What is and isn’t included in your NDIS plan

Your NDIS plan funds supports that connect to your disability. It does not pay for the costs everyone has, like rent, groceries or the electricity bill.

That sounds simple. The line between what’s covered and what isn’t catches a lot of participants out. The rules tightened in 2024, and the next round of changes (New Framework Planning) starts rolling out from 1 April 2027.

This guide walks through what the NDIS will fund, what it won’t, and the grey areas that cause the most confusion.

The six tests that decide what the NDIS will fund

Every funded support has to pass the “reasonable and necessary” test set out in section 34 of the NDIS Act. There are 6 questions the NDIA asks:

1. Will the support help you pursue the goals in your plan?
2. Will it help you take part in social and economic life (work, study, community)?
3. Is it value for money?
4. Is it likely to be effective and benefit you?
5. Does it sit alongside what’s reasonable for your family, carers and community to provide?
6. Is the support an “NDIS support” for you (under the section 10 list)?

The sixth test is new. In October 2024 the Government inserted section 10 into the NDIS Act and published an official “NDIS supports” list, with an inclusion list and an exclusion list. The rules are now spelled out rather than left to the planner’s judgement.

What the NDIS funds

NDIS supports fall into 3 budget categories: core, capital and capacity building.

Core supports

Core supports cover the day-to-day help you need to live with your disability.

• support workers for showering, dressing, toileting and other personal care
• assistance to prepare meals, do the cleaning, or get to appointments
• continence aids: nappies, catheters, drainage bags
• consumables like wound care products and specialised feeding supplies
• transport related to your disability

Capital supports

Capital supports cover one-off items.

• mobility aids: wheelchairs, walkers, hoists, scooters
• assistive technology: communication devices, hearing aids
• vehicle modifications
• home modifications: ramps, bathroom rails, accessible kitchens
• Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) for people with very high support needs

Capacity building supports

Capacity building supports help you build skills and independence.

• therapy: physiotherapy, occupational therapy, exercise physiology, speech pathology, psychology when related to your disability
• support coordination
• training to use assistive technology or to manage your plan
• help to find and keep work
• improved daily living and life skills programs

What the NDIS does not fund

These costs sit outside the scheme. The NDIS treats them as either everyday living expenses or as services covered by another system.

Day-to-day living costs everyone has

• rent or mortgage payments
• groceries (the food itself)
• electricity, water, gas
• phone and internet bills
• council rates
• petrol for your own car (separate from disability-related transport)

Lifestyle items

• alcohol, tobacco and vapes
• gambling
• standard toiletries: regular shampoo, soap, toothpaste, makeup, perfume
• streaming subscriptions and gym memberships, unless very specifically prescribed
• holidays as leisure

Services covered by another system

• hospital care, GP visits, and prescriptions on the PBS (the health system)
• standard school education (the state)
• aged care services after 65 (the aged care system)
• public housing (state housing departments)
• workers’ compensation injuries (the WorkCover scheme)
• supports that put you or others at risk

Supports that don’t pass the value-for-money test

• anything you could reasonably afford or arrange yourself
• supports already provided by family, friends or the community

The grey areas: where people get caught out

This is where most plan disputes happen.

Meal delivery services. The NDIS funds the preparation and delivery component, usually around 70% of the cost. You pay the remaining 30% (the food itself), which is treated as a normal living expense. Providers must itemise the split on every invoice.

Gym memberships. A standard gym membership won’t be funded. An exercise physiology program prescribed by your therapist and delivered at a clinic is funded. The difference is who designed the program and why.

Home modifications. Installing a ramp, widening doorways or putting in a wet-area bathroom can be funded if you need them because of your disability. A general renovation, or upgrading a kitchen for taste reasons, will not.

Holidays. Holiday travel is not funded. If your support worker accompanies you so you can take a break, the worker’s wages and travel costs can be in your plan, depending on how your goals are written.

