We’ve written a guide in everyday language that explains all the major parts of your plan. That way, you can know what services you can access.
How to use this interactive guide
You don’t need to read this blog post from top to bottom, instead you can skip to the sections you need.
Some handy tips:
- Read this alongside your NDIS plan.
- Use the table of contents on the side to jump to the support budgets and categories you see in your plan.
- Bookmark this on your device to read again later.
Consider whether a support is ‘reasonable and necessary’ to your disability before deciding to use your NDIS funding to access it. We’ve created a simple checklist for you at the bottom of this article to help you decide.
The parts of your NDIS plan
Every NDIS plan is sectioned into a maximum of three parts called support budgets. These are:
- Core Supports
- Capacity Building Supports
- Capital Supports
You might have 1, 2 or all 3 of these budgets in your plan.
Within each support category you will find support categories. Support categories are what each bit of funding is allocated against, and they describe what you can use that funding for.
Core Supports
Purpose of this budget: To help you with all the basics in life. Think: doing things around the house, looking after yourself, running errands or going out to see friends.
Assistance with daily activities
What's this category for?
Helping you in your day-to-day personal life. Whether this be looking after yourself or doing things around your home.
Who or what can help with this?
- Support worker
- Gardener
- Cleaner
- Pre-made meal delivery subscriptions
Assistance with social and community participation
What’s this category for?
Helping you get out of the house to spend time in the community or with friends.
Who or what can help with this?
- Support worker
- Day programs or group activities
Consumables
What’s this category for?
Any items that are specifically useful in your life because of your disability.
What can you get?
Consumables need to be low-risk (unlikely to be harmful if misused) and low-cost (under $1500). Some examples include:
- Continence products
- Communication tools or apps
- Non-slip bath mats
- Shower chairs
- Doorbell and phone alerting system
- Walking sticks and canes
- Assistive cutlery
Transport
What’s this category for?
Helping you get to the places you need to be, like appointments, if catching public transport isn’t an option for you.
Who or what can help with this?
- Mainstream rideshare services, like Uber
- Specialised modes of transport
If you’re wanting some more information about your Core Supports, our team can help you get your head around how you can use it. For example, did you know this funding is flexible? We can even recommend some high quality providers that suit you.
Capacity Building Supports
Purpose of this budget: To increase your ability to do things independently, in all areas of your life, by teaching you new skills or strengthening existing ones.
Improved daily living skills
What’s this category for?
Support and therapy that assists you in building your independence in whatever areas you need.
Who or what can help with this?
- Occupational therapists
- Physiotherapists
- Speech pathologists
- Psychologists
- Exercise physiologists
- Music therapists
- Art therapists
- Early childhood educators
- Nurses
- Hearing support services, like sessions with an audiologist or audiometrist (Not the hearing devices themselves)
Increased social and community participation
What’s this category for?
Support that focuses on your confidence and ability to be part of your wider community.
Who or what can help with this?
- Mentor
- Group activities and programs
- Out of the box disability services offered in the community
Improved health and wellbeing
What’s this category for?
Therapy and support to increase or maintain your physical wellbeing or mobility that’s impacted by your disability.
Who can help with this?
- Exercise physiologist
- Personal trainer
- Dietitian
Improved relationships
What’s this category for?
To help you overcome any behavioural barriers in the way of your goals and positive relationships with others.
Who can help with this?
- Positive behaviour support practitioner
Support coordination
What’s this category for?
To help you coordinate all the different NDIS services and supports you have in place.
Who can help with this?
- Support coordinator
- Specialist support coordinator
- Psychosocial recovery coach
Improved life choices
What’s this category for?
To pay your invoices and help you keep track of your NDIS funding.
Who or what can help with this?
- Plan management
Finding and keeping a job
What’s this category for?
All job-related supports. This can include support to help you get a job and maintain employment.
Who or what can help with this?
- Help with moving from school to work (School Leaver Employment Support)
- Counsellor
- Career coach
- Group programs with a focus on work experience
Improved living arrangements
What’s this category for?
To help you deal with managing housing and rental-related matters, like applying for rentals, budgeting for your rental repayments or setting housing goals.
Who or what can help with this?
- Support to help find and apply for housing or meet rental obligations
Improved learning
What’s this category for?
To help you develop the skills needed and coordinate things to help you move from high school to further study.
Who or what can help with this?
- Help with moving from school to further education
Capacity Building Supports can be broad. Our team can help you understand what your unique plan means, and give you an idea of what supports could work well for you.
Capital Supports
Purpose of this budget: To provide you with big-ticket items and services that are useful to you because of your disability.
Assistive technology
What’s this category for?
All aids or equipment that help you to live independently, or to help somebody to support you in the best way possible.
What can you get?
Assistive technology in this section of your plan is generally more expensive and riskier than the items in your consumables category (if you have that). You typically need to get pre-approval for these items.
Some examples of assistive technology include:
- Wheelchairs
- Prosthetics
- Hearing aids
- Adapted furniture
- Mobility hoists
Home modifications
What’s this category for?
Adding or changing anything about your home to help you do things independently. This category also covers specialised disability housing also known as Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA).
What can you get?
Home modifications will be tailored to every individual. Examples of home modifications include:
- Elevators
- Ramps
- Slip-resistant coating
Is it reasonable and necessary?
The NDIS is designed to give you access to disability-related supports. As such, your funding can only be used for things that are considered ‘reasonable and necessary’ - which is a set of official criteria for using your NDIS funding. We’ve simplified it into a checklist below.
If you can answer ‘yes’ to all of the following questions, the support can be funded by the NDIS.
- Is this a product or service you need due to a disability?
- Does it help you meet your goals?
- Is it reasonable value for money?
- Is there evidence for it to work?
- Is it a support you wouldn’t be able to receive from a family or community member?
- Is the NDIS the most suitable funding scheme to pay for this support?
Book in a Plan Guidance Session
If you want some 1:1 support and someone to talk to about your individual plan, our team can help.
A Plan Guidance Session is a free 20 minute call where we can explain your NDIS plan, highlight any particular restrictions or rules to keep in mind with your funding, and help you find providers you’ll like.
Fill out your details below and we’ll be in touch with you soon.
