Using NASC assessment to decide severe disablement
You can consider exempting all or some of your client's income if their disability extremely limits their ability to:
- participate in employment
- take care of themselves and
- participate in the community
Severely disabled clients usually need help from another person to carry out at least some of the daily routines of life. Your client's NASC assessment will provide information on the level of assistance they need to carry out their daily routines of life. Clients who need a high level of assistance to carry out their daily routines at home are more likely to require extra effort if they participate in employment.
The main sections within a NASC assessment that you may be able to use to help you decide if your client is severely disabled are outlined in the table below.
Note if your client has a NASC assessment, it does not necessarily mean that they are severely disabled.
For more information see:
Section of NASC report | Things to consider |
Current living situation (where they are, length of time they have been living there) | Consider the person's living situation. Do they live on their own? A person who lives in supported living arrangements or who needs a significant level of assistance to live in their own home would be considered severely disabled. |
Mobility (covers mobility inside and outside the home, in the community, transfers, transport, driving) | Consider your client's mobility needs. Does the person need regular support or assistance in most aspects of mobility? Generally a person who needs a significant level of support from another person to undertake these activities would be considered severely disabled. |
Personal care (covers ability to get in and out of their bed, bathing/showering, dressing/undressing, dental and personal hygiene etc) | Consider your client's personal care needs. Does the person need regular support or assistance in most aspects of their personal care? Generally a person who needs a significant level of support from another person to undertake these activities would be considered severely disabled. |
Memory, Behaviour, Cognition (covers memory, behaviour, delusions/hallucinations, anxiety, supervision etc) | Consider your client's memory, behaviour and cognition assessment domains. Do they have a severe loss of memory for recent and/or remote events? Do they need to be supervised - what is the length of time that the client can be safely left alone? It is likely that a person who has significant issues in these areas would be considered severely disabled. |
If the information you have confirms your client is severely disabled you can consider exempting all or some of their earnings from employment.
For more information see:
