Providing "good evidence" can be the key to getting the right supports for your needs and enough funding in your NDIS plan so that you can life the life you want while working towards and achieve your goals. To be able to do this, it's important to understand exactly what good evidence is, why it's important and who can help to provide it.
What is “good evidence” and why is it important?
When applying for the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) you will be asked to provide supporting evidence of your disability, your capacity, and your current supports. Written reports from healthcare professionals that detail your individual needs are considered “good evidence” to provide during your planning meeting or plan review meeting.
With the NDIS being an evidence-based program, for the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) to provide you with the funding you need, they need evidence to support their decision making. This is something that will be requested when you apply to join the NDIS as well as during any plan review meetings you have throughout your NDIS journey. Providing good evidence can help to ensure that the funding you are receiving is the correct funding for you and your needs.
What is good supporting evidence?
The NDIS consider good supporting evidence to:
Be recent (ideally a year or less)
Confirm your primary disability*
Confirm how your disability impacts various areas of your life
Include descriptions of any previous treatments and the treatment outcomes
Include descriptions of future treatments and expected outcomes
Be completed by a health professional relevant to your primary disability*
*The NDIS define primary disability as the impairment that impacts most on your daily functioning.
Who can provide evidence?
The NDIS requires treating health professionals to provide evidence of your disability. The health professional you wish to provide evidence should be the most appropriate person to provide evidence of your primary disability and be someone who has treated you for a significant period (i.e., a minimum of six months).
Examples of common health professionals include:
General Practitioner (GP)
Paediatrician
Orthopaedic surgeon
Occupational Therapist
Speech Pathologist (Therapist)
Neurologist
Psychologist
Psychiatrist
Physiotherapist
A therapist can provide reports that include information about the impact of your disability on a day-to-day basis as well as recommendations for supports, and occupational therapists, speech pathologists or psychologists can conduct an assessment the outcome of which can give evidence of how your primary disability impacts your day-to-day life and capacity.
A GP may be able to provide a letter detailing your diagnosis, the impact your disability has on your life and the supports you need, depending on your disability.
The supporting evidence that your health professional can provide can include:
NDIS Supporting Evidence form
NDIS Evidence of Psychosocial Disability form
Part F of the Access Request form
Existing assessments and reports or letters that demonstrate the ways your disability impacts your life
For more information about the disability evidence that you may need to provide, the NDIS has a list that can help you to determine who is the best healthcare professional to provide your supporting evidence. To view that list, click here.
Other types of supporting evidence
Additional supporting evidence that can be included are:
Home modification assessments
Mental health reports
Medication charts
Letters or reports from carers (i.e., a family member or friend who provides primary care)
Although there are no formal guidelines outlined by the NDIS detailing what the letters or reports should include, some things to consider are:
What kind of care and support is provided by the family member or friend
What is the impact that care has on the family member or friend
Whether that family member or friend can continue to provide care
Three Tips for providing good evidence
When it comes to providing good evidence:
Use a recent report
Have the most important information first
Ensure your health professional uses standardised tools to assess and justify your support level needs
If you need help, you can contact your Local Area Coordinator (LAC), Support Coordinator or Early Childhood Partner to discuss how to compile evidence, what evidence you may need and how to present it to the NDIS.
Read more about the benefits of working with an independent, professional Plan Manager. Alternatively, contact our friendly team on 1300 322 273 or support@first2care.com.au.