National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) - NDIS Data on Chronic Pain Conditions
Dear Freedom of Information Officer,
I am writing to formally request access to information held by the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) under the *Freedom of Information Act 1982 (Cth).
I am seeking the following information for the last five (5) financial years (e.g., 2020-21, 2021-22, 2022-23, 2023-24, 2024-25), broken down on a yearly basis:
1. Application and Rejection Data
I request the following data, specifically for individuals who have listed one of the following conditions as their primary or secondary disability:
* Chronic pain
* Fibromyalgia
* Central Sensitivity Syndrome
* Central Regional Pain Syndrome
* Complex Regional Pain Syndrome
For each of these conditions, I request:
* The number of people who have applied for NDIS support.
* The number of people who have been accepted for NDIS support.
* The number of people who have been rejected for NDIS support.
I request this information in a machine-readable format, such as an Excel or CSV file, if possible. I understand that some of this information may be sensitive and I am not requesting any personal or identifying information about individuals. My request is for de-identified, aggregate data only.
I look forward to your response within the statutory 30-day period.
Yours faithfully,
Mae
Dear Mae,
Freedom of Information Request: Acknowledgement & Extension of Time
Request
Thank you for your request of 29 August 2025, made under the Freedom of
Information Act 1982 (FOI Act), for copies of documents held by the
National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA).
Scope of your Request
You have requested access to:
“… data, specifically for individuals who have listed one of the following
conditions as their primary or secondary disability:
* Chronic pain
* Fibromyalgia
* Central Sensitivity Syndrome
* Central Regional Pain Syndrome
* Complex Regional Pain Syndrome
For each of these conditions, I request:
* The number of people who have applied for NDIS support.
* The number of people who have been accepted for NDIS support.
* The number of people who have been rejected for NDIS support…”
Processing Timeframes
In accordance with section 15(5)(b) of the FOI Act, a 30-day statutory
period for processing your request commenced from 30 August 2025. This
30-day period expires on 29 September 2025.
The 30-day period can be extended in a number of ways, including with your
agreement.
Extension of Time Request:
Unfortunately, it is currently taking us a little longer than 30 days to
process FOI requests due to a very high volume of incoming matters. I am
therefore seeking your agreement to a 30-day extension of time under
section 15AA of the FOI Act. If you agree to this extension, the new due
date for us to decide on your request will be 29 October 2025.
Please let us know if you agree by .
Explanation of Extension of Time Request:
The reason I am seeking an extension of time is to ensure I preserve your
review rights under the FOI Act.
FOI applicants are normally entitled to exercise a right of internal
review if they are unsatisfied with the outcome of an FOI decision.
However, this right of review lapses if a FOI decision is not made within
the statutory timeframe. This is because if an agency doesn’t issue their
decision within the statutory timeframe, they are deemed to have refused
the request for documents. If this situation happens, it will limit your
options for formal review to only contacting the OAIC.
You are not obligated to agree to this request you would still retain your
review rights with our regulatory body OAIC (Office of the Australian
Information Commission).
Irrelevant Information
Section 22 of the FOI Act allows an Agency to redact information from
documents if that information would reasonably be regarded as irrelevant
to a request for access.
Given the nature of your request, it does not seem that NDIA staff
members’ surnames and contact details would be relevant to you. Can you
please send me a reply email confirming that such details are irrelevant
to your request for access?
Action Required
Can I please request a response regarding our request for a 30-day
extension of time, by COB Wednesday 3 September 2025.
Next steps
I have completed some preliminary work on your request; however, your
matter will be allocated to an authorised FOI decision-maker for any
further action. The decision-maker may need to contact you to discuss a
range of matters, including refining the scope of your request.
We will contact you using the email address you have provided. Please
advise if you would prefer us to use an alternative means of contact.
In the meantime, if you have any questions or need help, please contact us
at [1][NDIA request email].
Kind regards,
Wendy (WTN314)
Triage Officer – Triage and Early Resolution
Information Release, Privacy and Legal Operations Branch
Reviews and Information Release Division
National Disability Insurance Agency
[2][NDIA request email]
[3]NDIA logo
[4]LGBTIQA+ rainbow graphic
The NDIA acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout
Australia and their continuing connection to land, sea and community. We
pay our respects to them and their cultures and to Elders past, present
and emerging.
Dear Wendy,
Thank you for your email regarding my Freedom of Information ('FOI') request.
I agree to the 30-day extension of time as requested. I understand that this extends the due date for a decision on my FOI request to 29 October 2025.
I also confirm that NDIA staff members' surnames and contact details are not relevant to my request, and I agree to their redaction.
Thank you for the update and for preserving my review rights under the FOI Act.
Yours sincerely,
Mae