What Will the NDIS Fund? A Guide to What May and May Not Be Covered

August 6, 2026

“What can I actually use my NDIS funding for?”

It’s one of the most common questions participants and families ask.

You might have funding sitting in your NDIS plan but still feel unsure about how to use it. Perhaps you want to buy equipment, start a new therapy or access support in the community.

Then comes the big question: will the NDIS fund it?

Unfortunately, there isn’t always a simple yes or no answer.

The NDIS has rules about what participants can spend funding on. However, decisions can also depend on your disability, goals, circumstances and support needs.

A support that makes sense for one participant may not be appropriate for another.

So, rather than asking only, “Does the NDIS fund this?”, it can be more helpful to ask:

“Is this an NDIS support?”

“Does it relate to my disability?”

” Does it fit within my plan?”

Let’s break it down.

What does the NDIS fund?

NDIS funding exists to pay for disability-related supports that help eligible participants with everyday life, independence and participation.

According to the NDIA, NDIS supports may help participants:

• Complete daily living activities
• Build independence and skills
• Access assistive technology and equipment
• Make disability-related home or vehicle modifications
• Access certain capital supports
• Work towards their goals

Importantly, you can only use NDIS funding for supports that meet the NDIS rules and fit your individual plan.

Since October 2024, the NDIS has also used formal lists of supports that are considered NDIS supports, and those that are not.

The current list contains 37 categories of goods and services that may qualify as NDIS supports.

However, simply finding something within one of those categories does not automatically mean the NDIS will fund it for you.

The support must still meet the relevant funding criteria.

What does “reasonable and necessary” mean?

You may have heard the phrase “reasonable and necessary” when talking about NDIS funding.

This is a key part of how the NDIA decides what supports to include in a participant’s plan.

A reasonable and necessary NDIS support generally needs to:

• Relate to your disability
• Help you work towards your goals
• Help with work, study or social participation
• Represent value for money
• Be likely to benefit you
• Work alongside other supports available to you
• Be an NDIS support or an approved replacement support

The NDIA considers your evidence and individual circumstances when making these decisions.

Therefore, two people with the same disability won’t necessarily receive identical funding.

Their daily support needs, living arrangements, goals and informal supports may be very different.

What type of supports does the NDIS fund?

The exact supports in every plan will differ. However, there are several broad areas that the NDIS commonly funds when they meet the rules.

Personal care and assistance with daily living

The NDIS may fund support workers to assist with disability-related everyday activities.

This could include support with:

• Showering and dressing
• Personal care
• Meal preparation
• Household tasks
• Developing daily routines
• Completing everyday activities independently

However, there’s an important distinction here.

The NDIS may fund a support worker to help you prepare meals because of your disability. It generally won’t pay for the groceries themselves. That is because groceries are considered an ordinary day-to-day living expense.

Social and community participation

NDIS funding may also support participants to engage with their communities.

This can include support to:

• Attend community activities
• Develop social skills
• Join suitable groups or programs
• Build friendships
• Participate in recreational activities
• Increase confidence in the community

Again, the distinction between the support and the ordinary cost of an activity matters.

For example, the NDIS may fund disability-related assistance needed to participate in an activity. However, the participant may still need to pay the normal entry fee, food or other personal costs themselves.

Therapies and allied health supports

Certain allied health therapies may be funded when they relate directly to your disability support needs.

Examples can include:

• Occupational therapy
• Physiotherapy
• Speech pathology
• Psychology supports in some circumstances
• Behaviour support

The purpose of the treatment matters.

The NDIS generally funds disability-related supports rather than medical treatment that another health system should provide. Therefore, an allied health service designed to improve everyday functioning may fit within the NDIS. A medical service focused on diagnosing or treating an illness usually sits within the health system instead.

Assistive technology

Assistive technology is another major area where the NDIS may provide funding.

Depending on your needs, this might include:

• Wheelchairs
• Mobility equipment
• Communication devices
• Prosthetics
• Certain specialised beds or mattresses
• Disability-specific equipment
• Some sensory equipment

However, not every device or piece of technology automatically qualifies.

For example, smartphones and tablets are commonly available consumer products. In some circumstances, though, these products may qualify as approved replacement supports.

Home and vehicle modifications

The NDIS may fund modifications that make a home or vehicle safer and more accessible because of a participant’s disability.

Examples can include certain:

• Ramps
• Bathroom modifications
• Access modifications
• Vehicle modifications
• Home automation
• Disability-specific fixtures

However, ordinary renovations or improvements that aren’t disability-related generally won’t qualify.

The NDIA may also consider whether the modification represents value for money.

Employment-related disability supports

The NDIS may fund supports that help participants build employment skills or participate in work.

For example, this could include:

• Employment preparation
• Job coaching
• Workplace support
• Building communication skills
• Travel training
• Developing work-related capacity

However, the NDIS doesn’t pay wages or replace someone’s income. Similarly, it doesn’t normally cover ordinary business costs or general employment expenses.

What won’t the NDIS usually fund?

The current NDIS rules also include a list of supports that aren’t NDIS supports.

Broadly, these include items that:

• Are ordinary day-to-day living costs
• Should be funded by another government or community system
• Are illegal
• Relate to alcohol or drugs
• Include sexual services or sex work

Participants generally cannot spend their NDIS funding on these items.

Let’s look at some common examples.

Everyday living expenses

The NDIS generally won’t pay for ordinary expenses that everyone has to cover.

These can include:

• Rent
• Mortgage repayments
• Electricity
• Water
• Gas
• Groceries
• Internet bills
• Standard household furniture
• Regular clothing
• General household appliances

The key question is whether the expense exists because of your disability. Even then, additional NDIS rules may apply. For example, a normal washing machine is generally an ordinary household item. However, in limited circumstances, certain household items may be considered through the NDIS replacement support process.

