How to spend your NDIS funding

What can I spend my NDIS funding on?

To better understand what specifically you can spend your funding on, it’s best to start with becoming familiar with the three NDIS support budgets: Core, Capacity and Capital. As each participant has unique needs and requirements, the funding you receive will depend on your personal circumstances - you may receive funds across multiple budgets and categories or just a few. 

Below you will find a detailed and helpful overview of each budget item with the corresponding categories and examples of services or items participants can purchase with their allocated funding. 

Core Support Budget

These funds may be available to you to cover the costs of core needs and everyday activities, such as: 

• Assistance with daily life – for example, help with cooking, cleaning, dressing or personal hygiene
• Consumables –  for example, continence products, adapted cups or shower stools
• Assistance with social and community participation – for example, a support worker to help you attend an event or a gym class that you attend each week
• Transport – for example, transport to and from school, work, appointments or other NDIS supported activities 

The core budget is the most flexible out of the three, and in most cases, you can move your funding across any of the four Core categories. Examples of what NDIS Core Supports does not cover:

• Rent, mortgage, utility bills
• Food, groceries, toiletries

Capacity Building Supports Budget

This funding may be available to you to cover the costs of activities that aim to support your independence and learning new skills, such as:

• Support coordination – for example, help from a support coordinator to help with your plan
• Improved living arrangements – for example, support to help you find a suitable place to live
• Increased social and community participation – for example, developing your skills so you can participate in community activities
• Finding and keeping a job – for example, specialised employment-related training to help you find a job
• Improved relationships – for example, occupational therapy to help you develop positive behaviour skills
• Improved health and wellbeing – for example, appointment with a dietician to help you manage the effects of your disability 
• Improved learning – for example, training to help you transition from school to further education, such as university or TAFE
• Improved daily living – for example, training to increase your independence 
• Improved life choices – for example, a plan manager to help you manage your plan, funding and payments

Unlike the Core budget, the Capacity Building budget you receive cannot be moved across categories, meaning, you can only spend your funds within your allocated category or categories.

Examples of what NDIS Capacity Building Supports does not cover:

• Tickets to events, cinemas, museums
• Course fees, textbooks or membership fees

Capital Supports Budget

This funding may be available to you to cover the costs of often expensive cost assisted living items and services, such as:

• Assistive technology – for example, mobility equipment such as a wheelchair or walking stick
• Home modifications – for example, handrail in a bathroom or a ramp but may also cover for Specialist Disability Accommodation

Similarly to the Capacity Building budget, the funds within Capital Supports can only be used for their intended purpose and cannot be moved across categories.

Examples of what NDIS Capital Supports does not cover:

• General furniture and appliances
• Non-disability related renovation

Reasonable and Necessary

Generally, NDIS funding will cover the costs of a service or item as long as it meets the following three criteria: it is related to your disability, it is reasonable and it is necessary. 

Libby Armstrong, an NDIS Navigator at Hireup says, “my advice is to make sure whatever [they] buy meets the NDIS reasonable and necessary criteria. Everyone should learn the six points of ‘reasonable and necessary’. If you're unsure, get a supporting letter from a therapist.”

“The other thing is funding is related to people’s goals. How you write your goals is really important. One of the main parts of the reasonable and necessary criteria is that it helps you meet your goals. One thing I often suggest to clients is that before they write their goals they list all the funded supports that they want and make sure the first couple of goals cover what they need and do it backwards to make sure they meet the criteria.”

At Hireup we can help connect you with a support worker who will be able to help. You can easily find and connect with trusted support workers registered with the NDIS through our search function.