December, 2024 No 7

NDIS Support Fund Categories

Adapted from : Leap In! Newsletter Have the NDIS support categories changed?

Understanding the NDIS support fund categories is necessary and important. The NDIS Fund Plan offer different buckets of funding, often called support or budget categories.  We explain below some categories participants may have, so you can best utilise your NDIS plan.  Categories may differ depending if your plan is an NDIS PACE Plan or an original NDIS Plan.

What are the NDIS support categories?

The main NDIS support categories are Core supports, Capital supports, Capacity Building supports and Recurring supports (for some PACE plans).

Some Facts

• You can now access a list of NDIS Supports that states what you are and are not allowed to spend your funding on
• Some support categories are flexible, which means you can spend money from that category on any reasonable and necessary NDIS support
• In some cases, you can only purchase supports as stated in your plan
• Some supports require a 'quote submission' to the NDIS, or supporting documents from a treating professional like an occupational therapist
• NDIS funding can only be spent on reasonable and necessary disability-related supports, not on ordinary living expenses.

Core Supports

Core supports are the main support category, and most people will have this budget in their NDIS Plan. NDIS Core supports provides funding for things that help with everyday activities and your disability-related needs. They can be used to purchase physical items or assistance for activities you undertake in daily life. Your Core supports budget is the most flexible NDIS funding category and in some cases, you can use your funding across the Core support categories. BUT There are instances where funding is allocated for a specific support or service, and you can’t use it for something else.

Types of Core Supports:

• Assistance with daily life: Supports to assist you with making household decisions, personal care, cooking, cleaning and short term accommodation (respite).
• Assistance with social, economic and community participation: Supports that assist you to take part in community, social, cultural and civic activities such as support during relevant activities and working with you to develop your ability to participate. This can include support attending appointments, going to the shops or engaging in social or recreational activities.
• Consumables: Funds everyday items related to your disability support needs such as continence products.

Under the new NDIS support lists, any day-to-day living costs like groceries, medicines, appliances and household items cannot be paid for with your NDIS Plan. A substitution process exists that allows participants to request a replacement support for some household items generally considered not NDIS supports in certain circumstances.

Capital Supports

Capital supports fund more expensive assistive technology or supports such as specialist disability accommodation (SDA). This is the least flexible NDIS budget category and is restricted to specific items identified in your NDIS Plan. Most items are 'quotable', which means that participants must negotiate a price with a provider and obtain a written quote before purchase.

• Types of Capital Supports:
  • Assistive technology: Items and devices that assist with independence. NDIS will not fund standard computers, computer accessories, consoles, games or streaming subscriptions. Smart watches, tablets or smartphones that are required for communication and accessibility needs can only be funded if the NDIS agrees in writing.
  • Assistive technology maintenance, repair and rental (PACE plans only): If your plan has funding for repairs, you can get repairs and maintenance done as needed. Always ask for a quote from the repairer so you know how much it may cost.
  • Home modifications: Supports that design, change or modify a home to assist with safety at home and independent living. Includes installing equipment or changing a building’s structure, fixture or fittings.

Capacity Building Supports

Capacity Building funding is for supports to enable you to become more independent and assist to learn new skills. These should be connected with your goals. Examples may include living more independently, finding a job, or getting help to manage your NDIS Plan. Capacity Building funding can only be used to purchase approved supports that fall within the types below, meet the reasonable and necessary criteria, and are considered NDIS Supports.

Types of Capacity Building Supports: (Note: These names are based on the new PACE system – older plans will have different names for some of these supports, which are included alongside the PACE names.)

• Support coordination and psychosocial recovery coach (previously Support coordination) to help you get the most from your budgets and supports. A Support Coordinator is a person who connects NDIS participants to organisations that provide supports and services including community, mainstream and government services.
• Improved living arrangements to help you find and keep an appropriate place to live.
• Increased social and community participation: support for you when taking part in social or community activities, helping you build your capacity to engage in social activities independently.
• Finding and keeping a job, which may include employment-related support, training and assessments.
• Relationships (previously called Improved relationships): Supports to help you develop positive social skills and interact with others in the community.
• Health and wellbeing (previously called Improved health and wellbeing): Supports directly related to managing the impact of your disability on your health.
• Lifelong learning (previously called Improved learning): Can be used to support you to move from school to further education such as university or TAFE. Note that the NDIS will not fund the costs of study or vocational courses.
• Choice and control (previously called Improved life choices): Where you can find your plan management funding.
• Improved daily living skills: Can be used for assessment, training or therapy (including early childhood supports) to maintain, develop or increase your skills, independence and community participation.
• Behaviour support to help you develop behavioural management strategies to reduce behaviours of concern, including specialist behavioural intervention supports to help improve your quality of life.

Recurring Supports

These are the supports the NDIS pays to you directly on a regular basis – you don’t need to make a claim for these.

Types of Recurring Supports:

• Transport, which covers the cost of everyday transport like taxis and rideshare services, if you cannot use public transport because of your disability.

If you need help understanding your plan, please ask! We can provide guidance and answers, help you prepare for plan meetings and reassessments, find the right supports and assist with all NDIS bookkeeping, including paying approved invoices.

Please contact Proactive Support’s Director, Beatrice Airs, on 0406 940 123 or info@proactive-support.com.au