should always be a top priority.[ultimate_heading main_heading=”Instant Moving Quote” main_heading_color=”#0a0a0a” main_heading_font_size=”desktop:28px;mobile_landscape:24px;” main_heading_line_height=”desktop:30px;mobile_landscape:26px;” main_heading_style=”font-weight:bold;” main_heading_margin=”margin-bottom:1px;”][/ultimate_heading]
Engage With Your NDIS Planner
The place to start is getting help and advice from your NDIS planner. There are lots of ways to get connected with them. These include:
- By phone on 1800 800 1100 (8 am-8 pm)
- Logging into the myplace participant portal using myGov sign-in details
- Emailing enquiries@ndis.gov.au or through online webchat
If you think you’re eligible for the NDIS, you’ll need to download and complete an Access Request Form (ARF). You’ll also need a Supporting Evidence Form (SEF). Working with your GP or specialist medical professionals to prepare and collate all the necessary information is essential.
It’s worth checking out NDIS on social media (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Youtube and X, formerly Twitter). The program posts regular updates here about its services.
NDIS uses trusted partners to provide the services it can fund. It’s always best to discuss your needs with your NDIS planner. They’ll then be able to find the most appropriate provider to help you.
How to Plan Your Move With NDIS Assistance
It’s essential to consider your move carefully. Think about any specific needs you have because of your disability. You should talk these through with your NDIS planner. They will be able to explain the application process and help guide you through your move.
Here is a list of valuable questions when you’re beginning your “moving home” journey:
- What are my specific needs and preferences?
- What would my ideal home look like?
- What modifications will I need to make to my new home?
- What kind of support will I need to move, such as NDIS removals?
Accessibility, budget and preferred location are typically the key drivers when moving.
Managing Your Expectations When Moving With NDIS
NDIS has a limited budget that it controls carefully. It cannot, for example, fund a type of support that the law says it shouldn’t provide. Any funding has to meet its own definition of reasonable and necessary criteria.
A home modification may, for example, reduce your need for other supports. Therefore, a home modification could affect other supports you’ve become used to. That can apply even if they were reasonable and necessary before the modifications took place.
If the home modification ends up reducing your care needs, the NDIS may decide to reduce the amount of care it funds.
Evidence of Cost-Effectiveness
You might want to move because a new home would offer modifications to help you and your family with your disability. It doesn’t always follow that NDIS would support the move. It might believe, for example, that making modifications to your current home would be more cost-effective.
If you want the NDIS to fund the cost of moving house, you’ll have to provide the scheme with evidence to back up your application. This often includes getting a report from a home modification assessor. It would need to demonstrate the following:
- Your proposed move relates to your disability
- Your move offers better value than modifying your current home
- Your new home will work for you with few or no modifications
When Moving Home Makes More Sense
Let’s say you or a loved one suffers a stroke that causes mobility issues around the current home with three storeys. The occupational therapist, also a qualified home modification assessor, suggests a series of radical and complex alterations. These include the installation of a lift.
The NDIS planner involved in the case may conclude that moving to a more appropriate house is the better and more cost-effective option. They would consider funding supports to help with moving to a more accessible home.
You might then decide to sell your current home and buy a single-storey home that you can modify more easily to suit your needs or those of your loved one.
If you’re relying on NDIS support, it’s critical not to make any big decisions before the NDIS has signed off on a move. Once that has happened, your NDIS planner will be able to discuss other relevant costs the scheme may be able to help you with. These could include:
- NDIS removals or NDIS removalist partners
- Stamp duty, conveyancing and survey inspections
- Mortgage fees and expenses involved when selling your current home
NDIS Assistance in Your New Home
NDIS can also offer further assistance to help you settle into your new home. This support could include:
- Funding for modifications such as ramp installations and handrails
- Personal care, home help or therapeutic services
Talk to your NDIS planner about the help that might be available and how you can access this extra support.
If you plan to make modifications to a new home or build a new house yourself, a home modification assessor would need to weigh up your disability needs. This will be an occupational therapist with the qualifications to recommend more complex home modification supports.
They’ll advise on the specific supports that work best for you. For instance, you might need:
- Bigger rooms with wider hallways and corridors
- Accessible power outlets, light switches and benchtops
- An evenly laid out entrance with no steps
Once you’ve thought through your options and decided on your design, the NDIS may be able to fund the modifications approved for your new home. These would need to have a direct correlation to your disability and meet the other NDIS funding criteria.
In these circumstances, the NDIS would fund the expense of altering a standard feature to a disability-specific feature.
What Happens if You Disagree With an NDIS Decision?
Home modification supports have to meet NDIS funding criteria. NDIS will explain their decisions about what gets included in your plan. They will also provide written reasons for the decisions they make.
You might believe the proposed funding is insufficient for some minor home modifications. If so, you can submit evidence to the NDIS about the cost to complete any approved modifications in your home.
You would typically need to give the NDIS 2 independent quotes. If the NDIS accepts your argument, it may vary your plan. If it disagrees, you have the right to ask for an internal review of our decision. You must request an internal review within three months of getting your plan.
NDIS Removals Made Simple
Easy Peasy Removals has years of experience in helping those with a range of disabilities to move home. We aim to make the moving experience stress-free so you can enjoy settling into your new home straight away.
We will take time to assess your specific priorities so we pack and unpack in a way that will work best for you. As preferred partners, we regularly work on NDIS removals.
Get a free quote today and make moving house with NDIS as smooth as possible.[ultimate_heading main_heading=”Instant Moving Quote” main_heading_color=”#0a0a0a” main_heading_font_size=”desktop:28px;mobile_landscape:24px;” main_heading_line_height=”desktop:30px;mobile_landscape:26px;” main_heading_style=”font-weight:bold;” main_heading_margin=”margin-bottom:1px;”][/ultimate_heading]