In this resource we will cover:
- What Is the NDIS?
- Who Can Apply for the NDIS?
- What Happens After You Are Approved?
- Understanding Your NDIS Plan
- Core Supports
- Capacity Building Supports
- Capital Supports
- What the NDIS Does Not Usually Fund
- How to Find NDIS Providers
- How Plan Management Can Help
Starting with the NDIS can feel confusing.
There are new words to learn, different funding categories to understand and a lot of decisions to make.
This guide explains the basics in plain English, with practical examples to help you understand what the NDIS can fund and what to do next.
What Is the NDIS?
The National Disability Insurance Scheme, usually called the NDIS, provides funding to eligible Australians with disability.
The funding is used for disability-related supports that help a person with daily life, independence, community participation, therapy, equipment or longer-term goals.
For example, the NDIS might fund:
- A support worker to help someone get ready in the morning
- Occupational therapy to build daily living skills
- Speech therapy to improve communication
- A wheelchair or communication device
- Support to attend community activities
- Home modifications such as ramps or bathroom changes
The NDIS does not give every participant the same amount of funding.
Each plan is based on the person’s disability, support needs, goals, evidence and circumstances.
Who Can Apply for the NDIS?
To apply for the NDIS, a person must meet access requirements.
In general, a person must:
- Be under 65 years old when they apply
- Live in Australia
- Be an Australian citizen, permanent resident or hold a Protected Special Category Visa
- Have a disability caused by a permanent impairment, or meet early intervention requirements
The NDIS will usually ask for evidence to support the application.
This may include:
- Medical reports
- Letters from treating doctors
- Functional assessments
- Therapy reports
- School reports for children
- Evidence about how the disability affects daily life
A diagnosis alone may not be enough.
The NDIS also needs to understand how the disability affects the person’s ability to do everyday activities such as showering, dressing, communicating, learning, working, moving around or taking part in the community.
The fancy name for this is their ‘functional capacity’. We have a super resource on this because it is so important: What is Functional Capacity in the NDIS?
You can read more about applying to the NDIS here: Applying to the NDIS.
What Happens After You Are Approved?
If your application is approved, you become an NDIS participant.
The next step is usually creating your first NDIS plan which will happen after you have a Planning Meeting with an NDIS planner.
Your plan will include information about:
- Your goals
- Your informal supports, such as family and friends
- Your funded supports
- How your funding is managed
- How long your plan will run for
Your goals are important because they help explain what your funded supports are trying to help you achieve.
For example, a goal might be:
- To become more independent at home
- To improve communication skills
- To participate in community activities
- To prepare for work or study
- To move into more suitable housing
See our resource of Goal Setting for your NDIS plan meeting.
Once you receive your plan, it is important to understand what each part of your funding can be used for.
Plan Hero has a helpful guide here: I Have My NDIS Plan, Now What?
Understanding Your NDIS Plan
Most NDIS plans include funding in one or more of three main support categories.
These are:
- Core Supports
- Capacity Building Supports
- Capital Supports
Each category pays for different types of supports.
This is where many people get confused.
For example, therapy, support workers and equipment may all be funded by the NDIS, but they usually sit in different parts of your plan.
Core Supports
Core Supports help with everyday activities and daily living needs, today. Notice that we said ‘today’. This funding is not for your future self.
This is often the most flexible part of an NDIS plan.
Core Supports may include:
- Assistance with personal care
- Help with showering and dressing
- Support workers for daily activities
- Help with household tasks
- Community access
- Transport supports
- Consumables such as continence products
Practical examples of Core Support include:
- A support worker helping someone get ready for the day
- A support worker taking a participant to a social group
- Help with cleaning because the participant cannot safely do it because of their disability
- Disability-related transport assistance to get to appointments or activities
- Continence products needed because of the participant’s disability
Core Supports are generally about helping a person with day-to-day life right now.
You can read our detailed resource here: Understanding Core Supports in Your NDIS Plan
Capacity Building Supports
Capacity Building Supports help a participant build skills, confidence and independence over time.
They help you build the skills and independence your future self needs.
These supports are usually linked to the goals in your NDIS plan.
Capacity Building Supports may include:
- Occupational therapy
- Speech therapy
- Psychology
- Physiotherapy
- Exercise physiology
- Support Coordination
- Behaviour support
- Employment supports
- Skills development
Practical examples include:
- An occupational therapist helping a child build daily living skills
- A speech pathologist helping someone communicate more clearly
- A Support Coordinator helping a participant understand and use their plan
- A behaviour support practitioner developing a behaviour support plan
- Employment support to help a participant prepare for work
Capacity Building Supports are usually less flexible than Core Supports.
