Whether someone qualifies for the NDIS comes down to four tests, and every applicant must pass all of them. That’s the short answer to one of the most searched questions about the scheme, and the reason so many applications stall is that families prepare thoroughly for one test while overlooking another.
This guide from Unisson Disability walks through each requirement in plain language, covering who is eligible for NDIS support, what evidence matters, and what to do if you’re unsure where you or your family member stands.
Key Takeaways
- NDIS eligibility comes down to four requirements: age, residency, disability or early intervention criteria, and the level of support you are likely to need.
- A diagnosis alone does not determine eligibility, as the NDIS looks at how a disability affects everyday activities and the evidence supporting those impacts.
- Getting the right evidence can make the application process easier. If you’re applying for the NDIS or unsure about your next steps, contact Unisson Disability to discuss your options.
Who is eligible for the NDIS? The four requirements
To become an NDIS participant, a person must meet all four of the NDIS eligibility requirements:
- Age: be younger than 65 on the day of the application
- Residence: live in Australia and be an Australian citizen, permanent resident or Protected Special Category Visa holder
- Disability or early intervention: meet either the disability requirements or the early intervention requirements
- Support need: be likely to need NDIS supports, either for life under the disability pathway or to benefit now under the early intervention pathway
The first two tests are straightforward yes or no questions. The third and fourth are where the real assessment happens, so they deserve a closer look.
The disability requirements
To meet the disability requirements, a person needs a disability caused by a permanent impairment. That impairment can be intellectual, cognitive, neurological, sensory, physical or psychosocial. The impairment must substantially reduce the person’s ability to take part in everyday activities, and the person must be likely to need NDIS support for their lifetime.
It’s about function, not just diagnosis
This is the point families most often misjudge. A diagnosis alone doesn’t decide the outcome. What the NDIA assesses is functional impact, meaning how the impairment affects daily life across areas like communication, mobility, self care, learning, social interaction and self management. Two people with the same diagnosis can receive different outcomes because their day to day functioning differs. Strong applications show, with specific everyday examples, how much support the person needs compared to others their age.
The early intervention requirements
The early intervention pathway exists for people whose need for future support can be reduced by getting the right support now. A person can meet these requirements if they have an impairment that is likely permanent, or if they are a child younger than 6 with developmental delay. The supports requested must be likely to reduce the person’s future support needs, or improve their functional capacity or stop it declining.
For families of young children, the NDIS runs an early childhood approach for children younger than 9, with early childhood partners as the first point of contact. Our guide to early intervention for children with disabilities walks through that pathway in detail.
Am I eligible for NDIS funding? How to check and apply
If the age and residence requirements are met, the pathway looks like this:
- Check first: the NDIS website has an eligibility checklist you can work through before starting a formal application
- Make an access request: apply online, by phone or through a paper form, on your own behalf or for a child in your care
- Provide evidence: reports from your GP, specialists and allied health professionals describing the impairment, its permanence and its functional impact
- Get help if you need it: a local area coordinator can support applicants aged 9 and over, and early childhood partners support families of younger children
The quality of the functional evidence usually matters more than the quantity. One report that clearly describes what the person can and can’t do without support carries more weight than a stack of documents that only name the diagnosis.
What’s changing in 2026?
Eligibility settings are being reshaped by the current round of NDIS reforms. From October 2026, the government’s Thriving Kids program will begin providing state based supports for younger children with lower support needs from developmental delay or autism, as an alternative to individual NDIS plans. Children with higher support needs remain within the NDIS. If you’re applying for a child, it’s worth checking the latest guidance when you apply, since this transition rolls out in stages through to 2028.
What if the application is refused?
A refusal isn’t the end of the road. You can ask the NDIA for an internal review of the decision, and beyond that, apply to the Administrative Review Tribunal. Many refusals come down to thin functional evidence rather than genuine ineligibility, so a stronger reapplication with better documentation is often the practical next step.
Where Unisson fits in
Eligibility is the doorway, and what matters just as much is what happens once you’re through it: turning a plan into supports that actually fit the person. Unisson Disability has supported people with intellectual and developmental disability across Northern Sydney, Western Sydney, the Central Coast and the Hunter for over 100 years, and our support coordination team helps new participants and their families understand their first plan and connect with the right disability services. If you’ve just started the NDIS journey, or you’re preparing an application and want to talk through what comes next, contact our team.
Frequently asked questions
Can I get the NDIS if I’m over 65?
You can’t make a new application after turning 65, but people who join before 65 can keep their NDIS supports after that birthday. People over 65 who aren’t participants are supported through the aged care system instead.
Is autism or intellectual disability automatically eligible?
No condition qualifies automatically on its own, because the NDIA assesses functional impact rather than diagnosis alone. That said, people with significant intellectual and developmental disability commonly meet the disability requirements when their evidence clearly shows how daily functioning is affected.
How long does an NDIS access decision take?
The NDIA works to legislated timeframes once it has everything it needs, though requests for more information restart the clock in practice. Submitting complete functional evidence up front is the single best way to keep a decision moving.