Medication and clinical care. Standard GP visits, hospital admissions and PBS medicines are not in the NDIS. Disability-specific clinical care that the health system does not cover can be funded.

Children and school. The NDIS funds disability-specific therapies and aids for children. The school is responsible for teaching support, classroom adjustments and learning materials.

Pets and assistance animals. A pet is not funded. A trained assistance animal from an accredited provider can be funded, including training and ongoing care costs.

A useful filter: ask whether the cost arises because of your disability, or whether you would have it anyway. If you would have it anyway, the NDIS will not pay for it.

What is changing in 2026 and 2027

The 2026-27 Federal Budget and the NDIS Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026 brought in a new model called New Framework Planning. The main changes:

• A new Support Needs Assessment will set your budget, replacing the current core/capital/capacity building split for new and reviewed plans.
• Eligibility will be based on standardised, evidence-based assessments of functional capacity, not on diagnosis lists.
• The line between NDIS supports and mainstream services (health, education, aged care) will be drawn more tightly.

Key dates:

• 1 April 2027: New Framework Planning starts rolling out (delayed from the original February 2027 start).
• 1 July 2027: Participants under 16 begin transitioning to the new model (with the transition running through to 2 October 2029).
• 1 January 2028: New eligibility boundaries apply to prospective participants.

If your plan is reviewed after the rollout begins, expect more questions about how each support links directly to your disability.

MS Australia and other disability representative bodies have warned that tighter rules could cut access for people with fluctuating or progressive conditions. A recent MS Australia survey of 939 people found 61% believe the NDIS does not understand multiple sclerosis, with physiotherapy and mental health support being the most commonly cut.

How to check what’s in your plan

1. Read your plan document. Your plan lists your funded supports by budget category. Look for the amounts and the goals each support is tied to.
2. Ask your planner or local area coordinator. If a support is missing or unclear, ask in writing. You can request a plan review at any time.
3. Use the official NDIS supports list. Search the NDIS website for the section 10 lists to confirm whether an item is in or out. [EXTERNAL LINK: NDIS supports lists at ndis.gov.au]
4. Get a support coordinator. A support coordinator can map your goals to funded supports and flag what’s not covered before you spend.
5. Talk to a peer body. MS Australia, People with Disability Australia, and your state disability advocacy service can help you make the case for a support.

If a support is refused, you can request an internal review within 3 months. The NDIA has 90 days to respond. If you disagree with the review, you have 28 days to apply to the Administrative Review Tribunal (the ART, which replaced the Administrative Appeals Tribunal on 14 October 2024).

FAQ

Can the NDIS pay my rent?

No. Rent is a day-to-day living cost everyone has, so it sits outside the NDIS. The scheme can fund Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) for people with very high support needs, but most participants pay their own rent.

Does the NDIS cover groceries?

No, not the food itself. The NDIS can fund a support worker to help you shop or cook if you need that help because of your disability. For meal delivery services, the scheme covers the preparation and delivery component (around 70% of the cost) and you pay around 30% (the food). Providers must itemise this on every invoice.

Will the NDIS pay for my GP, hospital or prescription medication?

No. Those costs are covered by Medicare, the public hospital system and the PBS. The NDIS funds disability-specific clinical care that the health system does not, such as a continence nurse or specialist disability therapy.

Can NDIS funding cover a gym membership?

A standard gym membership will not be funded. An exercise physiology program prescribed by your treating therapist can be funded, including the cost of attending a clinic or working with a qualified exercise physiologist.

What happens to my plan from 1 April 2027?

Existing plans continue until your next reassessment or renewal. From 1 April 2027, New Framework Planning starts rolling out, with a new Support Needs Assessment setting your budget. Children under 16 begin transitioning from 1 July 2027. New eligibility boundaries for prospective participants apply from 1 January 2028. Stronger evidence will be required for each support, and the line between NDIS supports and mainstream services will be drawn more tightly.