Can the NDIS fund an assistance animal?

An assistance animal is an animal trained to help a person with a disability do things they cannot do on their own. Examples of assistance animals include dog guides, hearing assistance animals, physical assistance animals, and assistance animals for people with PTSD.

Assistance animals may be funded under Assistive Technology if deemed reasonable and necessary by the NDIA. The NDIA only funds an assistance animal that has passed, or will pass, the state or territory's Public Access Test, to ensure that the animal is suitable to support the participant in the community.

Will the NDIS fund ongoing costs for assistance animals?

If an assistance animal is included in the NDIS plan, ongoing maintenance costs can be funded under Category 03 - Consumables.

These maintenance costs could include the cost of:

• Food
• Grooming
• Vet visits
• Medication including flea/worm treatments and vaccinations
• Yearly reviews with the accredited assistance animal provider.

Does the NDIS fund training and maintenance costs for pet animals?

Training costs for an animal to become a qualified assistance animal are not typically funded by the NDIS unless approved by the NDIA/LAC. Pet care services, pet sitting, grooming, kennel/cattery costs will also require NDIA approval to be funded.

The NDIS generally does not cover the cost of a participant or someone else learning how to train the animal, as the scheme only funds animals that have been trained by an accredited provider.

Funding for support worker fees to take care of an assistance animal

As ongoing care costs for the assistance animal are funded as mentioned above, NDIS does not typically fund the cost of support workers to care of, feed, or exercise an assistance animal for a participant.

Funding for the cost of a public access test

The NDIS only funds assistance animals that have passed a public access test. Therefore, the fees for this test are typically not covered by the NDIS.

We’re here for you

At Continuity Care we provide two important services that can support you to get the most out of your NDIS plan.

helps you bring your plan to life. Have your support coordinator work one-on-one with you to help you find and connect with the best service providers for your needs. Find out whether you could be eligible for support coordination.

Continuity Care takes the burden out of all your NDIS administration. We ensure your providers are paid accurately and on time and give you access to helpful tools, like our Dashboard to easily track your spending and budgets. Everyone is eligible for Plan Management - and it’s funded by the NDIS at no cost to you.

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