From October 3 2024, the Government has released the lists of what NDIS participants can and cannot spend their funding on.
The lists include items that are NDIS supports and items that are not NDIS supports.
Participants who need specific items for their disability will still be able to access those items through these lists.
These lists are based on existing guidance, so in most cases there is unlikely to be any change to the supports a person is currently using.
There will be a transition period for the first year of the new NDIS supports lists to give participants time to learn and understand.
If you’re unsure, there are a few things you can do:
- read the NDIS Supports list on the Our Guidelines website.
- we'll also be sending a link to all participants
- speak to your Local Area Coordinator, Early Childhood Partner or Support Coordinator
- if you’re still unsure, call us on 1800 800 110.
From 3 October 2024 you must use your funding to purchase services, items and equipment that can be funded by the NDIS.
We will work with you to help you understand the new rules and access supports that are NDIS supports.
The Government has released definitions of NDIS supports making it clear what NDIS funds can and cannot be used for. These definitions are based on existing guidance.
Lists of specific items that are allowable NDIS supports and those that are not allowed are on the NDIS website.
If a support is included on the list showing what is not an NDIS Support - it is not allowed to be funded from NDIS plans from 3 October 2024.
There is a transitional rule allowing participants to continue to access supports that are not NDIS supports if they were specifically identified as reasonable and necessary before 3 October 2024, for the duration of their existing plan.
This also includes situations where the Administrative Appeals Tribunal has decided that the support should be funded as a reasonable and necessary support.
This rule does not apply to sexual services, alcohol or drugs. These supports are specified in the primary Act as non-NDIS supports.
NDIS participants will continue to receive the disability-related supports they need. However, the NDIS was not designed to pay for the cost of everyday expenses.
Find more information on the supports lists .
You can contact your local area coordinator, early childhood partner or support coordinator.
You can also contact us.
We know it will take time for people to learn about and understand the new NDIS support lists and we’ve heard participants’ concerns about what may happen if someone accidentally buys something which is not an NDIS support.
That’s why there will be a transition period for the first year (12 months) to help people to understand the new NDIS Supports lists.
We will work with participants who make mistakes to make sure that they understand the NDIS supports lists.
A person who makes a mistake and claims an item which is not an NDIS support will not have a debt raised for first or second mistakes made in claiming where the support is worth less than $1,500.
This means the NDIA must contact participants twice to explain what is and is not an NDIS support before any debt of less than $1,500 is raised against them.
This rule applies to all participants (including participants who self-manage their funding), nominees and child -representative for a 12-month period commencing from 3 October 2024.
For NDIS providers, it applies for 30 days.
This does not apply if a participant purchases illegal items with funding from their plans.
If incorrect claims are repeated or fraudulent, we may take further action.
Firmer actions can include raising a debt or moving the participant onto an Agency-managed plan.
In the situation where the cost is above $1500 the transitional rule does not apply, and a debt will be raised.
However, it is important to note that any debts related to purchases for $1,500 or more for non-NDIS supports can be written off or waived under the existing provisions of the NDIS Act.
This includes waiver under section 195, which has been updated to allow a debt to be waived in ‘special circumstances’ if the participant unintentionally or unknowingly breaches the Act, regulations, or rules.
It also allows consideration of the participant’s disability as part of a holistic assessment of whether special circumstances exist.
If a debt arises for payments made for non-NDIS supports, it will only be recovered when it is appropriate to do so in line with the Commonwealth policy on debt recovery.
The NDIA will keep using a structured process for debt management, focusing on compliance and audit activities on repeated or intentional non-compliance.
We’ll always consider the individual circumstances, with education and support being the first consideration, particularly during the transition period.
This isn’t about trying to catch people out – we know participants want to do the right thing.
The NDIA has put in place a process that means if the Agency was ever to pursue a debt against a participant – the NDIA CEO would need to sign off this decision first.
This safety net is in place to ensure that raising any debt against a participant would be an absolute last resort and such a decision would never be automated, rather it would not proceed without thoughtful consideration at the most senior level of the Agency.
Please note that the new requirement to spend NDIS amounts only on NDIS supports does not apply to any support with a service or purchase date before 3 October.
If people have made a purchase or booking for an item that is not an NDIS support before this date, they can make a claim for any cancellation fee.
This does not apply if a participant purchases illegal items with funding from their plans.
If you think an item that isn’t a NDIS support is better for you, you can ask to substitute that support.
Only some supports can be replaced.
