How do I use my NDIS Core Supports funding?

Your NDIS CORE SUPPORTS funding is put in your NDIS plan to help you work towards your long-term goals, but more importantly to help you or your child increase their independence and make your everyday life more accessible.

This is the most flexible budget because you can use your funding across any of the following 4 support categories (in most cases - unless the line item is stated/in-kind). 

In this resource we help explain how you can use your CORE supports flexibly and also let you know how the name of a support category may be different in your NDIS plan and the NDIS myPlace Portal.

What can I use my CORE funding for?

The NDIA uses the reasonable & necessary criteria to determine if support should be funded, and what would be necessary for you/your child under this category.

These supports look different for everyone, however, it's often that children under a certain age get limited funding in this area, as the NDIS may determine a large number of these 'Core supports' to be a parental responsibility.

The are 4 categories in your CORE budget are of your NDIS plan:

1. Assistance with Daily Life
2. Transport
3. Consumables
4. Assistance with Social & Community Participation

What is Assistance with Daily Life? (Category 1)

Support Workers/carers to provide assistance in your home with daily activities such as grooming, personal care, domestic activities and being independent around the house, support independent living (SIL), short-term or medium term accommodation (STA/MTA) house. This can also include assistance with cleaning & yard work. This category appears in your NDIS myPlace portal as 'Assistance with Daily Life'.

Supports the NDIS may fund (if related to your disability):

• Support workers to assist you at home and in the community
• Support in the community - accessing community & social groups, building skills, learning how to use public transport,
• Support at home - assistance with personal care, domestic activities, ensuring safety,
• Personal care supports
• Home & yard cleaning and maintenance
• Respite & Short-Term Accommodation
• Specialist Disability Accommodation (assessment required)

Supports the NDIS don’t fund:

• Everyday expenses such as rent, groceries, utilities, personal costs etc.
• Home cleaning & yard maintenance for parents (if their child is a participant)
• Holiday/vacation for family & friends - respite is designed so a participant and their carer(s) can have mutually beneficial time apart
• Trades/home maintenance that anyone (including people without disability) have a need to hire from time to time i.e. pool cleaner, handyman to hang pictures/mount frames, plumber etc.

What is Transport? (Category 2)

This is the support that helps you travel to work or other places that will help you pursue the goals in your plan. Cost of taxis, rideshares or other private transport, if you can’t use public transport without great difficulty because of your disability.  

This category appears in your NDIS myPlace portal as 'Transport'.

Supports the NDIS generally don’t fund:

• Travel for other members of the family, carers, or service providers
• Transport to everyday commitments (like school)

Also, it's worth noting, that for most participants this category of funding is paid directly to your bank account as a fortnightly payment and banking details can be added/updated in the MyPlace Portal. 

What are Consumables? (Category 3)

NDIS consumables are items you may need like continence products or low-cost assistive technology and equipment to improve your independence and/or mobility.

Continence supports are referred to as "disability-related health supports" and this category appears in the NDIS myPlace portal as 'Consumables'.

Supports the NDIS may fund (if related to your disability)

• Consumable Examples
  • continence Supports (incl. children under 5 years of age if disability-related)
  • a continence assessment from a clinical nurse
  • everyday items such as nappies, disposal wipes, and mattress protectors.
  • access to additional support from professionals to help parents with toileting strategies
     
• Assistive technology support
  • more expensive continence support or supports if your child has higher care needs than children of a similar age
  • disposable urinary catheters, please refer to Continence Consumable Guide.
  • mattress protectors
  • continence pads or absorbent pull-ups or briefs
  • continence aids, such as change kits
  • support workers to help with your continence needs if you are unable to do them independently
     
• Home Enteral Nutrition (HEN) 
  • HEN and Percutaneous Endoscopic Gastrostomy (PEG) equipment and maintenance
  • HEN and PEG consumables such as feeding tubes and feed bags or bottles
  • a support worker if you can’t independently manage your HEN requirements, or to help with PEG maintenance and care

Assistive technology examples (must be low risk, and less than $1500)

• Mobility supports:
  • Replacement mobility cane
  • replacement covers (like for like)
  • walking stick
     
• Communication supports:
  • Auslan or Signed English Training
  • Interpretation & translation services
     
• Daily living solutions/daily adaptive equipment:
  • Medication management devices
  • Non-slip bathmats
  • Signature guide
  • Long-handled or adapted grip equipment
  • Assistive cutlery

Supports the NDIS don’t fund:

• Continence items that are NOT related to you disability needs
• Pharmaceuticals & Medication
• Assistive technology (AT) items that would be considered medium-high risk 
• AT items above $1500
• iPads/laptops that do not meet the NDIA low-cost guidelines

What is Assistance with Social & Community Participation? (Category 4)

This is support to help you to engage in social or recreational activities and become more involved in your community.

These could include a combination of community and centre-based activities such as art classes, sports, camps, library visits or day trips that include mentoring or peer support to strengthen your ability to participate independently. 

This category appears in your NDIS myPlace portal as 'Social, Community and Civic Participation'.

Supports the NDIA may fund (if related to your disability):

• Specialised equipment or modification to equipment to help you to join in social and recreation activities.
• Help to build your skills to take part in social and recreational activities.
• A support worker to help you participate in activities, for example:
  • Help to change into sports clothes
  • Setting you up to join the activity such as a social group
  • To go on a holiday camp
  • Visit your local library
  • Attend a personal development course
  • See a movie or concert
  • Go to community events
  • Join a sporting club
  • Attend an art class
  • Help to travel to a recreation event when you can’t use public transport and it’s not reasonable for family or friends to take you.

Supports the NDIS generally don’t fund:

• The basic cost of the activities that everyone would be expected to pay for like entry fees, registration, and membership fees.
• Standard equipment you need to take part in a social or recreation activity. E.g a tennis racquet.
• Participation in activities at professional and/or elite level.
• Support for a young child to attend or participate in social or recreational activities where parents would normally be expected to stay and support their child.

Sources:

NDIA: What supports do we generally fund?

NDIA: Operational Guidelines: Transport

What is Reasonable and Necessary in the NDIS