Does the NDIS pay for meals?

The NDIS does not fund the cost of groceries, fast food, or takeaway services like Uber and DoorDash.

But the NDIS will fund the cost of meal preparation and delivery if your disability is stopping you from preparing meals yourself or understanding your nutritional needs.

They might also fund support to help you prepare meals yourself and in some cases specific nutritional supports.

What meals will the NDIS fund?

The NDIS may provide you with funding for:

1. A Support Worker to help you with meal preparation: You can ask for a support worker to help you shop for or prepare your own meals or to prepare a meal for you. This can be funded under the CORE Support – Assistance with daily living part of your NDIS plan.

2. Meal Delivery Services: The NDIS can fund the preparation and delivery cost of prepared meals (but not the ingredients cost). This is estimated to be 70% of the total cost. Some NDIS services you can explore include Able Foods, The Good Meal Co, Lite n’ Easy.

IMPORTANT: Funding for meal preparation must be specified in your NDIS Plan, and you can use your CORE Support funding to pay for it.

3. Nutrition Supports: If your disability requires specific nutritional management, the NDIS may fund prescribed nutritional supplements to help you eat or drink. The supplements need to be directly related to your disability.

For more information on Nutrition Support related to HEN and PEG feeding read here: https://ourguidelines.ndis.gov.au/supports-you-can-access-menu/nutrition-supports-including-meal-preparation/what-types-nutrition-supports-do-we-fund

Will the NDIS pay for Food?

The NDIS will not pay for groceries or food ingredients. The cost of food or ingredients is considered an everyday living cost and is not funded by the NDIS.

Will the NDIS pay for Nutritional Supplements?

If you need help to manage your nutrition because of your disability, the NDIS may be able to fund products you use like nutritional supplements, thickener products and HEN formula.

These nutritional supplements need to be prescribed, and their need must be directly related to your disability. You will need to provide evidence of this.

IMPORTANT: The NDIS will not fund vitamins or everyday health supplements.

Will the NDIS pay for Dietary Supplements?

Unless directly related to your disability and prescribed by a healthcare professional, dietary supplements are generally not funded.

The NDIS does not fund any other nutrition supports unrelated to your disability, such as:

• Weight loss programs.
• Eating disorders.
• Food allergies.
• Diabetes, cardiovascular disease, renal disease, or irritable bowel syndrome.

What happens if my support worker can’t help me with meal preparation

If your plan includes funding for a support worker to help with meal preparation, and the support worker is temporarily unavailable, you can use this funding flexibly for meal delivery services for a short period.

However, this arrangement should be temporary, and you may need to provide evidence if it extends for a longer time.

Who is eligible for meal preparation funding?

To be eligible for NDIS funding for meal preparation or delivery services, you must demonstrate that:

1. Your disability prevents you from preparing meals or understanding your nutritional needs.

2. The support is directly related to your disability and helps you achieve your goals.

3. The service is reasonable and necessary, as per NDIS funding criteria.

How do I get funding for meal preparation in my NDIS plan?

To get nutrition supports in your plan, you need to give the NDIS evidence which helps them understand the disability related support you need.

This could be a detailed report from:

• your dietitian which includes any nutritional meal plans for you
• another suitably qualified health professional which explains why you need a nutrition support.
• An allied health professional (like an Occupational Therapist) who explains why you need help from a support worker when preparing your own meals.

You will need to provide supporting information as to why this support is reasonable and necessary and needs to be funded in your NDIS plan.  

How much of my meal delivery cost will the NDIS pay?

If you use your NDIS core budget to fund meal preparation or delivery services, you can claim:

• 100% of the invoice: If the provider has already removed the cost of food and only charges for preparation and delivery.
• 70% of the invoice: If the provider includes the cost of food in the total cost.

IMPORTANT: Your NDIS provider must issue itemised invoices that clearly separate the cost of food from the cost of preparation and delivery. This is a requirement for NDIS claims.

Will the NDIS pay for Uber Eats, DoorDash and fast-food restaurants

No, the NDIS does not fund delivery services like Uber Eats, DoorDash, or fast-food restaurants. These platforms do not provide itemised invoices that separate the cost of food from delivery, which is a requirement for NDIS funding. Additionally, fast food and takeaway services are considered everyday living costs and are not covered by the NDIS.

Will the NDIS pay for Lite ‘n Easy?

Yes, currently the NDIS will pay for Lite ‘n Easy prepared meals because it provides itemised invoices that separate the food/ingredients component from the total cost of the item.

The NDIS will not fund the food component of a prepared meal. This is usually 30% of the total cost of a prepared meal from Lite ‘n Easy. You will need to pay this portion out of your own pocket. You can use your NDIS funding for nutritional supports to pay for the remaining 70%.

Sources: https://ourguidelines.ndis.gov.au/supports-you-can-access-menu/nutrition-supports-including-meal-preparation
https://ourguidelines.ndis.gov.au/media/1633/download?attachment
https://ourguidelines.ndis.gov.au/supports-you-can-access-menu/nutrition-supports-including-meal-preparation/what-types-nutrition-supports-do-we-fund
https://ourguidelines.ndis.gov.au/supports-you-can-access-menu/nutrition-supports-including-meal-preparation/what-types-nutrition-supports-do-we-fund/what-if-you-need-help-prepare-meals

How do you get nutrition supports in your plan? | NDIS
https://ourguidelines.ndis.gov.au/supports-you-can-access-menu/nutrition-supports-including-meal-preparation/what-types-nutrition-supports-do-we-fund