NDIS support budgets & categories explained
Inside your NDIS budgets are smaller “support categories” that decide what each part of your funding is actually for. Here's what the common ones mean.
Budgets contain categories
Your plan's funding is split into budgets — Core, Capacity Building and Capital. Inside each budget are “support categories” that group the specific kinds of support your money can pay for. Knowing the category a support falls under tells you which budget it comes from and how flexible it is.
If you're not yet sure how the three budgets differ, our guide on how NDIS funding works explains Core, Capacity Building and Capital first — this guide goes one level deeper, into the categories inside them.
Core categories — your everyday support
Core is the most flexible budget, and you can generally move funding between its categories:
- Assistance with Daily Life — hands-on help with personal care and daily tasks, including at home.
- Assistance with Social & Community Participation — support to get out and take part in activities and your community.
- Consumables — everyday disability-related items — things like continence products or low-cost aids.
- Transport — help getting around when your disability means other options don't work.
Capacity Building categories — building skills
Capacity Building is more fixed — funding is set per category and works toward your goals:
- Support Coordination — help to understand your plan and connect with the right providers.
- Improved Daily Living — therapy and allied health to build skills and independence.
- Increased Social & Community Participation — building skills and confidence to take part more independently.
- Finding & Keeping a Job — employment supports, including help moving from school to work.
Capital categories — bigger, one-off items
Capital is the least flexible — tied to specific items, often to a quote:
- Assistive Technology — equipment like wheelchairs or communication devices.
- Home Modifications — changes that make your home accessible.
- Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) — housing designed for high support needs.
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What's the difference between 'assistance with daily life' and 'improved daily living'?
Assistance with Daily Life is Core funding for hands-on everyday help (personal care, tasks at home). Improved Daily Living is Capacity Building funding for therapy and allied health that builds your skills. Similar names, different budgets.
What are consumables on the NDIS?
Consumables are everyday disability-related items you use up over time — things like continence products or low-cost aids. They sit in your Core budget.
What is capacity building funding for?
Capacity Building funds supports that build your skills and independence toward your goals — therapy, support coordination, employment help and more. It's more fixed than Core: funding is set per category.
Can I move funding between categories?
Usually only within Core, which is flexible. Capacity Building is more fixed (set per category) and Capital is locked to specific items. See our guide on how NDIS funding works for more.
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.