You can only spend your funding on a substitution if we have agreed in writing that you can buy this support.
There are a few criteria that must be met before we can approve this.
The Rules say which types of supports can be replaced.
The substituted support must also:
- replace one or more supports that are NDIS supports
- be the same price or cheaper than the NDIS support it is replacing, and
- be likely to provide the same or better outcomes than the NDIS supports it is replacing.
You can view the NDIS supports on Our Guidelines website.
In some specific circumstances, we can fund supports that are not NDIS supports.
We call these replacement supports.
When we say replacement support, we mean the service, item or equipment you would like to use instead of the NDIS support or supports in your plan.
Only some supports can be replaced and only if we agree in writing can you buy this support.
A replacement support isn’t an extra support. It replaces an existing NDIS support or supports in your plan.
To find out what can be considered as a replacement support, see What does NDIS fund?
We know that every participant has their own unique needs, and in specific circumstances a participant might need to use their funding for a support that is not a NDIS support.
Participants can ask for a NDIS support to be replaced with certain non-NDIS supports. These are called replacement supports.
This will enable participants to request a replacement of their existing support with a support that is not a NDIS support.
This may occur in circumstances where a standard item might provide better outcomes and cost the same or less than a NDIS Support.
A replacement support may include household items, or very specific items that support a participant’s unique accessibility or communication needs.
Replacement supports must be from this pre-approved replacement supports list.
Applications can be made for the items specified below:
- Standard commercially available household items
- Smart watches
- Tablets
- smart phones
- apps for accessibility/communication purposes
For more information about replacement supports including how to apply for them, see What does NDIS fund?
To get a replacement support approved, the Agency needs to be satisfied the replacement support will provide the same or better outcomes and cost the same or less than another NDIS support that is already in the participant’s plan.
Participants must apply for and receive approval of a replacement support before purchasing the support.
It cannot be done after purchasing a non-NDIS support.
Participants can fill out an application for a replacement support on the NDIS website or provide the same information in an email or over the phone.
If your application for a replacement support for an item is not approved, you can’t apply for that same replacement support again for 12 months.
The NDIS is not designed to fund items such as an iPad or Apple watch.
However, should a participant know that they are able to communicate with their loved ones or a worker by using an iPad – rather than a specialist and more costly piece of equipment – then they can request the Agency to fund this.
The NDIA will then consider this request and may well say ‘Yes, absolutely that makes sense – so we will fund that on this occasion’.
That’s a really clear example of replacing a more expensive item with a better, more cost-effective solution.
This just makes sense.
It’s important to note the list of replacement supports won’t apply for every participant.
The funding of a replacement support will only benefit some participants, who due to their unique circumstances, are clearly able to demonstrate that a specific item or support, will benefit them and provide a better, more cost-effective option.
You can contact your local area coordinator, early childhood partner or support coordinator to help you understand what supports you can buy.
You can also contact us.
We are committed to ensuring that all communications about the Government changes are accessible to everyone.
That's why we are working with the sector and our suppliers to test and produce materials in a range of accessible formats, including Easy Read documents, animations/videos and Auslan.
An important part of our website accessibility is that content can be easily accessed, including for those using screen readers.
We are working with the sector to develop and test messaging and agile approaches to producing accessible content.
Key information will be translated into 17 languages, including Auslan, to reach as many people as possible.
We have heard consistently, particularly from participants self-managing their supports, that it is not clear what they can spend their funding on.
Making it clear what the NDIS does, and does not, fund will help participants make more informed choices about what they can use their funds for.
The proposed amendments to Section 10 of the NDIS Act enable the creation of new rules (Category A) that outline what is and is not an NDIS support.
It's going to take some time to make a Category A rule. We'll work closely with the disability community and state and territory governments to understand what should and shouldn’t be included.
In the interim, the Minister may create a transitional NDIS Supports rule. This will be in place as soon as the instrument is created and will have effect until the new Category A NDIS supports rule is agreed.
Yes, short term accommodation (STA) is included in the 'supports that are NDIS supports' list.
STA is designed to help informal supports continue their caring role. It is one option that provides participants and their informal supports time apart.
STA allows participants to stay away from their homes and informal supports for a short time. It can be funded for up to 14 days at a time to a maximum of 28 days per calendar year.
STA funding can be used for assistance with self-care or community access and short-term accommodation. It cannot be used to pay for day-to-day living costs such as food and groceries, lifestyle costs or travel.
STA cannot be used to pay for items on the list of non-NDIS supports.
