A Carer Statement (sometimes referred to as an Impact Statement) is a written letter by someone who cares for or is involved in the treatment of an individual living with a disability
It gives you, the carer, an opportunity to explain in depth how their disability is impacting their life and the lives of those around them in your own words.
The NDIA don’t always ask for supporting letters or statements, and you do not have to write a carer’s statement but it most certainly can affect the level of funding received and can help strengthen your application because it provides a clear picture of the supports that are needed.
The NDIA can use this statement to demonstrate the everyday difficulties experienced by the individual and their family and to verify how much care and support an individual may need. We know that writing a carer statement can often be uncomfortable to mention all these things, but it is essential to give the NDIS a complete overview of what supports and needed and therefore the appropriate level of funding.
Don’t hold back.It is important to remember you are not complaining or asking for too much – you are simply letting them know what you and your loved ones’ daily life is like.
- their disability and how it impacts their day to day functioning
- what they need support with, and what their carer does to support them
- your own needs and goals as a carer, and how the caring role affects you
- whether you can keep caring for them in the same way into the future
- what other informal supports they have, such as family or friends
- any other important information for the NDIA to know when assessing which supports they might require.
- what supports are provided,
- how often,
- the cost involved
- as well as the emotional impact that can sometimes occur.
You should refer to the applicant’s ‘functional capacity’ when describing how their life is affected in these areas by their disability.
Here is a resource on what functional capacity is under the NDIS Again, there is no right way or wrong way to write a carer statement but you should describe your worst day so that you communicate the maximum amount of support provided.
