(Updated for the 2025–26 Pricing Arrangements)
If you’re an NDIS participant, new or old, one of the biggest questions you’re bound to have is:
“What can I spend my NDIS funding on?”
Yes, that old chestnut!
We speak to participants and carers every week who want to know whether they can spend their funding on everyday things like cleaning, gardening, or meals. In the NDIS we call these ‘Daily Living Supports’.
Since every NDIS plan is different, we would start by looking at whether a support is “reasonable and necessary”, and then whether your plan either specifically includes it or you have funds which could be used for it.
This guide breaks down what ‘Daily Living Supports’ usually include, how the funding works, and answers some of the most common questions we hear.
What are Daily Living Supports in the NDIS?
Daily Living Supports are part of the Core Supports budget in an NDIS plan — specifically, a category called Assistance with Daily Life (Support Category 01).
These supports help you with:
- everyday personal tasks or
- household activities
that you can’t do safely or independently because of your disability.
They can include help with:
- Showering, dressing or toileting
- Cleaning, cooking, or household organisation
- Shopping and meal preparation
- Support worker assistance with daily routines
- Help to access the community or social activities
Again, every participant’s NDIS plan looks different. Some people use this funding for a few hours a week of personal care, while others use it to manage daily tasks that require regular support.
How Daily Living Supports Are Funded
Daily Living supports are funded under your Core budget, and they are flexible.
That means you can choose how to spend this part of your plan between several categories (as long as it meets your goals and the “reasonable and necessary” test).
For example, if you need a bit more support at home for personal care one month, and a bit more cleaning or community access the next, you can adjust — as long as it’s within the same budget area.
The cost of these supports have price limits, which are listed in the NDIS Price List (Support Catalogue).
TIP: You can search for prices using our easy Price List Search Tool.
For example:
- Assistance with Self Care Activities (daily personal tasks)
- Assistance with Household Tasks
- Participation in Community, Social and Civic Activities
NOTE: The NDIS requires that plan managed and agency managed participants CANNOT pay more than the published price limits.
FAQs: What Daily Living Supports Can Be Funded?
Below are 10 of the most common supports people ask us about — and what’s generally covered under NDIS funding.
1. Will the NDIS pay for Cleaning Services?
The NDIS can fund cleaning services if your disability makes it difficult to complete household tasks safely or effectively.
This can include:
- Regular home cleaning
- Laundry assistance
- Changing bed linen
- General tidying related to your disability support needs
The support falls under Core – Assistance with Daily Life (Assistance with Household Tasks).
However, the NDIS won’t fund cleaning that anyone in the household would normally do, such as after parties, spring cleaning, or yard maintenance for cosmetic purposes.
Funding may be possible if the cleaning is reasonable and necessary for your disability — for example, if you can’t safely use cleaning products or reach certain areas.
2. Will the NDIS pay for Gardening or Lawn Mowing?
Generally, the NDIS may fund gardening or lawn mowing when your disability prevents you from maintaining a safe and functional outdoor space.
For example:
- Mowing lawns or trimming paths to prevent falls
- Clearing pathways for wheelchair access
- Removing hazards around entryways
However, the NDIS does not fund aesthetic or cosmetic gardening, such as planting flowers, landscaping, or pool cleaning.
If your need is about safety and accessibility, it may be funded under Core – Assistance with Daily Life (Household Tasks).
3. Will the NDIS pay for a Support Worker?
Funding for support workers is one of the most common daily living supports.
This funding can be used for personal care, assistance with daily tasks, or community access — as long as it’s directly linked to your disability.
Examples include:
- Help getting ready for the day
- Attending appointments
- Learning or practising independent living skills
- Support to build daily routines
TIP: Check the Support Worker Rates using our Easy Search Price List Tool
NOTE: Funding levels vary depending on whether the support is standard or high-intensity, the time of day, and where you live (some remote areas have higher limits).
4. Will the NDIS pay for help with my showering and toileting?
The NDIS funds personal care supports like showering, toileting, dressing, and grooming if you can’t complete these tasks safely or independently due to your disability.
This support can be delivered by a support worker under Core – Assistance with Daily Life (Self Care Activities).
You can receive this help at home, in supported living, or in the community (for example, help using accessible facilities during outings).