Providers offering STA in a centre or group residence may include meals and activities within the daily rate charged – in line with the NDIS Pricing Arrangements and Price Limits – however these cannot be included if the participant choses to use STA in an individual setting.
We know there are still some questions about what can be claimed under STA, particularly if you want to use a hotel or other accommodation options. A new operational guideline about STA will be available in December 2024 with more information.
STA is funded in a participant's core budget if it relates to their disability support needs, and where it is reasonable and necessary.
It does not need to be stated in a participant's plan.
Participants can access STA as part of the 'assistance with daily life tasks in a group or shared living arrangement' category on the NDIS supports list.
The NDIS funds standard rates for STA, which are available in the NDIS Pricing Arrangements and Price Limits.
Generally funding for STA is for a group price, unless there is evidence that a participant needs individual support.
STA cannot be used to pay for items on the list of non-NDIS supports.
Participants cannot use STA funding to pay for transport to the accommodation funded through STA.
If a participant wants to access STA supports far away from their usual home, the cost of the travel is a day-to-day living cost they are expected to pay for separately. Participants should consider this when choosing an STA option that is right for them. Some participants may have funding for transport to an activity or other support already in their plan. If a participant usually needs transport support because of their disability, their provider may include the cost of transport from the accommodation to activities they provide.
No. STA is not for holidays or tourist travel. It is designed to provide participants and their informal supports time apart.
STA cannot be used to pay for items on the list of non-NDIS supports.
NDIS funding can’t be used to pay for:
- cruises, holiday packages, holiday accommodation and airfares, passports, visas, or travel and vehicle insurance
- accommodation or travel expenses for family members or support workers
- theme parks, music, theatre, cinema, sporting events, and conferences
- day-to-day living costs such as food or meals. In some cases, your provider may include meals as part of your STA in a centre or group setting. The NDIS funds standard rates for STA, so you may need to negotiate these costs with your provider. Once you have used your STA funding, you can’t ask us for more. You can find the rates in the NDIS Pricing Arrangements and Price Limits.
If a participant requires support while on holiday, they can continue to use their usual non-STA supports from their NDIS plan.
Participants should speak with their support coordinator, local area coordinator, early childhood partner or planner if they are going on a holiday and need their NDIS supports delivered in another location.
No. This is because if a participant is living alone or in a supported independent living arrangement, they already have time apart from family and informal supports.
An ILO arrangement should be delivered in line with the ILO guideline . ILO is a package of supports to help a participant live in their chosen home environment in a way that best suits them. It does not fund the home itself.
An ILO includes an agreed ILO service proposal and is overseen by a provider. An ILO does not include a participant’s rent or mortgage payments, or everyday costs like food, electricity or internet bills.
If participants are living with people who offer them support throughout their day or week, and who have ILO funding in their plan and an ILO arrangement in place, the changes to Section 10 in the Amended NDIS Act (NDIS supports) will not impact payments for these supports. The supports provided must be in line with the participant’s ILO service proposal and the ILO Operational Guidelines and Section 10 requirements for NDIS supports .
The new NDIS transitional rules covering these supports align with existing ILO policy. They aim to ensure participants are not using their NDIS funding to pay for their rental costs and are using their NDIS funding to purchase NDIS supports under an agreed ILO arrangement.
Participants, their families and supporters interested in considering ILO arrangements should contact the NDIS or a local area coordinator for more information.
A new policy on ILO will be developed through co-design and released mid 2025.
Animal-assisted therapy can be an NDIS support - therapeutic support
Animal-assisted therapy is not the same as ‘animal therapy’. Animal-assisted therapists may use an animal to play a role in a goal-directed, structured intervention which will assist the therapist and the participant to engage in therapy.
Animals can be used as therapy tools, just like a board game, Lego, or a swing could also be used as a tool in a therapy session.
For example, a psychologist or counsellor may use an animal in therapy sessions to assist a participant to calm, focus or regulate whilst the counselling/psychology session is undertaken.
An occupational therapist may use an animal in therapy sessions to assist a participant to participate in an activity such as walking, standing, balancing etc. In these interventions, the animal may be used by the therapist to help the client meet specific goals but the therapy is delivered to the participant by the allied health professional, with the animal used to support participation.
Animal therapy is not an NDIS support.
Activities which are provided for people to have a positive experience with an animal such as engaging with puppies or riding a horse might be called ‘animal therapy’ by the provider of the service.
Recreational, sporting or social activities involving animals could also be called animal therapy.
