NDIS Core supports budget: A closer look.

If you have an NDIS Plan, chances are you have funds included in the Core supports budget. But how do Core supports work and what can those funds be used for?

Knowing the types of things you can buy, where there is flexibility and any limitations for each budget makes it easier to ensure your purchases align with the NDIS reasonable and necessary requirements.

Today we’re taking a closer look at NDIS Core supports plus some examples to help you make the most of your NDIS Plan.

What are NDIS Core supports?

NDIS Core supports provides funding for things that help with everyday activities and your disability-related needs. The Core supports budget is the most flexible part of your NDIS Plan, with funding often able to be used across different categories (with some exceptions).

Core supports can be used to purchase physical items or assistance for activities you undertake in daily life. It covers things as diverse as assistive kitchen aids, getting help to do household tasks, or a support worker to take you to a community activity.

Core supports categories.

There are four categories of Core supports, each of which covers certain items. Depending on your needs, your NDIS budget may contain funding in one, some or all of these categories.

1.Assistance with daily life.

Having a disability can make managing daily household tasks difficult or impossible to do alone. Assistance with daily life funds everyday needs such as home cleaning, yard maintenance, cooking or personal care. Think of it as funding for services or a support worker to help you to do everyday things.

If you need help to get ready for your day, travel to appointments or carry out daily health and fitness activities, then these could be covered under Assistance with daily life.

To find out more, read one of our previous articles Assistance with daily life: NDIS budget areas explained.

2. Assistance with social, economic and community participation.

Assistance with social, economic and community participation funding can help you to become more active in the community, participate in activities, undertake volunteer work or get support to find and keep a meaningful job.

Art classes, sports coaching or vacation camps with mentoring, skill development, peer support or other activities with capacity building components are covered here.

This can include a support worker to transport you to and from an activity, participate actively or assist you to connect with others.

See our article Assistance with social and community participation.

3. Consumables.

Consumables are most likely to be single use or other products that can give you more confidence or help you to become more independent.

They’re generally widely available in stores or online. If you require things like continence aids, low cost assistive technology products such as a walking stick or eating aids, there’s a good chance that they’ll be covered under your Consumables budget.

Consumables also covers Auslan or signed English training and telephone or video interpreting.

Check out our NDIS Consumables budget guide.

4. Transport.

If you’re unable to use public transport because of your disability and you require help to travel to work, activities or other places, you could receive funding for transport in your Core supports budget.

Keep in mind that the NDIS is only likely to fund travel if you are unable to use public transport without substantial difficulty due to your disability.

5. Home and living – separate category for people on PACE plans.

Home and living is a new support type under the PACE system. It covers a range of stated supports that can help you live more independently. There is no flexibility with stated supports. They are restricted to using the funding as described in your plan.

Home and living supports include:

• Supported Independent Living (SIL)
• Medium term accommodation
• Individualised living options (ILO)
• Assistance with daily life tasks provided in a residential aged care facility.

For people on original/legacy NDIS Plans these supports are funded from other budgets.

6. Young people in residential aged care (YPIRAC) – separate category for people on PACE plans.

YIPRAC funding supports people aged under 65 who are living permanently in residential aged care and who meet the NDIS eligibility criteria. The NDIS may be able to fund some of the residential aged care fees and other disability-related supports.

Core supports NDIS examples:

• Help with self care activities such as showering or getting dressed
• Support with personal domestic activities such as housework and essential yard activities
• Supports to help you live in a home of your choice more independently
• Disability-related health supports such as wound and pressure care supports, dysphagia supports and disability-related diabetes management supports
• General and specialised transport for travelling to and from appointments or your place for work 
• Consumable items such as continence and home enteral nutrition (HEN) products
• Assistance to access community, social and recreational activities such as a social group.

5 tips for making the most of your Core supports funding.

1. Spread your expenses across the length of your plan to avoid overspending or underspending.
2. Use your funding flexibly as your needs change. Be sure to check there is flexibility in the budget you’d like to use.
3. Be creative in the way you use your funding. It’s flexible for a reason. Is there reasonable and necessary sensory equipment, sporting equipment or consumable items that will help you achieve your goals?
4. Use Capacity Building funding to learn new skills to reduce dependence on Core funding.
5. If you require repairs to assistive technology (such as a wheelchair or other assistive devices that you rely on for essential mobility or safety) you can use Core funding for repairs but only if you’re on an original/legacy NDIS Plan. If you’re on a PACE plan, you can only pay for AT repairs from your Capital – Assistive technology maintenance, repair and rental category.

It’s your responsibility to ensure that all purchases with your NDIS funds meet the NDIS reasonable and necessary requirements. Use our handy checklist.

We can help.

Leap in! helps you better understand the supports you can purchase and how to get the most from your NDIS funding.

 The Leap in! app also has a dedicated section for setting and managing goals which will make preparing for plan and plan reassessment meetings easier.

Call us on 1300 05 78 78, email crew@leapin.com.au or sign up to Leap in! plan management today.

Updated 24 January 2023 and 21 January 2024.