Medical treatment and healthcare

Australia’s health system remains responsible for general medical care.

Therefore, the NDIS generally doesn’t pay for:

• GP appointments
• Hospital treatment
• Surgery
• General specialist appointments
• Dental treatment
• Standard prescription medications
• Medical treatment for illness
• Emergency healthcare

There can be areas where disability and healthcare overlap. For that reason, the purpose of the support becomes important.

For example, disability-related therapy that builds functional capacity may be an NDIS support. Treatment primarily aimed at managing a medical condition may instead belong within the health system.

School and university costs

The NDIS doesn’t replace Australia’s education system.

Therefore, it generally won’t fund ordinary education costs such as:

• School fees
• University tuition
• Standard textbooks
• School uniforms
• Standard stationery
• Ordinary course fees

However, it may fund certain disability-specific supports that allow someone to access education.

The dividing line often comes down to responsibility.

The education system should provide ordinary educational supports. The NDIS may provide additional disability supports that help the participant participate.

Holidays, entertainment and ordinary recreation costs

The NDIS also doesn’t generally pay for the ordinary cost of a holiday or recreational activity.

This could include:

• Flights
• Accommodation for a holiday
• Event tickets
• Cinema tickets
• Restaurant meals
• Standard entertainment costs

The NDIA’s reasonable and necessary guidance specifically excludes attendance costs for events and holidays. However, disability-related support needed to participate in community or recreational activities may be treated differently. This is another example where the activity itself and the disability support around it are two separate costs.

Cars and everyday transport costs

Buying a standard vehicle is not generally something the NDIS funds. Likewise, ordinary costs such as fuel, registration and standard vehicle insurance usually remain personal expenses. However, disability-specific vehicle modifications may qualify in some circumstances.

Some participants may also have transport supports in their plan where their disability substantially affects their ability to use public transport.

Gym memberships

Gym memberships are a common source of confusion. A standard gym membership is generally an everyday lifestyle expense rather than an NDIS support. However, other disability-related supports connected with exercise may sometimes be considered.

For example, a participant may receive funding for an appropriate allied health support where it meets their disability-related needs.

Again, it’s the purpose of the support that matters.

Phones, tablets and everyday technology

Standard phones, tablets and smartwatches are commonly available consumer products. As a result, you generally can’t simply purchase one using your NDIS budget. However, these items are particularly important because they can sometimes fall under the replacement support rules.

What is an NDIS replacement support?

A replacement support allows a participant to request permission to use funding for certain items that aren’t normally NDIS supports.

The replacement must take the place of an existing NDIS support in your plan.

It isn’t extra funding. For approval, it must:

• Replace an NDIS support already in your plan
• Provide the same or better outcomes
• Be included on the approved replacement supports list
• Cost the same or less than the support it replaces

Potential replacement supports currently include certain:

• Standard household items
• Washing machines
• Dishwashers
• Smartwatches
• Tablets
• Smartphones
• Accessibility or communication apps

You must receive written approval before purchasing the replacement support with your NDIS funding. So it’s important not to assume you can simply buy one and claim it afterwards.

Why can the NDIS fund something for one person but not another?

This can be one of the most frustrating parts of navigating the NDIS.

You may hear that another participant received funding for something that wasn’t approved for you. That doesn’t necessarily mean the rules were applied incorrectly.

The NDIA considers factors including:

• Your disability
• Your functional needs
• Your NDIS goals
• Your living arrangements
• Your existing supports
• Support from family, friends and carers
• The evidence provided
• Whether another service system should fund it

The NDIA’s “Would we fund it?” guidance makes it clear that funding decisions are individual.

Therefore, another person’s plan isn’t always a reliable guide to what your plan can fund.

How can I check whether the NDIS may fund something?

Before spending your funding, ask yourself a few questions.

• Does the support relate to my disability?
• Is it an NDIS support?
• Does it align with my plan and funding?
• Does it help me work towards my goals or improve my independence?
• Is another government system responsible for providing it?
• Is it an ordinary everyday expense?
• Would I need this expense even if I didn’t have a disability?

Additionally, check the NDIA’s current NDIS support lists and “Would we fund it?” guidance.

If you’re still unsure, don’t guess. Ask for help before purchasing the support. Using NDIS funding for something that isn’t an NDIS support could result in the NDIA asking for the money to be repaid.

If you have NDIS funding but aren’t sure what you can use it for – Disability Plan Services can help

Receiving an NDIS plan can feel exciting.

It can also feel like being handed a document full of categories, budgets and terminology with very little idea about what to do next.

That’s where Disability Plan Services can help.

Our Plan Management and Support Coordination services are designed to help take the confusion out of using your NDIS plan.

NDIS Plan Management

A plan manager helps you manage the financial side of your NDIS funding.

This can include reviewing invoices, paying providers, submitting claims and monitoring your budgets.

Plan managers also help ensure claims align with your plan and are for NDIS supports.

At Disability Plan Services, our goal is to help you understand where your funding is going and use your budget with greater confidence.

Instead of wondering whether you’ve overspent, or whether an invoice fits your plan, you have a team helping you keep track.

Support Coordination

If you need more hands-on help understanding and implementing your plan, Support Coordination may also be available.

A Support Coordinator can help you understand your funding, find appropriate providers and connect different supports.

They can also help you understand what you can claim and how your supports can work together towards your goals.

Most importantly, Support Coordination aims to build your confidence in managing your own supports over time.

At Disability Plan Services, we’re here to help make the NDIS feel less overwhelming.

Whether you need help managing invoices and budgets or understanding how to put your plan into action, our team can help you make sense of the next steps and ensure your NDIS funding supports you to work towards the life and goals that matter to you.

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