“Can I use my NDIS funding to pay for this?”
It sounds like a simple question, but for many NDIS participants, the answer isn’t always obvious.
A support worker might be able to help you go shopping, but that doesn’t necessarily mean the NDIS will pay for your groceries. You may need assistive technology, but not every piece of technology can be purchased with NDIS funding. You may have a goal to become more active, but that doesn’t automatically mean your NDIS plan will pay for a standard gym membership.
So, how do you know what your NDIS funding can actually be used for?
The key is understanding two things:
- Whether the item or service is an NDIS support, and
- Whether it is reasonable and necessary for your individual disability-related needs.
The NDIS currently has specific lists explaining what can and cannot be funded. Even when something is an NDIS support, it still needs to relate to your disability and be in line with your plan.
Let’s break that down in practical terms.
What Does ‘Reasonable and Necessary’ Actually Mean?
The NDIS does not simply fund something because it is useful, enjoyable or beneficial.
For a support to be considered reasonable and necessary, the NDIS looks at whether it:
- relates to your disability
- helps you work towards your goals
- helps you work, study or participate socially
- represents value for money
- is likely to be effective and beneficial
- works alongside mainstream, community and informal supports
- is an NDIS support, or an approved replacement support.
There are also things reasonable and necessary supports cannot cover. For example, they cannot generally be ordinary day-to-day living costs, holidays or event attendance, illegal or harmful activities, supports that duplicate what other services or people already provide, or income replacement.
But there is an important point that is sometimes missed:
‘Reasonable and necessary’ is only part of the answer.
You can’t assume:
“It is reasonable and necessary, therefore I can buy it.”
The NDIS also has rules about what counts as an NDIS support and how your particular funding can be used.
That distinction is extremely important.
The 3 Questions to Ask Before Spending Your NDIS Funding
Before purchasing something, think about these three questions.
-
Is it an NDIS support?
The NDIS has a current list of supports that can be funded and a separate list of supports that cannot be funded.
The current NDIS supports list contains 37 broad categories of goods and services. The categories are deliberately broad, so an item doesn’t necessarily need to appear as an exact example to potentially qualify. However, it must fall within the relevant category and overarching description, and it must not appear on the list of things that are not NDIS supports.
-
Is it related to my disability and my plan?
Even if something falls within an NDIS support category, it still needs to relate to your disability and be in line with your plan.
-
Is it reasonable and necessary for me?
The NDIS considers your individual circumstances, disability-related needs, evidence, goals and the amount and frequency of support required.
This is why two participants can ask about the same item and receive different outcomes.
So, What Can NDIS Funding Pay For?
There isn’t one universal shopping list that applies identically to every participant.
Your plan may contain different support budgets and categories, depending on your individual needs.
The current NDIS framework has four support budgets:
- Core supports
- Capacity building supports
- Capital supports
- Recurring supports
Not every participant receives funding in every budget.
Let’s look at some practical examples.
-
Support With Everyday Activities
Core supports can help participants with everyday tasks such as:
- cooking
- cleaning
- personal care
- household tasks
- daily living activities.
For example, someone whose disability makes it difficult to safely prepare meals may have a support worker assist them with cooking.
The important distinction is that the funding is for the disability-related support, not simply for someone to perform ordinary household tasks because the participant would prefer not to do them.
The NDIS describes Core Supports as helping participants complete regular tasks and participate in social and community activities.
-
Social and Community Participation
This is particularly relevant to disability support providers such as Kerima Care.
A participant may require assistance to:
- attend a community group
- participate in a hobby
- go shopping
- visit a library
- attend a social activity
- use public transport
- participate in recreational activities
- build confidence and independence in the community.
The NDIS explains that Assistance with Social and Community Participation can be used to pay support workers who help participants become more independent while engaging with their community and personal interests.
But there’s an important distinction:
The NDIS may fund the support required to participate, not necessarily the cost of the activity itself.
For example:
Potentially funded:
A support worker accompanies a participant to a community activity because the participant requires disability-related assistance.
