RESOURCES
BUDGET SUPPORT BREAK-DOWN FROM A NDIS PLAN
01.
​​Core Supports budget
Core Supports help you with everyday activities, your current disability-related needs and to work towards your goals. Your Core Supports budget is the most flexible, and in most cases, you can use your funding across any of the following support categories. However, there are instances where you do not have flexibility in your funding, particularly for transport funding. ​
In your plan
Assistance with Daily Life
Consumables
Assistance with Social & Community Participation
Transport
In the MyPlace portal
Daily Activities
Consumables
Social, community and civic participation
transport
Description
For example, assistance with everyday needs, household cleaning and/or yard maintenance.
Everyday items you may need. For example, continence products or low- technology and equipment to improve your independence and/or mobility .
For example, a support worker to assist you to participate in social and community activities.
This is support that helps you travel to work or other places that will help you pursue the goals in your plan.
How you can spend your transport funding and how it is paid to you (whether upfront or in regular payments) will be different for each person. Our support coordinators or your local area coordinator (LAC) will explain how you can use this budget.
02.
Capacity Building (CB) Supports budget
It helps to build your independence and skills to help you pursue your goals. Unlike your Core Supports budget, your Capacity Building Supports budget cannot be moved from one support category to another. This fund can only be used for approved individual supports that fall within that Capacity Building category. The Capacity Building categories are: ​
In your plan
Support Coordination
Improved Living Arrangements
Increased Social & Community Participation
Finding & Keeping a Job
Improved Relationships
Improved Health and Wellbeing
In the MyPlace portal
Support Coordination
CB Home Living
CB Social Community and Civic Participation
CB Employment
CB Relationship
CB Health and Wellbeing
Description
This is a fixed amount for a Support Coordinator to help you to use your plan.
Support to help you find and maintain an appropriate place to live.
Development and training to increase your skills so you can participate in community, social and recreational activities.
This may include employment-related support, training and assessments that help you find and keep a job, such as the school leaver employment supports
This support will help you develop positive behaviours and interact with others.
Including exercise or diet advice to manage the impact of your disability. The NDIS does not fund gym memberships.
03.
Capital Supports budget
Capital Supports include higher-cost pieces of assistive technology, equipment and home or vehicle modifications, and funding for one-off purchases you may need (including Specialist Disability Accommodation). It is important to remember that funds within the Capital Supports budget can only be used for their specific purpose and cannot be used to pay for anything else. The Capital Supports budget has two support categories: Assistive Technology and Home Modifications.
In your plan
Assistive Technology
Home Modifications
In the MyPlace portal
Assistive Technology
Home Modifications
Description
This includes equipment items for mobility, personal care, communication and recreational inclusion such as wheelchairs or vehicle modifications.
Home modifications such as installation of a handrail in a bathroom or Specialist Disability Accommodation for participants who require special housing because of their disability.
Other budget supports
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Stated supports – not flexible
Services listed as ‘stated supports’ are not flexible. This means funding has been allocated for a specific support or service, and you can’t use this funding for something else. You cannot swap ‘stated supports’ for any other supports.
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In-kind supports – pre-paid
If there are supports in your plan that are listed as ‘in-kind’, it means the service has already been paid for by your state, territory or the Australian government.
hen you use an in-kind service your existing provider will deliver your in-kind supports and you will not need to pay from them with your NDIS plan funds. Talk to your ECEI Coordinator, LAC or NDIA planner if you have a concern about using a specific in-kind provider or service.
(Source from https://www.ndis.gov.au/participants/using-your-plan/managing-your-plan/support-budgets-your-plan viewed 14/11/2024)
HOW TO MANAGE YOUR NDIS FUND
There are 3 ways to manage your NDIS plan/budget/ fund
Self-management:
The NDIA provides you with funding so you can access the supports that will best help you pursue your goals. Self-management is when you manage your NDIS funding. It gives you the flexibility and choice to decide what supports you buy to pursue your plan goals. It lets you think creatively about how you can use your funds to best meet your needs.
​The benefits of self-managing.
Self-managing your NDIS funding gives you control, independence and flexibility in arranging and paying for your supports.
If you are self-managing your NDIS funding, you will have:
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Choice in deciding what supports you purchase in line with what is included in your plan, who provides these supports and how they are delivered.
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Flexibility to use any provider that will best help you to pursue your plan goals.
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Capacity to employ or contract staff directly or have someone employ staff on your behalf.
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Ability to negotiate the costs of your supports so you get the best value-for-money and to use savings to buy more or better-quality supports.
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Control over and responsibility for your NDIS funding so you can manage your own budget for the duration of your plan.
Responsibilities
If you are thinking about self-managing, you need to understand your responsibilities as a self-manager. Your responsibilities include:
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Purchasing supports that link to the goals in your NDIS plan.
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Making clear agreements with your providers about the supports you will receive including how they will be provided and paid for.
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Managing your funding so the costs of the support give you value-for-money and can be met from within your budget.
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Claiming and paying for supports by making payment requests and paying for your supports on time.
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Keeping invoices and receipts to show you have paid for your supports using your NDIS funding.
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Meeting your obligations as an employer if you choose to employ staff directly.
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Showing how you’ve used your self-managed funding towards pursuing your goals at your plan reassessment.
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Advising the NDIA of any significant changes in your circumstances that may result in you being unable to meet your responsibilities as a self-manager.
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Participating in any payment reviews where you will need to provide invoices, receipts or other evidence to show you have spent your funds in-line with your NDIS plan. ​
​Support purchasing guide
You have choice about what supports you buy with your NDIS funding, to help you pursue your goals.
Supports must:
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be linked to the support budget and goals in your current NDIS plan and related to your disability
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give you good value-for-money compared to other supports
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last the length of your plan
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be legal.
Supports must not:
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replace supports that would usually be provided by family or friends
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include supports provided by other government agencies (for example, dental, health or hospital services)
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include any gap fees for Medicare
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cause harm or put you or others at risk.
Plan-managed funding
The NDIA will provide funding in your plan to pay for a Plan Manager who pays your providers for you, helps you keep track of funds and takes care of financial reporting for you. Plan management is when a provider supports you to manage funding in your NDIS plan. These providers are known as plan managers.
​​​Why use a plan manager?
A plan manager can assist you:
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increase your financial and plan management skills
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learn how to self-manage your plan
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pay providers
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increase your choice of providers
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get NDIS plan budget reports and greater budget oversight.
How can I have plan management?
At your planning meeting you can tell NDIS staff that you would like a plan manager to support you.
The NDIS will include funding in your plan to pay for your plan manager. This is separate from your other services and supports in your budget.
If you are mid-plan and want to change, contact us on 1800 800 110 to discuss how you can include plan management in your plan.
After I have connected with a plan manager, what do I do?
Once you have connected with a plan manager, you should create a service agreement.
A service agreement outlines:
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the services to be provided
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how these services will be provided
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how long they will be your plan manager.
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How do I change plan managers?
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You can choose your plan manager. You can also change your plan manager during your plan. If you wish to change, you will need to tell your plan manager. They will provide you with information about your plan and help you to change.
NDIA-managed funding
The NDIA pays your providers on your behalf.
​When your plan is managed by the NDIA (sometimes referred to as Agency-managed):
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You can choose from a range of NDIS registered providers.
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Your providers claim payment electronically from your funding.
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You cannot use unregistered providers.
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You can look on the Myplace portal to see what claims providers are making against your NDIS funding and keep track of your budget.
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The NDIA will manage your book-keeping and records of your spending. (Source from https://www.ndis.gov.au/participants/using-your-plan/self-management, viewed 17/10/2024)
