Can Family Members Be Paid for Providing Support Under the NDIS?
Many people who have an NDIS plan wonder if it is possible to pay a family member or relative for the support they provide. The NDIA has some rules in place regarding using relatives to provide paid support.
The NDIA knows that many family members and relatives act as a carer for people with a disability. This type of support is usually called informal support and can be provided by a parent, grandparent, sibling, or any other member of the family.
One of the focuses of the NDIS is to help participants to strengthen their relationships with family and community. The NDIA believes that paying a family member to provide support can mean that the relationship changes and can put the normal family relationship at risk.
This means that the NDIA will generally not allow family members to be paid to provide this support except if it is approved due to special and specific circumstances.
The specific circumstances that may be considered include:
- When there is a risk of harm or neglect to the participant
- When there are religious or cultural reasons for funding a family member to provide supports; or
- When the participant has strong personal views, for example in relation to their privacy or dignity.
This information should be presented to the NDIA to be considered before a family member wishes to receive payment for the service provided to the participant. The NDIS will also review if all other options have been explored and nothing alternative could be put in place before this arrangement goes ahead.
If you believe that you meet these special and specific requirements and require paid support from a relative, you will need to contact your planner to request that this is considered.
More information can be found on the NDIS website operational guidelines for sustaining informal supports.
The P2P Plan management team is always working on improvements to ensure that we can communicate effectively with all of our participants and their families.
We would love to hear suggestions from our participants, you can get in touch with the Plan management team by calling 1800 777 723, or by email at ndisfinance@p2pqld.org.au.