Not automatically funded:
The participant’s general admission fee, entertainment costs or other ordinary costs associated with the activity.
The NDIS gives a similar distinction in its guidance on recreational activities involving animals: additional disability-related support may be funded, while the general recreational activity itself is not necessarily an NDIS support.
-
Assistive Technology
Assistive technology can include equipment that helps a participant:
- move around
- communicate
- complete daily activities
- remain independent
- manage disability-related needs safely.
Examples can include mobility equipment and certain low-cost assistive technology.
For higher-cost equipment, the NDIS may require evidence showing why the equipment is appropriate, what disability-related need it addresses and why it represents value for money.
This is why you shouldn’t assume that simply finding an item online means you can purchase it with your NDIS funding.
-
Therapy and Allied Health Supports
Depending on a participant’s circumstances and plan, NDIS funding may cover certain therapy supports.
The NDIS currently lists examples including:
- occupational therapy
- physiotherapy
- speech pathology
- psychology
- exercise physiology
- counselling
- podiatry
- social work
- rehabilitation and vocational counselling.
Therapy supports must meet the NDIS funding criteria and be appropriate for the participant. Evidence from a suitably qualified allied health professional may also be required.
There is another important point here: therapy funding is not simply a general health budget.
For example, the NDIS distinguishes between a disability-related therapeutic support and an ordinary health service that should be provided through another system.
-
Building Independence and Life Skills
Some NDIS funding is designed not simply to help someone complete a task today, but to help them develop greater independence.
This can include supports aimed at developing:
- daily living skills
- communication skills
- employment skills
- social participation
- independence
- capacity to manage supports.
Capacity Building Supports are designed around building skills and independence, and can include certain therapy, employment and support coordination-related services depending on the participant’s plan.
This is an important difference between:
“Doing something for me”
and
“Helping me learn how to do something myself.”
The second approach can be particularly relevant when a participant’s goal is to build capacity.
What About Everyday Items?
This is where many participants understandably become confused.
The NDIS does fund some everyday items in particular circumstances. For example, Core Supports may include funding for certain consumables such as continence products, as well as some low-cost assistive technology or equipment.
But this doesn’t mean your NDIS funding becomes a general household shopping budget.
For example:
| Item or expense | Is it automatically NDIS funded? |
| Groceries | ❌ Generally no |
| Normal clothing | ❌ Generally no |
| Household electricity | ❌ Generally no |
| Standard entertainment | ❌ Generally no |
| Continence products where appropriately funded | ✅ Potentially |
| Low-cost assistive technology | ✅ Potentially |
| Support worker assistance with daily activities | ✅ Potentially |
| Disability-related therapy | ✅ Potentially |
| Mobility equipment | ✅ Potentially |
The word “potentially” matters.
Your individual plan, the type of support, the applicable NDIS rules and your disability-related needs all matter.
What About a Gym Membership?
This is a good example of why the phrase “reasonable and necessary” can be misunderstood.
Someone might say:
“Exercise is good for my disability, so why can’t I use my NDIS funding for a gym membership?”
A standard gym membership is not automatically an NDIS-funded expense simply because exercise is beneficial.
However, the NDIS does recognise certain therapy supports, including exercise physiology, where the relevant funding criteria are met.
So the question isn’t simply:
“Is exercise good for me?”
It is:
“What disability-related support do I require, and does that support meet the NDIS funding rules?”
That distinction can prevent a lot of confusion.
Can I Buy a Laptop, iPad or Other Technology?
This is another area where participants should be careful.
Technology isn’t automatically funded simply because it is useful.
For assistive technology, the NDIS considers factors such as:
- whether it relates to the participant’s disability
- whether it is appropriate for the participant
- whether it represents value for money
- whether another system should fund it
- whether it is an NDIS support.
So a participant shouldn’t assume that an ordinary laptop, tablet or smartphone can be purchased from their NDIS funding simply because they use it for some disability-related purpose.
