NDIS Support Categories Explained
Your NDIS plan funding is divided into budgets, often referred to as NDIS support categories. Depending on your specific needs, you may receive funding in one or more of these categories. It’s important to note that there are some differences in these categories depending on whether you’re on an original/legacy NDIS plan or an NDIS PACE plan. We’ll highlight those differences as we go.
NDIS Support Types
The main NDIS funding categories, sometimes called support budgets or support types, include core supports, capital supports, capacity-building supports, and recurring supports.
♥ Some support categories are flexible, allowing you to spend the funds on any reasonable and necessary support that meets NDIS criteria.
♥ In other cases, you can only purchase specific supports listed in your plan.
♥ Certain supports may require a quote or supporting documentation from a healthcare professional like a doctor or occupational therapist.
♥ NDIS funding can only be used for reasonable and necessary disability-related supports and cannot be spent on ordinary living expenses.
Core Supports
Core supports fund activities that help you in your daily life. They are the main NDIS support category, and most people on the NDIS will have core supports in their plan.
Examples of Core Supports
- Help with self-care activities like showering.
- Domestic activities such as cleaning.
- Consumable items like continence aids.
Types of Core Supports
♥ Assistance with daily life
Includes making household decisions, personal care, cooking, and cleaning.
♥ Assistance with social, economic, and community participation
Involves activities or courses that help you connect and socialise with others.
♥ Consumables
Helps cover everyday items and services.
♥ Transport
Covers costs associated with specialised schooling, education programmes, employment, or participation in recreational or community activities.
♥ Home and living (for PACE plans only)
Includes supports for independent living, home modifications, short-term accommodation (respite), and skills development.
♥ Young people in residential aged care (YPIRAC) (for PACE plans only)
Refers to individuals under 65 who live permanently in a residential aged care facility.
The Core Supports budget is the most flexible NDIS funding category, allowing you to use funds across support categories in some cases. However, there are instances where funding is not flexible and must be used for a specific support or service. The following categories are not flexible:
- Transport funding for those on the original NDIS Plan type.
- Home and living supports and YPIRAC supports for individuals on PACE plans.
Capital Supports
Capital supports funding more expensive assistive technology or one-time purchases, such as specialist disability accommodation (SDA). This category is the least flexible in the NDIS budget, with funds restricted to specific items identified in your plan.
Types of Capital Supports
♥ Assistive technology
Refers to items and devices that help you become more independent and perform tasks that may be difficult due to your disability.
♥ Assistive technology maintenance, repair, and rental
Available for those on PACE plans only. If your plan includes funding for repairs, you can have them done as needed. Always request a quote from the repairer to understand the potential costs.
♥ Home modifications
Custom changes to your home to make it easier and safer to access and use, covering both minor and significant adjustments to meet your disability needs.
♥ Specialist disability accommodation (SDA) (for PACE plans only)
Housing designed for individuals with extreme functional impairment or very high support needs.
Most items in this category are “quotable,” meaning you need to negotiate a price with a provider and obtain a written quote before purchase. The NDIS Assistive Technology, Home Modifications, and Consumables Code Guide provides detailed information on using capital supports funding effectively.
Capacity Building Supports
Capacity Building funding is intended for activities that help you become more independent and develop new skills, aligned with your goals. Examples include living more independently, finding a job, or managing your NDIS plan.
Types of Capacity Building Supports
Note: The PACE system uses different names for some supports, which are included alongside the original names.
♥ Support coordination (“Support coordination and psychosocial recovery coach” under PACE)
Helps you get the most from your NDIS budgets and supports by connecting you to services and resources.
♥ Improved living arrangements
Support to find and maintain suitable housing.
♥ Assistance with social and community participation
A support worker to help you engage in social and community activities.
♥ Finding and keeping a job
Includes employment-related support, training, and assessments to help you find and retain employment, such as school leaver employment support.
♥ Improved relationships (“Relationships” under PACE)
Funds specialised assessments and supports for individuals with complex or unclear behavioural needs.
♥ Improved health and wellbeing (“Health and wellbeing” under PACE)
Includes exercise or diet advice to manage your disability’s impact, though gym memberships are not funded by the NDIS.
♥ Improved learning (“Lifelong learning” under PACE)
Used for assessments, training, or therapy to enhance your skills, independence, and community participation.
♥ Improved life choices (“Choice and control” under PACE)
This category includes plan management funding.
♥ Improved daily living
Supports for assessment, training, or therapy to enhance skills, independence, and community participation.
♥ Behaviour support (for PACE plans only)
Supports to help you develop strategies for managing behaviours of concern, including specialised behavioural interventions to improve quality of life. Capacity building funding can only be used for approved supports listed in this category.
Recurring Supports (For PACE Plans Only)
These are supports that the NDIS pays to you directly on a regular basis, so you don’t need to make a claim. Currently, the only recurring support category is transport, which covers everyday transport needs.
Do You Have a Plan Reassessment Coming Up?
If you need assistive technology repairs (a new category) and are currently funding them from your core budget, ensure that they are included as a separate item in your new PACE plan. You will no longer be able to fund these repairs from your core budget.
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