What support can I get?

Key points

• Funding from the NDIS aims to help participants reach goals and increase independence
• The types of funding available are broken down into three different categories
• The funding that you end up with will include money for supports that align with the goals that you set

What will the NDIS fund?

The NDIS will fund supports that are ‘reasonable and necessary’ and that help a participant reach their goals, participate in the community and increase their independence.

To decide what supports are reasonable and necessary for you, the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) looks at your personal circumstances. It takes into account any informal supports you may have, such as help from family members or friends, as well as formal supports, like health and education services.

During your planning meeting, information is collected about what supports would best suit your needs and goals and together they will form your plan.

When the NDIA makes decisions about which supports would be reasonable and necessary, they refer to their operational guidelines that relate to each specific support package. To be considered reasonable and necessary, a support must:

• be related to your disability
• not include day-to-day living costs that are not related to your disability
• represent value for money
• be likely to be effective and beneficial to you
• consider informal supports given to you by family, carers, networks and the community

Supports not funded by the NDIS

A support will not be funded if the NDIA finds it:

• is not related to the participant’s disability

• is the same as other supports delivered under different funding through the NDIS

• relates to day-to-day living costs that are not related to a participant’s support needs

• is likely to cause harm to the participant or pose a risk to others

• can be more appropriately or effectively delivered by another system, such as health or education

Different NDIS support packages

Funding in an NDIS plan is broken down into three different support packages, which are made up of support categories, each covering different areas of support:

Core – for help with everyday living

• Assistance with Daily Living
• Transport
• Assistance with Social and Community Participation
• Consumables

Capital – what equipment could help make life easier

• Assistive Technology
• Home Modifications and Specialised Disability Accommodation

Capacity Building – therapies and skills that improve independence

• Support Coordination
• Improved Living Arrangements
• Increased Social and Community Participation
• Finding and Keeping a Job
• Improved Relationships
• Improved Health and Wellbeing
• Improved Learning
• Improved Life Choices
• Improved Daily Living Skills

The budget that you end up with will include money for supports that align with the goals in your individual plan. You may be funded for supports that fall under all three support packages, or only one or two. It all depends on what your needs are.

For example, an eight year old child with autism is most likely to end up with more Capacity Building funds to pay for different therapies. Whereas an adult with a physical disability may receive mainly funding for core supports to help with daily living.

To make sure you have complete choice and control over your supports, there is flexibility when it comes to how you can spend your money within each package. However, you are not able to transfer money from one support group to another.

For example, if you receive funding for Core and Capacity Building purposes, you cannot transfer money for in-home care supports under the Core category to receive speech therapy which falls under Capacity Building, and vice versa.

The process of budgeting, keeping records and paying for supports outlined in your plan is called ‘plan management’. Read our guide on plan management for more information.

Related content:
My first plan
What is support coordination and how can it help me?
Preparing for your planning meeting