Your budget has three main areas where the money can go:‍

Core: A support that helps participants undertake their daily activities.

The participant has flexibility to use money across categories (in some circumstances funding is specific and is not flexible such as for transport or specialist disability accommodation (SDA).‍

Consumables
Everyday items such as continence aids

Daily Activities
Assistance with self-care activities

Assistance with Social and Community Participation
Supports to engage in social or recreational activities

Transport
Alternatives to public transport due to disability constraints

Capacity building: A support that enables a participant to build their independence and skills.

Participant only has flexibility to allocate funds within budget category but not across the below categories.

Choice & Control
e.g. training and education in plan management or a plan manager

Daily Activity
e.g. therapy aimed at building capacity to participate

Employment
e.g. employment related assessment and counselling

Health and Well Being
e.g. exercise and diet advice to manage disability

Home Living
e.g. support to find or maintain appropriate accommodation

Lifelong Learning
e.g. assistance moving from school to further education

Capital: Assistive technology, equipment and home / vehicle modifications

Participant must use funds for supports specifically mentioned in plan (e.g. wheelchair)

Assistive Technology
e.g. communication aids, wheelchairs or vehicle modifications.

Home modifications
e.g. bathroom rail / general home rails

Car modifications
e.g. hand and foot controls or ramps.

The National Disability Insurance Agency sets price limits for some products and services. These update price limits are updated on at least an annual basis with new pricing coming into effect on 1 July each year.

The reason for the price limits is that the NDIA were concerned about price increases with the introduction of the NDIS. At full scheme the disability sector will have increased funding from $8bn under the old state based systems to $22bn at NDIS full scheme. The price caps were designed to protect participants from significant increases in price and to provide value for money for participants while the new market system is introduced.

Not all NDIS support items have price limits, and the NDIS Price Guides are not a comprehensive list of all supports that are available to NDIS participants. The Price Guide lists the specific supports that have maximum prices, and also sets out other rules and support definitions that are part of NDIA’s market intervention approach.

You can see the price guides here: https://www.ndis.gov.au/providers/price-guides-and-information

It’s important to us that you have choice and control in the NDIS. You can choose the supports you want, as long as they’re reasonable and necessary. By that we mean as long as they’re fair and something you need. You’ll talk with us to work this out.