The NDIS usually won’t fund this type of support if it’s not disability-related — for instance, if the need is due to temporary illness or recovery from a non-disability-related condition.
5. Will the NDIS pay for meals or food?
Meal preparation can be funded when your disability makes it hard to plan, prepare, or cook meals safely.
Supports can include:
- A support worker helping you cook at home
- Assistance with portioning, safe food handling, or nutrition guidance
- In some cases, ready-made meals delivered to your home (with only the preparation costs covered)
This support usually sits under Core – Assistance with Daily Life (Household Tasks).
NOTE: The cost of food itself is not funded — only the preparation and delivery component of the meal service.
Funding may be possible for specific diet-related supports (for example, modified textures or feeding supports) if they are directly related to your disability.
6. Will the NDIS pay for help with my shopping?
If your disability prevents you from shopping safely or independently, the NDIS will fund support to help you undertake this everyday activity.
Support may include:
- A support worker helping you shop for groceries
- Help managing shopping lists or budgeting for food and essentials
- Online shopping support (with a worker helping you order items)
The funding falls under Core – Assistance with Daily Life (Self Care or Household Tasks).
NOTE: The NDIS won’t pay for the cost of goods, only for the support worker’s time assisting with shopping or handling items.
7. Will the NDIS pay for gym memberships?
The NDIS does not fund standard gym memberships because they are considered an everyday, lifestyle expense that many people pay for themselves.
8. Will the NDIS pay for swimming or hydrotherapy?
Hydrotherapy or swimming-based exercise can sometimes be funded if:
- It’s a therapeutic program delivered by a physiotherapist or exercise physiologist, it may be covered under Capacity Building – Improved Health and Wellbeing.
Recreational swimming or swimming lessons are not funded as this is considered an expense that every person may have, regardless of their disability.
NOTE: Pool entry fees are considered a personal cost, but a support worker’s time to assist you during sessions may be funded if it’s directly related to your disability needs.
9. Will the NDIS pay for help accessing the community?
Community access supports are funded, especially when they help you achieve social participation or independence goals.
This can include the help of a Support Worker to:
- Attend appointments, volunteering, or social groups
- Go to the library, classes, or community events
- Build confidence using public transport or navigating community spaces
These supports fall under Core – Assistance with Social, Economic and Community Participation (Support Category 04).
NOTE: The NDIS won’t fund tickets or entry fees for recreational activities, but it can fund the support worker’s time and transport costs.
10. Will the NDIS pay for personal training sessions?
Yes, the NDIS will fund personal training provided that it delivers supports that maintain or increase physical mobility or well-being to address the functional impact of the participant’s disability.
The following would be required:
- Service delivered by an appropriately qualified professional
- Assessment and development of a personalised exercise program which aims to increase or maintain a participant’s functional capacity
- A program that aims to maintain muscle strength, range of motion, balance and mobility.
For example, building strength for mobility aids, improving coordination after a neurological condition, or preventing injury.
It might be funded under Capacity Building – Improved Health and Wellbeing or through your Core funding..
What the NDIS Won’t Fund for Daily Living
Even though the NDIS is designed to promote independence and safety, it won’t fund:
- Everyday household costs unrelated to your disability (like rent, groceries, or utilities)
- Non-disability-related domestic tasks (like cleaning for guests or lawn beautification)
- Leisure or lifestyle expenses (like spa memberships or take-away meals)
- Duplicated supports (for example, if you already have support hours allocated for the same task)
All supports must meet the reasonable and necessary test and directly relate to your disability.
How Plan Hero Can Help You
At Plan Hero, our plan management team know these funding rules inside out.
We support parents, carers and participants every day who just want a clear answer — “Can this be covered under my plan?”
Here’s how we help:
- We explain what’s usually covered and check which category it fits under.
- We make sure invoices meet NDIS rules, so payments are smooth and compliant.
- We don’t make you repeat yourself — your Plan Hero manager always references your file and history.
- We respond quickly, so you can make decisions confidently.
If you’re a Plan Hero Participant and unsure whether something fits under your Daily Living supports budget, you can always call or email your Plan Manager.
We’ll explain what’s generally covered, help you check your plan, and guide you on the next steps.