This means funding in one Capacity Building category often needs to be used for that specific type of support (this is known as a stated supported).
Capital Supports
Capital Supports fund higher-cost items, equipment and modifications.
This funding is usually for specific approved items (again ‘stated supports’)
Capital Supports may include:
- Assistive technology
- Wheelchairs
- Communication devices
- Home modifications
- Vehicle modifications
- Specialist Disability Accommodation
Practical examples include:
- A powered wheelchair
- A shower chair
- A speech-generating communication device
- Ramps at home
- Bathroom modifications
- Mofications to you car so that you can drive it – a hand clutch instead of a foot clutch
Capital funding usually cannot be used for everyday supports.
For example, funding approved for a wheelchair cannot be used to pay for a support worker (again the old ‘stated support‘ issue).
What the NDIS Does Not Usually Fund
The NDIS funds disability-related supports.
It does not usually pay for everyday expenses that everyone has, whether they have a disability or not.
Examples of everyday expenses the NDIS does not fund include:
- Rent or mortgage payments
- Groceries
- Electricity bills
- Water bills
- Standard phone or internet plans
- Clothing
- Streaming subscriptions
- Restaurant meals
- School fees
- Holiday costs
Here are some practical examples of what the NDIS won’t fund:
The NDIS may fund a support worker to help you prepare meals, but it does not pay for the groceries.
The NDIS may fund transport support if your disability makes it difficult to use public transport, but it does not pay for a family holiday.
The NDIS may fund home modifications if they are related to your disability (like a ramp or rail), but it does not pay your rent or mortgage.
The NDIS may fund therapy to build communication skills (like speech therapy), but it does not pay for a standard mobile phone plan.
If you are unsure whether something can be claimed, ask your Plan Hero plan manager, Support Coordinator or the NDIS before purchasing it.
How to Find NDIS Providers
Once you have funding, you need to find providers who can deliver the supports in your plan.
Providers may include:
- Support workers
- Therapists
- Plan managers
- Support coordinators
- Cleaners and gardeners
- Community access providers
- Equipment suppliers
- Accommodation providers
You can find providers in several ways.
- Search the official NDIS Provider Finder
- Ask your Support Coordinator for recommendations
- Ask other families or carers who they use
- Search local disability directories
- Attend disability expos or community events
- Use services such as MyCareSpace to help find suitable supports
Plan Hero also has information about finding providers here:
Before choosing an NDIS provider, it is worth asking practical questions like:
- Do you have experience supporting people with similar needs?
- Do you have capacity to take new participants?
- Are you a registered or unregistered provider?
- What suburbs or areas do you service?
- What are your hourly rates?
- Do you charge travel?
- What happens if my regular worker is away?
- How do you communicate with families?
- Can I stop services if the provider is not the right fit?
A good provider should be able to clearly explain their service, pricing, availability and cancellation rules. Read this helpful guide on How to choose great NDIS providers
How Plan Management Can Help
Plan management is one way your NDIS funding can be managed.
A plan manager helps with the ‘financial’ side of your NDIS plan.
This can include:
- Paying provider invoices
- Checking invoices before they are paid
- Keeping track of your budgets
- Helping you understand what funding is available
- Helping you keep track of your funding periods
- Giving you more choice of providers than agency-managed funding
For example, if a therapist sends an invoice, your plan manager checks and processes the invoice using your NDIS funding.
If you are worried about overspending or underspending, a plan manager can help you understand how much funding has been used and how much is left.
Plan Hero provides NDIS plan management and helps participants and families manage their NDIS funding with less stress.
You can learn more here: What is NDIS Plan Management.
If you are unsure about the difference between a Plan Manager and a Support Coordinator, Plan Hero explains it here: NDIS Plan Management vs Support Coordination.
Final Thoughts
The NDIS can feel complicated at first, but you do not need to understand everything at once.
Start with the basics:
- Understand what your plan includes
- Learn what each funding category is for
- Know what the NDIS usually will and will not fund
- Find providers who suit your needs
- Ask questions before agreeing to services
- Keep records, reports and invoices organised
The more you understand your plan, the easier it becomes to make confident decisions about your supports.
