NDIS Appeals
- NDIS Appeals Supports
- Accessing Support
- Finding a Provider
- Applying for funding for legal services
- Program Information
- Contact
NDIS Appeals Supports
NDIS Appeals has been set up to ensure that people with disability, and other people affected by reviewable decisions of the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA), have access to support when seeking review of those decisions in the Administrative Appeals Tribunal (AAT).
There are two types of supports available via NDIS Appeals:
- access to a skilled disability advocate who acts as a support person, and
- access to funding for legal services, where there is wider community benefit and/or disadvantage that would substantially benefit from legal representation.
Support persons are National Disability Advocacy Program (NDAP) disability advocates. They are available in every state and territory. An NDIS Appeals advocate can help by:
- explaining the review process, including what is involved in appealing to the AAT;
- helping to prepare documents;
- providing advice and skills so you can better represent yourself, or
- attending AAT conferences and hearings to help you put your case to the AAT.
While the focus of NDIS Appeals is advocacy support, funding for legal services is available where there is wider community benefit and/or disadvantage that would substantially benefit from legal representation. Legal services are provided by Legal Aid Commissions, which determine eligibility by assessing your application against publicly available criteria.
All NDIS Appeals supports are free of charge.
NDIS Appeals support is not available to service providers.
A pamphlet is available with more information on NDIS Appeals:
Accessing Support
Before accessing NDIS Appeals services you need to apply to the NDIA for an internal review. If you are unhappy with the outcome of the internal review you can apply to the AAT for an external review and access NDIS Appeal services.
An application for an AAT review must be made within 28 days of receiving the NDIA decision, though extensions can be granted by the AAT.
Finding a Provider
The Disability Advocacy Finder is an online tool to help you find NDIS Appeals providers and disability advocacy agencies across Australia.
You can also contact an NDIS Appeals provider through the following links:
ACT
- ACT Disability, Aged and Carer Advocacy Services (ADACAS)
- Advocacy for Inclusion Inc
- Legal Aid Commission ACT
NSW
- Regional Disability Advocacy Service (NSW)
- Disability Advocacy NSW
- Illawarra Advocacy Incorporated
- Intellectual Disability Rights Service Inc
- Multicultural Disability Advocacy Association of NSW Inc
- Newell Advocacy Inc (Email)
- People With Disability Australia Incorporated
- Self Advocacy (Sydney) Incorporated
- Side By Side Advocacy Incorporated
- Spinal Cord Injuries Australia Ltd
- Sydney Region Aboriginal Corporation (IDAS)
- Synapse
- Legal Aid Commission of NSW
NT
- Brain Injury SA (Barkly)
- Darwin Community Legal Centre
- Disability Advocacy Service Inc
- NPY Women’s Council
- NT Legal Aid Commission
QLD
- Independent Advocacy in the Tropics Inc
- People with Disability Australia (PWDA)
- Queensland Advocacy Incorporated
- Rights in Action
- Speaking Up for You
- Legal Aid Queensland
SA
- Advocacy for Disability Access and Inclusion Inc
- Brain Injury SA
- Disability Advocacy and Complaints Service of South Australia Incorporated
- Disability Rights Advocacy Service Incorporated
- NPY Women’s Council (Service area APY Lands)
- Legal Services Commission of SA
TAS
VIC
- Action on Disability within Ethnic Communities
- Action for More Independence & Dignity in Accommodation Inc
- AED Legal
- Regional Disability Advocacy Service
- Disability Justice Australia
- Gippsland Disability Australia
- Grampians Disability Advocacy (Service area Central highlands and Loddon)
- Leadership Plus
- Rights Information and Advocacy Centre (Service area Central highlands, Loddon, Geelong and Colac regions)
- Southwest Advocacy Association
- Victorian Mental Illness Awareness Council Inc
- Villamanta Disability Rights Legal Service Inc
- Victoria Legal Aid
WA
- Advocacy WA
- Ethnic Disability Advocacy Centre
- Midland Information Debt & Legal Advocacy Service
- People with Disabilities WA
- Sussex Street Community Law Service Inc
- Legal Aid Commission of WA
Applying for funding for legal services
Legal Aid Commissions in the relevant state or territory assess applications and determine whether there would be wider community benefit and/or disadvantage that would substantially benefit from legal representation and are eligible for funding for legal services. The following documents are needed to apply for funding for legal services:
- Guidelines for the Assessment of Applications for NDIS Appeals Legal Services funding
- Application for NDIS Appeals Legal Services
Applications for funding of legal services need to be made by either email or post. This information can be found on the NDIS Appeals Application Form.
There is a 30 day processing period for assessments.
Program Information
NDIS Appeals is funded under the Department of Social Services’ Disability and Carers Support Activity. Information about the Disability and Carer Support Activity, including NDIS Appeals, is available through the Disability and Carer Support Guidelines. More specific information on NDIS Appeals is available in the Operational Guidelines.
Contact
The Department can be contacted about NDIS Appeals via:
Email:
Post:
Department of Social Services
Disability, Employment and Carers Group
PO Box 9820
Canberra Mail Centre ACT 2610
Last updated: