Guide to NDIS funding categories
A bit confused by the NDIS funding categories? As registered NDIS providers, we’re here to help you make the most of this financial support.
An NDIS plan can include four key budget types: Core, Capacity Building, Capital and Recurring supports. These are carefully chosen by your NDIS planner to align with your personal goals, providing financial support for daily activities and overall well-being.
As NDIS funding is intended solely for necessary and reasonable supports, the specific categories that you receive a budget for will depend on your unique needs.
Below, we explain what sorts of assistance can be included within each NDIS funding category. Read on to learn which services may or may not be covered in your plan.
Core Supports
As the main NDIS funding category, the majority of participants have Core Supports in their plan. This budget covers assistance with everyday activities so that you can work towards your life goals.
Importantly, it can include both flexible and stated supports. Read on to learn what’s included in each.
As a consequence, a person with a psychosocial disability may find it challenging to participate in social, education, training and employment activities.
Flexible Core Supports
This type of funding can be allocated towards support from other budget categories, provided they fall under the same management.
Assistance with Daily Life
This Core Support is designed to provide assistance or supervision with daily personal tasks so that you can live as independently as possible. Subject to NDIS approval, possible inclusions are as follows:
- Personal care, along with household tasks like cleaning, gardening, or meal preparation, subject to NDIS approval;
- Laundry assistance, including linen services;
- Options for alternative living arrangements;
- Provision of short to medium-term accommodation and assistance, like respite care;
- Supported Independent Living (SIL) options; and
- Nursing care to help manage health needs related to your disability.
Transport
This NDIS funding covers transport costs associated with the impact of your disability and is paid to a provider. Examples include:
- Taxi fares if your disability hinders access to public transport
- Specialised transport services to go to a school, work or community event that is not itself an NDIS support
Please note that day-to-day transport will usually be funded under the Transport Recurring support category. More on this below.
Consumables
The Consumables support is designed to assist with the costs of routine items and services required to care for your disability. It encompasses a range of products and services like:
- Disability-specific products, including nutritional supplements and continence aids;
- Support for language services, like translation or training in signed English; and
- Affordable assistive technology for personal care and safety, like modified eating utensils and handrails
Assistance with Social, Economic and Community Participation
This type of NDIS funding covers a variety of activities or programs aimed at enhancing your ability to engage and socialise with others. These supports can be held in various settings, from community halls to sports clubs. It can cover:
- Individualised assistance for participating in social events, vacations, camps, or hobby classes;
- Opportunities to take part in sports and physical activities;
- Help with attending community facilities, like going to the movies;
- Transportation to and from activities; and
- Help with maintaining your profession.
Stated Core Supports
With Stated Core Supports, funding must be used exactly as specified in your NDIS plan.
Home and Living
This assistance is available to help you lead a more independent life. Home and Living Supports can include:
- Supported independent living (SIL) is designed to enable you to live in your own home with greater independence, while also building your day-to-day skills. It includes assistance or supervision with daily activities, such as personal care or meal preparation. SIL is particularly geared towards individuals with more substantial support needs who require consistent assistance at home.
- Medium term accommodation (MTA) provides temporary housing while you wait for your new long-term residence to get disability supports. To qualify, you must have a permanent home lined up and need an interim place to stay. Typically, MTA is funded for up to 90 days.
- An individualised living option (ILO) allows you to select your living environment and organise support in a way that works best for you. It can encompass personal care, skill development, and help with domestic tasks such as grocery shopping or cleaning.
YPIRAC – Cross Billing
This financial support may be available to cover certain charges for younger individuals residing in residential aged care (YPIRAC).
This arrangement is part of an agreement with the Department of Health and Aged Care, which helps subsidise some of these expenses.
Capital Supports
Capital Supports fund products or services that can lessen the impact of your disability on your day-to-day life.
This inflexible budget tends to cover particular items that have already been discussed in your planning meeting and approved by the National Disability Insurance Agency.
Additionally, many inclusions are ‘quotable’, meaning that participants have to receive a written quote from a provider in a service agreement before buying it.
Assistive Technology
This support is dedicated to providing mid-range and high-cost assistive technology, such as a wheelchair or smart device, that helps you to reach your full potential – whether at home, work or in the community.
Assistive Technology – Maintenance, Repair & Rental
This NDIS funding is reserved for the repair and upkeep of assistive technology, including the short-term rental and trial of assistive technology aids.
Home Modifications
Financial support is available for home modifications that address the obstacles your disability brings and ease everyday living.
Depending on your needs, this can involve additional bathroom fixtures, adjustments to your kitchen configuration or other changes that can improve safety and access around the home.
Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA)
SDA funding covers a variety of housing purpose-built for NDIS participants with extreme functional impairment or very high support needs.
These homes have accessible features so that residents can live more independently while still receiving the disability support required.
Capacity Building Supports
Capacity Building Supports are allocated to activities that help you to strengthen your independence, life skills and social connections. All of these supports are stated in your NDIS plan, so they cannot be transferred across to other categories.
Behaviour Support
This support provides assistance to develop strategies for managing challenging behaviours, like specialised interventions that enhance your quality of life.
Support Coordination & Psychosocial Recovery
As the name suggests, this support offers resources for support coordinators and psychosocial recovery coaches. Support coordinators guide you in understanding your plan, connecting with NDIS providers, and integrating community, private and government supports, gradually boosting your confidence to organise these services yourself.
Meanwhile, recovery coaching is specially designed to support and empower individuals with a psychosocial disability.
Improved Living Arrangements
This allocation assists you in securing appropriate accommodation. Examples include assistance with property inspections, rental applications and lease negotiations.
It can also cover support that helps you adhere to tenancy requirements, and ensure the housing is suitable for your needs.
Increased Social and Community Participation
This funding supports social skill development and community engagement.
It can also be used for educational courses, art classes, sports coaching, camps, holiday programs and other activities that offer the opportunity to build connections and capacity.
Finding and Keeping a Job
These resources help you to search for jobs, secure a role and perform it properly. It can include assistance with job applications, training, and evaluations.
Relationships
These supports are aimed at fostering relationships within your community, and can include funding for social skill development or behavioural therapy services.
Health and Wellbeing
These funds are allocated to services that enhance your health and wellbeing. For instance, working with a personal trainer or nutritionist to manage the effects of your disability and bolster your physical abilities.
Lifelong Learning
Lifelong Learning supports facilitate the transition from school to higher education. Covering training, advice and support, it can be used to pay a support worker to assist with university or TAFE attendance.
Choice and Control
Choice and Control supports provide assistance with NDIS funding management and payments. More specifically, it covers the cost of hiring a registered NDIS plan manager.
Improved Daily Living Skills
These funds cover therapies and other programs designed to build your capacity and reduce the impact of your disability. Examples include physiotherapy, speech pathology and occupational therapy. A service can be delivered one-on-one or in a group setting.
Recurring Supports
As the covered services are used so frequently, Recurring Supports are paid straight to your nominated bank account on a routine schedule. That way, you won’t have to make a claim first.
Transport Recurring
These funds are intended for your daily transportation requirements. From trains to taxis, enjoy the flexibility to choose whatever mode of transport suits your needs most effectively.
Discover NDIS support services in the Hunter region
Now that you know exactly what’s under each of the four NDIS funding categories, you can get the most out of your plan.
At Hunter Care Group, we provide support coordination, Supported Independent Living and psychosocial recovery coaching services to help NDIS participants lead more fulfilling lives.
To find out more about our NDIS support services in Newcastle, please reach out to our friendly team at (02) 4950 2269 or enquire online. We are always happy to help.