Support budgets

There are three types of support budgets that may be funded in your NDIS plan:

  • Core Supports budget
  • Capacity Building Supports budget
  • Capital Supports budget

Core Supports budget

Core Supports help you with everyday activities, your current disability-related needs and to work towards your goals. Your Core Supports budget is the most flexible, and in most cases, you can use your funding across any of the following four support categories. However, there are instances where you do not have flexibility in your funding, particularly for transport funding.

In your plan In the myplace portal Description
Assistance with Daily Life Daily Activities For example, assistance with everyday needs, household cleaning and/or yard maintenance.
Consumables Consumables Everyday items you may need. For example, continence products or low-cost assistive technology and equipment to improve your independence and/or mobility.
Assistance with Social & Community Participation Social, community and civic participation For example, a support worker to assist you to participate in social and community activities.
Transport Transport This is support that helps you travel to work or other places that will help you pursue the goals in your plan.
How you can spend your transport funding and how it is paid to you (whether upfront or in regular payments) will be different for each person. Your LAC will explain how you can use this budget.

Case study

Charlotte’s goals are to learn to be more independent in her daily life and to make friends. She has funding in her Core Supports budget to help her with tasks like getting dressed and cooking meals. Over time, Charlotte feels confident to reduce the amount of support she needs in the morning to get dressed and make breakfast. Because Charlotte’s Core Supports budget is flexible, she decides to reduce the amount of one-on-one support she receives in the morning and uses the funding for support to take part in a group recreational swimming activity once a week.

Capacity Building Supports budget

Capacity Building Supports help build your independence and skills to help you 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 individual supports that fall within that Capacity Building category. The Capacity Building categories are:

In your plan In the myplace portal Description
Support Coordination Support Coordination This is a fixed amount for a Support Coordinator to help you use your plan.
Improved Living Arrangements CB Home Living

Support to help you find and maintain an appropriate place to live.

Increased Social & Community Participation CB Social Community and Civic Participation Development and training to increase your skills so you can participate in community, social and recreational activities.
Finding & Keeping a Job CB Employment This may include employment-related support, training and assessments that help you find and keep a job, such as the school leaver employment supports.
Improved Relationships CB Relationships This support will help you develop positive behaviours and interact with others.
Improved Health & Wellbeing CB Health and Wellbeing Including exercise or diet advice to manage the impact of your disability. The NDIS does not fund gym memberships.
Improved Learning CB Lifelong Learning Examples include training, advice and help for you to move from school to further education, such as university or TAFE.
Improved Life Choices CB Choice and Control Plan management to help you manage your plan, funding and paying for services.
Improved Daily Living CB Daily Activity Assessment, training or therapy to help increase your skills, independence and community participation. These services can be delivered in groups or individually.

Capital Supports budget

Capital Supports include higher-cost pieces of assistive technology, equipment and home or vehicle modifications, and funding for one-off purchases you may need (including Specialist Disability Accommodation). It is important to remember that funds within the Capital Supports budget can only be used for their specific purpose and cannot be used to pay for anything else. The Capital Supports budget has two support categories: Assistive Technology and Home Modifications. 

In your plan In the myplace portal Description
Assistive Technology Assistive Technology This includes equipment items for mobility, personal care, communication and recreational inclusion such as wheelchairs or vehicle modifications.
Home Modifications Home Modifications Home modifications such as installation of a hand rail in a bathroom, or Specialist Disability Accommodation for participants who require special housing because of their disability.

Other information

Stated supports – not flexible

Any services listed as ‘stated supports’ are not flexible. This means funding has been allocated for a specific support or service, and you can’t use this funding for something else. You cannot swap ‘stated supports’ for any other supports.

In-kind supports – pre-paid

If there are supports in your plan that are listed as ‘in-kind’, it means the service has already been paid for by your state, territory or the Australian government.

When you use an in-kind service your existing provider will deliver your in-kind supports and you will not need to pay from them with your NDIS plan funds. If you have a concern about using a specific in-kind provider or service, you can talk to your ECEI Coordinator, LAC or NDIA planner.

More information on in-kind supports is available on the In-kind supports - participants page.

Quote required

Where a support is listed as ‘quote required’ additional information such as quotes and/or specialist reports will be required before funding can be made available in your plan.

Mobility allowance

When you become a participant in the NDIS your plan will include any supports that the NDIS will fund, including any reasonable and necessary transport-related funded supports.

If you are receiving Mobility Allowance when you receive an approved NDIS plan, your eligibility for the Mobility Allowance payment ceases.

You cannot receive Mobility Allowance once you have a plan with the NDIS. However you will keep your Health Care Card if you have one.

For more information on Mobility Allowance visit the Services Australia website

This page current as of
17 May 2022