How NDIS funding works
Your NDIS plan splits your funding into separate budgets, and each one works a little differently. Knowing which is which saves a lot of confusion.
Your plan has separate budgets
When your plan is approved, your funding isn't one single pool. It's divided into budgets that each cover a different kind of support. The three you'll hear about most are Core, Capacity Building and Capital. Some plans also include a fourth, Recurring, for regular ongoing payments.
The important thing to understand early: you often can't move money freely between these budgets. What each is for — and how flexible it is — is the difference that trips people up.
Core — your everyday support
Core is usually the largest budget and the most flexible. It covers the day-to-day: help with daily activities, getting out into the community, everyday consumables, and transport.
Because Core is flexible, you can generally use the total amount across the different Core categories in whatever way suits you — so an unused amount for one kind of everyday support can often go toward another.
Capacity Building — building your independence
Capacity Building is about developing skills and working toward your goals — things like therapy, support coordination, help finding work, and improving daily-living skills.
This budget is more fixed. The NDIS calls it a "stated" support: the funding is set for each category, though you usually have some flexibility to choose which specific supports within a category best help you.
Capital — bigger, one-off items
Capital covers higher-cost items: assistive technology like wheelchairs or communication devices, home or vehicle modifications, and specialist disability accommodation (SDA).
Capital is the least flexible of all. It's tied to specific items — often to a particular quote — and you can't move it to other budgets. This is exactly why you can't buy a wheelchair with your Core (everyday) money: a wheelchair is a Capital item, and the two budgets don't mix.
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Can I move money between my budgets?
Usually only within Core, which is flexible. Capacity Building is more fixed, and Capital is locked to specific items. If you think your plan has the balance wrong, that's a conversation for a plan reassessment or a plan variation.
Why can't I use my Core budget for a wheelchair?
A wheelchair is a Capital item (assistive technology), and Capital and Core are separate budgets that can't be mixed. Capital funding is usually tied to a specific quote for the item.
What happens if I run out of a budget?
Talk to your support coordinator or Local Area Coordinator early — don't wait until it's gone. If your circumstances have changed, you may be able to ask for a plan variation or reassessment.
This is general information to help you get oriented — not official advice, and everyone’s situation is different. The NDIS is changing, so for the current rules always check ndis.gov.au or talk to your planner, Local Area Coordinator, or support coordinator.