The specific circumstances matter.
Can I Use NDIS Funding for a Holiday?
Generally, no.
The NDIS states that reasonable and necessary supports cannot include attendance at events or holidays.
However, this doesn’t necessarily mean a participant cannot receive disability-related support while travelling.
The distinction is between:
the cost of the holiday itself
and
a disability-related support that may be required while participating in an activity or travelling.
That is why participants should consider the support separately from the ordinary cost of the activity.
What If Something Isn’t on the NDIS Supports List?
There is an important exception.
In some circumstances, participants can apply for a replacement support.
A replacement support is an alternative to a support that would otherwise be an NDIS support, and it requires approval before you use your NDIS funding for it.
So if you find something that isn’t on the standard NDIS supports list, don’t simply purchase it and assume it will be accepted.
Check first.
If a replacement support is required, approval needs to be obtained before using the funding for it.
Does Having Flexible Funding Mean I Can Spend It on Anything?
No.
This is one of the most important misconceptions about NDIS funding.
Some support categories are flexible. This gives participants more choice about which eligible NDIS supports they purchase within the relevant budget.
But flexibility does not mean:
“I can spend this money on whatever I want.”
The NDIS states that even flexible funding can only be used for NDIS supports that the rules allow and that are reasonable and necessary for the participant.
Some funding is also stated, meaning it can only be used for the specific support described in the plan.
A Simple 5-Question Check Before You Spend
If you’re unsure about a purchase, stop and ask:
-
Is this actually an NDIS support?
Check the current NDIS supports list.
-
Is it related to my disability?
Would this need exist because of your disability-related circumstances?
-
Is it consistent with my NDIS plan?
Consider your funded support category, budget and whether the support is flexible or stated.
-
Does it meet the reasonable and necessary criteria?
Consider disability-related need, effectiveness, value for money and whether another service system should provide it.
-
Am I certain before I spend the money?
If you’re unsure, ask your my NDIS contact, Support Coordinator, Plan Manager or another appropriate person involved in managing your supports before making the purchase.
The NDIS itself recommends using a plan implementation meeting to ask questions about what you can purchase, how to manage your budget and how your funding works.
What Happens If You Make a Mistake?
Don’t panic.
The NDIS recognises that participants can sometimes make mistakes when learning how their funding works.
If you think you’ve made a claim from the wrong support category or used funding incorrectly, the NDIS advises contacting them, your registered Plan Manager or provider as soon as possible so the issue can be addressed.
However, deliberately using NDIS funding for something that isn’t an NDIS support can create a much more serious problem.
The NDIS states that if funding is used to purchase things that aren’t NDIS supports and aren’t in line with the participant’s plan, the participant may be asked to repay the money.
The Most Important Thing to Remember
NDIS funding isn’t simply money to spend. It is funding allocated to help you access supports related to your disability and work towards your goals.
The safest way to think about a purchase is:
Is this an NDIS support? Is it related to my disability? Is it in line with my plan? And does it meet the reasonable and necessary criteria?
If the answer isn’t clear, check before spending.
Rules can also change, so participants should rely on the current NDIS guidance and their own plan, rather than an old list or advice they have seen online.
How Kerima Care Can Help
Understanding your NDIS plan can sometimes feel complicated, particularly when you’re trying to work out how a particular support relates to your everyday life.
At Kerima Care, support is about more than simply delivering a service. The right support should help a participant maintain their independence, participate in their community and work towards the goals that matter to them.
Whether a participant needs assistance with everyday activities, community participation or other disability-related support, the starting point should always be understanding what the participant needs and what their NDIS plan allows.
If you’re unsure about a particular purchase or support, it’s important to seek advice from the appropriate person managing your plan before using your funding.
For participants
NDIS rules and support lists can change. This article is intended as general information and should not be treated as financial, legal or NDIS funding advice for an individual participant. Always check the current NDIS guidance and your own plan before committing your funding.
Source: https://www.ndis.gov.au/
