I have an NDIS plan, where can I spend my funding?
A question I see a lot of is: "I have an NDIS plan but I don't know what I can spend my funding on, who can help me?"
So you have a plan and you don't know what you can spend it on? You are not alone! It is something that often comes up in our work as coordinators.
Many people are told that they can utilise their LAC or Planner to help them to implement their plan. However, they soon find that LAC's and Planners are rarely contactable once your plan has been built, and that leaves you all alone with a plan you have no idea how to use.
If you don't have Support Coordination funded in your plan, then what? How on earth do you get things moving?
Well, hopefully this article will give you a bit of an idea! Every person's plan is individual to them. What that means is that not everyone can use their plan to purchase the same supports. What you can purchase with your plan is linked to your goals.
The NDIS gives funding in three areas of your: Core, Capacity Building and Capital
Lets go through some of the things that you might be able to purchase with your plan!
Core Supports:
Core supports are where you have most flexibility in your plan. This Table from the NDIS website gives a good overview of what might be in core and how you can spend it. These supports are funded to help you with activities of daily living such as help around the home and in the community.
Don't be restricted by what you see above. Your goals will help to guide you on what you can and should use your funding for.
If your support fits the reasonable and necessary guidelines and relates to your disability then in most cases, you can purchase it.
Be creative, think outside the square, and remember "choice and control" and "reasonable and necessary" are legislated, so know your rights!
Capacity Building
Your Capacity Building Support budget is there to help you build your independence and skills so you can work towards your goals.
Unlike your Core Supports budget, your Capacity Building Supports budget is not as flexible.
Funding can only be used to purchase individual supports that fall within that Capacity Building category.
The Capacity Building categories are:
Capital Supports
Capital Support is the funding for higher-cost pieces of assistive technology, equipment and home or vehicle modifications, and also includes funding for one-off purchases you may need (including Specialist Disability Accommodation).
Your Capital Supports budget can only be used for the outlined purpose and cannot be used to pay for anything else. The Capital Supports budget has two support categories: Assistive Technology and Home Modifications.
Remember, the NDIS was formed to allow people choice and control over the supports they require. However, this is guided by legislation and it can be hard to understand what that means and what you are allowed to purchase! Sometimes the NDIS 1800 line does not give out the most accurate information.
It is impossible for the general public to give you a "yes" or "no" answer to if you can buy a certain service or support and no matter how many Facebook commenters tell you you can't have it, they may well be wrong. You are an individual and so are your disability needs.
If you believe you require a support or a service because of your disability and it is not better funded by another system (such as the health system) then you should check the reasonable and necessary guidelines:
In order to be considered reasonable and necessary, a support or service:
- must be related to a participant’s disability
- must not include day-to-day living costs not related to your disability support needs, such as groceries
- should represent value for money
- must be likely to be effective and work for the participant, and
- should take into account support given to you by other government services, your family, carers, networks and the community.
If you are ready for a deep dive and have a spare day and an endless supply of coffee, then check out the operational guidelines. https://ourguidelines.ndis.gov.au/ Be warned, this is very dry and very extensive, I was not joking about the coffee!
Picture in heading is of Australian money laid out on a flat surface
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