One of the essential features of the NDIS is the funding categories available to participants. The government issues this money to help support disabled people. However, to understand how the funding works, you must first understand its categories. These categories provide flexible and tailored support to individuals based on their needs and goals. Here is a deeper delve into the fundamentals of NDIS funding categories and how they work.
What Are The NDIS Funding Categories?
First, it’s crucial to understand the NDIS funding categories before getting into the different types. They are also known as support budgets set aside by NDIS and relate to each specific goal and outcome an individual intends to achieve. The funding categories come in three major ones:
- Core Supports,
- Capital Supports,
- Capacity Building Supports
Each funding category is further divided into sub-categories, each with support items with a specific amount allocated. Disabled people can use this funding to pay, access and receive support. Please note that most support items have price control set by the NDIA, also known as the price limit.
Core Supports
Core Supports are those that help individuals with daily activities and their participation in the community. This category covers support services like transportation, personal care, and household tasks. There are four sub-categories of funding in the Core Supports category, ranging from basic to high. They include the following:
- Assistance with daily life – includes things like Supported Independent Living, household tasks or support with everyday activities.
- Transport allows them to access additional NDIS support outside their homes.
- Assistance with social and community participation includes support to help one engage with the community or recreational activities.
- Consumables are everyday items a disabled person may need, for instance, equipment for eating.
Capital Supports
These are NDIS funding categories designed to help participants purchase equipment or modifications to their home, car or other supports that can improve their independence and quality of life. Capital supports come in two sub-categories:
- Assistive technology(AT) can include various technologies that help with mobility, communication, personal care, recreational inclusions or vehicle modifications. They come in different levels and aim to help make everyday living easy for disabled people. With the help of your NDIS plan manager, you can find out which AT you are eligible for and how you can get it.
- Home Modifications include funding for home modifications to help improve independence and make life manageable for the disabled.
Capacity Building Supports
Capacity Building Support focuses on helping individuals develop skills and increase their independence. It gives them control and choice over the support they need to achieve their goals. There are nine funding areas in the Capacity Building Supports category:
- Support coordination – provides funding for support coordination and specialist support coordination. It can help you find the services that best suit you and connect you to those services with the help of your NDIS plan manager.
- Finding and keeping a job – seeking employment is a crucial part of the NDIS Plans. This category can help you learn how to find employment and learn workplace skills.
- Improved living arrangements – this funding aims at helping an individual find appropriate accommodation, such as a rental property or a home, and understand the tenancy obligations.
- Increased social and community participation – it’s a category that aims at helping disabled people build their social skills to attend social events like schools or camps.
- Improved relationships – this category offers support that will help develop positive behaviours and interact with others.
- Improved learning – these are training and advice to help individuals move from school further their education.
- Improved life choices – introducing plan management to help disabled people manage their invoices and pay for services.
- Improved health and well-being – this is funding for physical and well-being activities to enable disabled individuals to access support to help them improve their physical mobility and well-being.
- Improved daily living includes funding for services like therapy, early childhood interventions or individual support.
The NDIS funding categories are designed to give participants flexibility and choice in the support they receive. Participants can manage their funds themselves or have an NDIS plan manager or support coordinator manage their funds for them. This gives participants greater control over their support and the ability to choose the support that best suits their needs.