These activities are not animal-assisted therapeutic interventions and are not NDIS Supports, even if the provider of the service is an allied health professional.
The NDIA and NDIS acknowledges that NDIS participants may engage in programs that include animals to provide sporting, social and recreational opportunities for people with disabilities, and capacity building support.
This may include for example, participation in horse riding.
If NDIS participants need extra help to participate in horse riding activities because of their disability, the extra help can be funded in their plan.
This extra help could be a support worker or assistive products that help the participant engage in the activity when it is happening.
Participants might also use their therapy supports budget to work with a therapist to build their skills to do the sporting, social or recreational activity more independently in the future.
NDIS participants will still need to pay for the general costs of their sporting, social or recreational activities as these are costs that everyone must pay for these kinds of activities.
For example, everyone who wants an activity delivered to them has to pay for that activity themselves whether or not they have a disability.
This is the same whether the activity includes an animal or not. Participants cannot use their NDIS funding to pay for the costs of other sporting, recreational or social activities like surfing lessons, basketball, art classes or gaming.
Noting also that most therapists utilise some type of games in therapy sessions as standard practice, as part of building various skills.
Supports that provide evidence-based therapy to help participants improve or maintain their functional capacity in areas such as language and communication, personal care, mobility and movement, interpersonal interactions, functioning (including psychosocial functioning) and community living are included as NDIS supports. Evidence based therapeutic supports can only be delivered by an allied health professional.
Evidence based therapists may use a variety of tools to play a role in a goal-directed, structured intervention which will assist the therapist and the participant to engage in therapy. This may include board games, online games, Lego or an animal. The therapy is delivered to the participant by the allied health professional and the tool is used to support participation.
If your activity is being delivered through a group and centre-based program and the costs of the activity and the support you need are fully covered by the hourly rate charged by the provider in line with the NDIS Pricing Arrangements, you can purchase your group and centre-based program using your NDIS funds.
If your group and centre-based program does not cover the costs of an activity within the hourly rate they charge to support you in that activity then you will need to pay for the cost of the activity yourself.
For example, if your group and centre-based program goes bowling and the cost of bowling is not covered by the approved hourly rate then you need to pay for these costs yourself.
Supports that provide evidence-based therapy, to help participants improve or maintain their functional capacity in areas such as language and communication, personal care, mobility and movement, interpersonal interactions, functioning (including psychosocial functioning) and community living are included as NDIS supports. Evidence-based therapeutic supports can only be delivered by an allied health professional or appropriately qualified professional.
Evidence based therapists may use a variety of tools to play a role in a goal-directed, structured intervention which will assist the therapist and the participant to engage in therapy. This may include board games, online games, Lego or an animal. The therapy is delivered to the participant by the allied health professional and the tool is used to support participation.
Activities that are delivered without a best quality evidence-base and/or by people who are not appropriately qualified to develop and deliver therapy are not funded as therapeutic supports.
You can find more information about alternative and complementary therapies that are not evidence-based at What does NDIS fund?
Training on all legislative changes is being delivered to all delegates. Guidance for delegates has also been updated across NDIA systems.
NDIS funding can be used to buy an assistance animal and pay for most of its associated costs when approved by the NDIA.
However, funding cannot be used to pay for pet insurance for an assistance animal. More information about assistance animals is available in Our Guideline – Assistance animals .
NDIS funding can’t be used to buy pets or companion animals, or to pay for any pet or companion animal related costs including:
- Pet food, toys or accessories
- Veterinarian costs
- Pet boarding
- Pet grooming
- Pet insurance
- Taxidermy and pet cremations, burials or funerals.
The NDIS supports list describes that driver training with a specialised vehicle driving instructor can be funded for eligible participants.
A specialised vehicle driving instructor is someone who has experience and training in providing driving instruction to people with disability and is registered or licensed to be a driving instructor in the relevant State or Territory.
The information available in current operational guidance remains applicable.
Our Guideline – Vehicle modifications and driving supports describes the range of driver supports that may be funded:
- A driver trained occupational therapist assessment and a driving instructor for the on-road part of the assessment, if a participant plans to drive the vehicle.
- Specialised driving lessons - additional driving lessons where a participant’s disability impacts their ability to learn to drive.
Yes. Bicycles or tricycles, with or without an electric motor, that include disability specific features, or have been designed to meet the disability specific needs of a participant, are an NDIS support.
This is because they are considered an assistive product for recreation and can be funded if they also meet the ‘reasonable and necessary’ criteria applied to all NDIS supports.
