Understand Your NDIS Plan

Understand how NDIS budget work?

There are 3 types of support budgets that may be funded in the NDIS plan. The 3 types of support budgets are:

Core Support Budget

Capacity Building Support Budget

Capital Support Budget

Let’s discuss each of the support budgets in brief:

1. Core Support Budget

Core Support’s budget aims to help you with everyday activities which you are finding difficult to the problem. The core Supports budget is the most flexible in the NDIS plan. In most cases, you can use your funding across any of the following four support categories included in the core support budget. However, there are instances where you do not have enough flexibility in your funding, particularly for transport funding. The core support budget includes the following four support categories.

  • Assistance With Social And Community Participation:  Here, support workers will assist you to participate in social and community activities.
  • Assistance With Daily Life: Here, support workers will assist you with everyday needs, household cleaning, and/or yard maintenance.
  • Consumables: Here, support workers will assist you with everyday items you may need. For example, continence products or low-cost assistive technology and equipment to improve your independence and/or mobility.
  • Transport: Here, support workers will assist you in travel to work or other places that will help you pursue the goals in your plan.

2. Capacity Building Support Budget

Capacity Building Supports budget helps you to become more independent and learn new skills that may help you to pursue your goals. Unlike your core supports budget, your Capacity Building Supports budget cannot be moved from one support category to another. Funding can only be used to purchase approved supports that fall within the capacity-building categories. There are 9 categories in the capacity-building support budget. This includes the following:

  • Support Coordination:  This includes funding for a support coordinator to help with using your child’s plan.
  • Improved Living Arrangements: Here, support workers will help you to find and maintain an appropriate place to live.
  • Increase Social And Community Participation: Here, support workers will help you to participate in the community, and social and recreational activities with an aim to increase your skills.
  • Finding And Keeping a Job: This includes employment-related support, training, and assessments that help you find and keep a job, such as a school leaver employment supports.
  • Improved Relationship:  Here, support workers will assist you to develop positive behaviors and interact with others.
  • Improved Health and Well-Being: This includes exercise or diet advice to manage the impact of your disability.  Note: The NDIS does not fund gym memberships.
  • Improved Learning: Here, support workers will provide you with training, and advice, and help you to move from school to further education, such as at university or TAFE.
  • Improved Life Choices: Here, support workers will help you manage your plan, funding, and pay for services.
  • Improved Daily Living: Here, support workers will provide you with training or therapy with the aim increase your skills, independence, and community participation. These services can be delivered by support workers both in groups or individually.

3. Capital Support Budget

The capital supports budget aims to help you to invest in assistive technology equipment or equipment related to your disability and for house or vehicle modifications. There are two categories in which the capital support budget is divided. These are:

Assistive Technology: This includes equipment items for mobility, personal care, communication, and recreational inclusion such as wheelchairs or vehicle modifications.

Home Modification: This includes home modifications such as the installation of a handrail in a bathroom, or Specialist Disability Accommodation for participants who require special housing because of their disability.