NDIS, National Disability Insurance Scheme, is a program conducted by the Australian Government to provide the necessary support to people with permanent disabilities. It works toward providing people with disabilities more choices, independence, and control over the support they receive for better well-being, good health, and achieving their goals. NDIS offers a wide range of services, including transportation, employment assistance, health and education support, home and community care, and even home-delivered meals. You can use NDIS funding even to get healthy, tasty meals delivered to your doorstep. This article will primarily focus on NDIS meal providers only and provide you with all the necessary information you may need to know.
Who is eligible for the NDIS meal services program?
NDIS focuses on providing support to people with permanent or life-long disabilities. If you cannot cook a meal or shop for groceries because of your disability, you are free to use your NDIS funding and get fresh, healthy, and delicious food delivered to you at your doorstep. However, if you are disabled due to some curable injury or illness with some surgery or medications, you are not eligible for the NDIS program.
NDIS is an evidence-based program. All the NDIS participants (people who need support through the NDIS meal scheme) are provided with a personalised NDIS plan depending on their specific needs, and they are allowed to spend this funding on their chosen service only. You would need to prove that you genuinely require this funding.
The National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) decides upon your funding or the support you can get based on the evidence you provide. ‘Good evidence’ is essential at all stages of your NDIS journey, whether you wish to join the scheme or review your plan. If you can provide good evidence, you will be able to get better funding and desired support. Plus, you should be within 0 to 65 years of age to take the benefits of this program; otherwise, you won’t be able to apply for NDIS.
How do NDIS meal services work?
Step 1: Register online
If you have qualified for the NDIS meal services program, you need to register yourself online to get discounted meal rates first. NDIS provides you with enough money, which you can use to order meals from a specific meal provider during your plan.
Step 2: Browse meals options
As you are allowed to choose a particular meal provider for your entire course plan, it is recommended to find one that offers plenty of variety. You can browse through the delicious meals every time you want to order food and add your desired meals to your cart. This enables you to order from a much more comprehensive range of meals.
Step 3: Place an order and pay
Now that you have chosen what you want to eat, it is time to use your NDIS funding and pay for the bills. Remember, NDIS only covers the cost of preparing the meal and having it delivered to you. At the same time, the cost of ingredients used to prepare the meal is not covered in it because these are considered everyday expenses. This means that NDIS funds will pay only 70% of the price of your meal, and the remaining 30% money you will have to pay on your own. However, this will vary from one meal provider to another.
Step 4: Meal gets delivered to your home
After making the payment, registered NDIS meal providers will deliver your meal to your home. That’s it! Now you can enjoy your fresh, delicious meals anytime you want without even stepping out of your home or cooking by yourself.
