Frequently asked questions

DOSE NDIS FUND SECONDHAND CONVERSIONS?

We may fund the modifications that have already been made to a secondhand car you’re
buying or plan to buy. This is not a payment towards the purchase of the car. It recognizes
the costs of the disability related vehicle modifications already in place.
We’ll need to know:
• the vehicle is, or can be, registered in your state or territory
• how long ago the modifications were made and how much longer they are likely to
last
• whether there’s a manufacturer’s warranty in place for the vehicle and modifications,
and how long this will last
• whether the vehicle modifications will need repairs to meet your needs
• whether the modifications meet the relevant Australian standards and rules
• the cost of the original changes, where available, compared to the cost of making new
changes.
You’ll need to give us:
• evidence or an assessment from your occupational therapist. This will need to tell us
the changes already made to the vehicle are safe for you and will suit your needs.

Your occupational therapist can complete our vehicle modification assessment
template to give us the information we need
• an engineering certificate or authorization report from a licensed vehicle modifier or
certifier that provides information about the condition of the changes made. The
certificate or report must tell us the changes are safe, legal, in good working order,
and meet the Australian standards and rules relevant in your state or territory
• a vehicle condition report, if the vehicle is older than 5 years and no longer under
warranty.
For more information, go to How old is your vehicle and is it under warranty?
Once we have the information outlined above, we’ll work out the current value of the
modifications. We don’t pay the full cost of the modifications, because they’ve already been
used by someone else, are older and have lost value.
We calculate funding depending on how long ago the modifications were made, and how
much the value of the modifications has reduced since this time. This is called depreciation.
We will fund the depreciated modification value in your capital – assistive technology budget.
Remember, everything we fund needs to meet all the NDIS funding criteria. Just because a
second hand vehicle with modifications may be cheaper, it may not always be good value for
money or meet the other criteria.
Example
Janette needs a modified vehicle. She works with her occupational therapist to identify the
disability related vehicle modifications and vehicle type she needs.
Janette then finds a second hand vehicle which has the modifications she needs. Janette
gives us evidence from her occupational therapist the modifications meet her disability
related needs and is safe. This includes a list of the minimum modifications, a detailed
assessment, and information about her successful trial of the car.
Janette also gets information about the vehicle’s age, warranty, and condition. Janette asks
the current vehicle owner about the cost of the original modifications, and gets an
authorization report from a licensed vehicle modifier confirming the modifications meet
Australian standards and rules. We can then work out the current value of the modifications
to include in Janette’s plan.

DOSE NDIS FUND CONVERSIONS ON VEHICLES OVER 5 YEARS?

For vehicles older than this and no longer under warranty, you’ll need to organize a vehicle
condition report.
The vehicle condition report will need to tell us:
• your vehicle is legal and safe to be on the road for your needs
• how long your vehicle is likely to be a reliable form of transport.

You can get a vehicle condition report from your state or territory motoring organization.
We’ll fund the cost of this in the core – consumables section of your plan. To find your local
organization, go to the Australian Automobile Association website.
Generally, vehicles older than 10 years aren’t likely to be value for money for any significant
modification.
You may be able to remove the modifications from an older vehicle and use them in another
vehicle. For example, a swing out seat, hand control or wheelchair hoist can often be moved.
If it’s been less than 5 years since we funded the modification, and you want to have the
modification moved to another vehicle, you would have to pay for it to be re-installed.
Modifications usually last 8-10 years. We keep this in mind when we think about:
• the overall condition of your vehicle
• whether the modifications would be value for money.
We’ll usually reconsider replacement vehicle modifications every 8 years. We might consider
them earlier if there’s been major changes to your needs.
Example
Jasmin has been using a modified van for over 15 years, and the van recently reached the
end of its working life. She’s bought a new van and wants us to fund changes to the van so
she can travel as a front row passenger.
Jasmin gives us a quote which says the front passenger wheelchair conversion will cost
around $50,000. Jasmin’s request meets all our NDIS funding criteria, except it’s not value
for money. It would only cost around $30,000 to do a conversion for her to sit in the second
row location instead.
We recognize Jasmin may prefer to travel in the front row. But it’s not necessary for her to be
safe or pursue her goals. We can’t fund the front row conversion. We recognize the second
row conversion meets all our NDIS funding criteria and include this funding in Jasmin’s plan.
Jasmin can still use the funding to get the front row conversion done if she wants to pay for
the rest herself – it’s her choice.

DOSE NDIS FUND IMPORTED FACTORY CONVERSIONS?

We need to know vehicle modifications already installed in a vehicle, or modifications factory
fitted in an imported vehicle, are legal, safe, and appropriate for you. Foreign imported
vehicles that are factory fitted with modifications may not meet Australian standards for
vehicle registration.
To confirm these modifications are legal and safe for you, you’ll need to give us:

• evidence or a vehicle modification assessment from your occupational therapist or
suitably qualified assessor. This will explain what modifications you need and how
they’ll work for you. We’ll fund the cost of this assessment in your capacity building
supports budget
• an engineering certificate or authorization report from a licensed vehicle modifier or
certifier, before we can decide whether to fund your vehicle modification support.
The engineering certificate or authorization report must confirm the modifications meet
Australian standards and rules relevant in your state or territory. You’ll need to fund this,
unless a valid certificate or report is already available.
You can find out more about and what you need to do to register modified vehicles in your
state or territory. When you register your vehicle, you’ll need to give your registration
authority a copy of the engineering certificate or authorization report. Your licensed vehicle
modifier will give you the certificate or report.