NDIS Core Supports Explained: What Your Daily Living Budget Can Pay For

Core is the biggest and most flexible part of most NDIS plans. Understanding it well helps you get real value from your funding.

The four Core categories

• Assistance with Daily Living: help with everyday tasks at home, including cleaning, laundry, meal preparation and support worker time
• Consumables: everyday items like continence products, gloves and low cost assistive technology
• Assistance with Social and Community Participation: support to get out and take part in community, social and recreational activities
• Transport: funding to help you travel when your disability makes it hard to use other options

The flexibility rule

Within Core, funding is mostly flexible. If your plan gives you money for daily living, you can often shift it toward community participation if that matters more to you. Transport is usually the exception and stays in its own bucket.

The test that matters

Every purchase must be reasonable and necessary. In simple terms, it must relate to your disability, help you pursue your goals, represent value for money, and not be something another system like Medicare or the school system should fund. With stricter claiming rules now in place, keep this test in mind before you spend.

Common mistakes

Claiming everyday living costs that everyone has, like groceries or rent, will be rejected. So will whole house cleaning when you live with family who can do their share. Keep receipts, keep notes on why a support relates to your disability, and ask your plan manager when unsure.

Need help making your Core budget work harder? Talk to our friendly local team or explore our daily living supports.