What the NDIS Funds and What It Does Not

Since 3 October 2024, the law has defined what an NDIS support is, using two lists: supports that are NDIS supports, and supports that are not. This lesson explains how the lists work together and what else must be true before funding can be used. Key points: the NDIS supports list has 37 broad categories, a support must fit a category and must not appear on the list of things that are not NDIS supports, it must relate to the participant's disability and be in line with their plan, and some things such as sexual services, alcohol and drugs can never be funded.

Many requests we hear are for ordinary items or costs that everyone has, whether or not they have a disability. This lesson explains why day to day living costs and standard household items are not NDIS supports, how the difference between a cost and the support around it works in practice, and what replacement supports are. Key points: rent, groceries, bills, standard furniture, phones, gym memberships and event tickets are generally not NDIS supports, the support worker time to help someone take part may be, and a replacement support must be approved by the agency before it is bought.

The phrase reasonable and necessary sits at the heart of every NDIS funding decision. This lesson explains what the agency weighs up when it decides whether to include a support in a plan, in plain language. Key points: supports must relate to the participant's disability and goals, help them take part in social and economic life, represent value for money, be likely to be effective and beneficial, take into account what family, carers and community can reasonably provide, and be most appropriately funded by the NDIS rather than another system. New criteria are being introduced for new participants from February 2027.

The NDIS was designed to work alongside mainstream and community services, not to replace them. This lesson explains which systems are responsible for which kinds of support, using health, mental health, education, justice, transport and aged care as examples, and what reasonable adjustments are. Key points: governments have agreed who funds what, the NDIS cannot fund supports that another system should provide even if that system does not provide them, and our role is to help participants connect with the right service rather than fill gaps with NDIS funding.

Some requests are clear, but many fall into grey areas where the answer depends on the details and the participant's plan. This lesson works through realistic examples, including gym memberships and exercise programs, transport to appointments, support at school, support during a hospital stay, and items that come in standard and adaptive versions. Key points: look at what the support is really for and whether it relates to the participant's disability, remember that the agency makes funding decisions, and when in doubt, check before you agree to anything rather than after.

When a participant asks us to provide or buy something that may not be an NDIS support, how we respond matters. This lesson gives you a simple process: listen, avoid promises, check the plan and rules with your team leader, explain respectfully, refer the participant to the right person or service, and record what happened. Key points: never disguise one item or service as another to make it claimable, funding used for things that are not NDIS supports may have to be repaid, and a respectful no with a helpful referral is good support. The lesson ends with a module summary, before the case studies that follow.

This case study follows Jasmine, a participant with an intellectual disability and complex communication needs, who is admitted to hospital for surgery. Her mother asks our support worker to come in every day to shower and feed her, because her plan pays for personal care. The lesson walks through how to respond without making promises, why clinical and nursing care sits with the health system, which disability related supports may continue, and why you check with your team leader before providing any support in hospital. Key points: separate treatment from disability support, do not promise, check, explain, refer and record.

This case study follows Liam, a twelve year old participant with autism, and his father, who asks our support worker about three things in one conversation: a classroom aide the school has not arranged, basketball club fees, and a new tablet. The lesson works through each request using the four grey area questions and the no gap filling rule. It then explores what to do when the father suggests logging the tablet cost as extra support hours. Key points: separate the cost from the support, point families to the responsible system, and never disguise a claim.