The costs associated with adapting or modifying a standard bicycle or tricycle to meet a participant’s disability specific needs may also be an NDIS support. However, in these circumstances the participant, or their family, would need to self-fund the cost of the bicycle or tricycle that is being adapted or modified.
Standard, non-modified, bicycles or tricycles including electric bicycles are not NDIS supports.
In some specific circumstances, the NDIS may fund supports that are not listed as NDIS supports. These are called replacement supports. Electric bicycles are not considered standard commercially available household items and therefore are not a support for which a replacement can be requested.
Under the laws of the NDIS sexual services can’t be funded.
Sexual services is not defined in the legislation but is given its ordinary meaning by the NDIA.
Sexual services are taken to include any sexual conduct undertaken with a participant for payment or reward, including direct physical activity between a participant and another person for the purpose of sexual gratification.
This includes all services that may be provided by a sex worker.
The NDIS will continue to provide reasonable and necessary funding to participants to access the disability related supports and services they need.
This includes other sexuality related supports due to a participant’s disability, for example adaptive equipment, sex counselling and individualised sexual education supports where reasonable and necessary.
The list of allowable NDIS supports is not exhaustive, meaning it does not exclude items that are not specifically listed.
The purpose of the list is to clarify the types of supports that fall under the overarching description.
It is important for participants to know that for something to be considered an NDIS support, it must fit within the overarching description provided in schedule 1 (however it does not have to be specifically listed) and of course, must not be included in the non-allowable NDIS supports list.
You should ensure that the people providing your high intensity daily personal activity supports have relevant qualifications and/or training to deliver the support to you safely and appropriately.
The NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission provides guidance which describes the skills and knowledge that NDIS providers and workers should ensure they have when supporting participants receiving high intensity daily personal activities.
You can find more information about this guidance on the NDIS Commission website .
Modified fluids and thickeners are NDIS supports.They are what we call disability-related health supports .
These include:
- low-cost assistive technology – equipment, technology, or devices to assist with feeding and swallowing needs
- modified foods including liquid thickener products
- help to prepare specific foods which you can safely eat
- a support worker to help you eat or drink safely if you can’t do this yourself because of your disability.
The Supports that are NDIS supports list does not expressly mention any particular allied health practitioners. As an evidence-based therapy, dietetics is covered under ‘Therapeutic supports ’.
The list of supports detailed under each category in the list of Supports that are NDIS supports is not exhaustive.
The NDIS will fund dietetics where the participant needs this therapeutic support due to their disability and it meets the reasonable and necessary test.
The NDIS Pricing Arrangements 2024-25 (PAPL) includes dietetics under the ‘Capacity Building – Improved Health and Wellbeing’ category (pg. 81-82).
The PAPL is currently being reviewed and will be updated to be consistent with current practice.
Based on the NDIS Transitional Rules 2024, food processers, including the purchase of prepared aerated drink/beverage or household item to aerate water, such as a soda stream, are not NDIS supports.
These are classed as a day-to-day living costs.
Standard commercially available household items are included on the Replacement support lists. Household items that are required, recommended by a qualified speech pathologist or dietician, such as a blender to prepare a participant’s special diet would be considered a replacement item.
If a participant wishes to have these supports included in their plan they would need to apply using the Replacement support application process.
The NDIS funds reasonable and necessary supports to help children with disability or significant developmental delay work towards their goals.
We can only fund supports that are included in the list of Supports that are NDIS supports. We can’t fund things are that are not an NDIS support.
The new rules clarify that the NDIS does not fund general parenting programs.
By general parenting programs, we mean programs available to all parents that help build parenting skills. This approach aligns with the guidance in place before the new legislation took effect on 3 October 2024.
Early intervention supports for children with disability or developmental delay focus on helping children, families, and carers work towards specific goals that are identified in their NDIS plan.
Early intervention supports also build the family’s capacity alongside the child's. Parents and carers may participate in one-on-one, or group sessions with other parents and carers who have similar goals within their child’s NDIS plan.
These programs are designed to build their capacity to maximise their child’s independence and development, by building the capacity and skills of the child’s family and carers.
Parenting support can also be provided to people with disability who are parents through their NDIS plan. Where an NDIS participant who is a parent has arrangements in their NDIS plan to support them in their parenting role because of their disability, those arrangements do not change.
Our Early Childhood Approach and Early Connections OGs outline how we help children with disability to get the support they need. We will continue to update our guidelines as we implement legislative changes.
