Evidence of psychosocial disability

Step 1 – Evidence of psychosocial disability

You DO NOT require a diagnosis to access the NDIS. This is the law, as stated in the NDIS Act 2013. If a person has a diagnosis, it may help establish impairment or disability. If you apply for the NDIS, you will be asked to show you experience impairments likely to result in permanent disability. The National Disability Insurance Agency requires documentation from a health professional (usually your GP or treating psychiatrist).

This includes information or ‘evidence’ such as: 

1. Your disability type – documented by a health professional
2. An assessment of the functional impact – for understanding the extent of functional impact and psychosocial disability it can be helpful for an allied health professional (e.g. occupational therapist, psychologist, social worker) to provide a functional impact assessment.
3. Information about the levels of support – an explanation of the supports you need, how often and for how long.

This is explained in more detail in Step 3 and Step 4.

Useful links

• Find information about the access request process in Step 3
• Find more about gathering evidence for an application in Step 4