If you’re new to the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) — or even if you’ve been around it for years — understanding NDIS support categories can feel unnecessarily complicated.
People hear terms like Core, Capital, and Capacity Building and assume they’re technical labels that don’t really matter. In reality, these categories determine what gets funded, how flexible your funding is, and why some supports are approved while others are rejected.
This guide breaks down NDIS support categories in plain English, with real examples, common mistakes, and practical tips to help participants, families, carers, and providers make better use of NDIS funding.
What Are NDIS Support Categories?
NDIS support categories are the framework the NDIS uses to organise funding in a participant’s plan.
Every support funded by the NDIS must:
Be reasonable and necessary
Relate directly to a person’s disability
Help the participant pursue their goals
Represent value for money
Not be more appropriately funded by another system (health, education, housing)
To manage this at scale, the NDIS groups supports into three main categories:
Core Supports
Capital Supports
Capacity Building Supports
Understanding these categories helps you:
Plan supports more strategically
Avoid funding rejections
Use your budget effectively
Advocate more confidently during planning and reviews
The 3 Main NDIS Support Categories (At a Glance)
Category | What It Covers | How Flexible It Is |
Core Supports | Everyday assistance and participation | Very flexible |
Capital Supports | Equipment and home modifications | Very specific |
Capacity Building | Skill development and therapies | Purpose-specific |
Let’s unpack each one properly.
Core Supports Explained
What Are Core Supports?
Core Supports fund the everyday assistance people need to live, participate, and function day to day. This is usually the most flexible part of an NDIS plan.
Core funding helps participants:
Get support with daily tasks
Participate in community and social activities
Access consumables related to disability
Manage short-term accommodation or respite
Because Core funding is flexible, it’s often where participants can tailor supports to changing needs — within reason.
Core Support Categories
Core Supports are divided into four sub-categories:
1. Assistance with Daily Living
Support with everyday personal and domestic tasks, such as:
Personal care (showering, dressing, toileting)
Meal preparation
Household tasks
Overnight support
2. Transport
Funding to help participants travel to:
Work
Education
Community activities
Appointments
Transport funding may be:
Paid directly to the participant
Provided through transport providers
Managed through support workers
3. Consumables
Low-cost, disability-related items that are used regularly, such as:
Continence products
Low-cost assistive technology
Visual aids or basic sensory items
4. Assistance with Social and Community Participation
Supports that help participants:
Engage in social activities
Access the community
Build social connections
This might include support workers attending activities with a participant.
Examples of Core Supports
Support worker assistance at home
Community access supports
Short-Term Accommodation (STA / respite)
Personal care supports
Transport assistance
What Core Supports Do Not Cover
Even though Core funding is flexible, it does not cover:
Rent or mortgage payments
Groceries or everyday household bills
Non-disability-related activities
Holidays or leisure expenses unrelated to disability needs
A common mistake is assuming “flexible” means “anything.” It doesn’t.
Capital Supports Explained
What Are Capital Supports?
Capital Supports fund higher-cost items that help a person live more independently or safely. These are usually one-off purchases or long-term investments.
Capital funding is the least flexible category — it’s allocated for specific items and can’t be easily moved or repurposed.
Capital Support Types
Capital Supports are divided into two main types:
1. Assistive Technology (AT)
Equipment that helps participants perform tasks more independently, such as:
Wheelchairs
Walking aids
Communication devices
Shower chairs
Modified beds
AT may be:
Low cost
Mid cost
High cost (often requiring assessments and quotes)
2. Home Modifications
Changes to a participant’s home to improve safety and access, such as:
Ramps
Grab rails
Bathroom modifications
Door widening
Examples of Capital Supports
Powered wheelchairs
Augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) devices
Hoists and transfer equipment
Bathroom and kitchen modifications
Common Capital Support Mistakes
Capital supports are often rejected due to:
Lack of professional assessment
Missing quotes
Poor justification linking the item to functional need
Attempting to fund general household improvements
Tip: Detailed OT assessments dramatically improve approval rates for capital items.
Capacity Building Supports Explained
What Is Capacity Building?
Capacity Building Supports focus on helping participants build skills, independence, and long-term capability.
Unlike Core supports, Capacity Building funding is not flexible between categories. Each line item has a specific purpose.
This category is where most therapy funding sits.
Capacity Building Support Categories
Capacity Building funding is divided into several sub-categories:
1. Support Coordination
Helps participants:
Understand their NDIS plan
Connect with services
Navigate complex systems
Build capacity to manage supports independently
2. Improved Daily Living
This is the primary therapy category, including:
Occupational Therapy
Speech Pathology
Psychology
Physiotherapy
Behaviour Support
3. Improved Relationships
Supports focused on:
Behaviour support
Social skills
Building positive relationships
4. Improved Health and Wellbeing
Supports such as:
Exercise physiology
Dietetics
Health-related capacity building
5. Improved Learning
Supports that help participants:
Access education
Build learning-related skills
6. Improved Life Choices
Funding that helps participants:
Develop decision-making skills
Build independence in managing life choices
Therapy Examples Funded Under Capacity Building
Functional capacity assessments
Therapy sessions (OT, speech, psych, physio)
Therapy reports for NDIS reviews
Skill development programs
Capacity Building funding is goal-driven — poorly written goals often lead to underfunded therapy budgets.
What the NDIS Will NOT Fund
This is one of the most searched — and misunderstood — aspects of the NDIS.
The NDIS will not fund:
Day-to-day living costs (rent, food, utilities)
Supports unrelated to disability
Services better funded by health, education, or housing systems
Experimental or unproven treatments
Items considered personal lifestyle choices
Understanding exclusions helps prevent frustration and wasted planning effort.
Why Supports Get Rejected
Supports are often rejected because:
The link to disability isn’t clearly explained
Goals are vague or generic
Evidence is missing or outdated
The support duplicates another service system
The cost outweighs the benefit
Most rejections are not because the support is unreasonable, but because it wasn’t justified properly.
How to Improve Your Chances of Approval
Here are evidence-based strategies that work:
1. Link Everything to Functional Impact
Avoid diagnoses-only language. Focus on how disability affects:
Daily living
Mobility
Communication
Safety
Participation
2. Use Clear, Outcome-Focused Goals
Goals should explain why the support matters, not just what you want.
3. Use Professional Reports Strategically
OT, speech, and psychology reports carry significant weight — especially when they:
Use NDIS language
Link recommendations to goals
Demonstrate long-term value
4. Avoid “Nice to Have” Language
The NDIS funds needs, not preferences.
Frequently Asked Questions About NDIS Support Categories
Does the NDIS fund therapy?
Yes. Therapy is usually funded under Capacity Building – Improved Daily Living.
Can I move money between categories?
Core funding is flexible within Core
Capacity Building funding is not flexible
Capital funding is locked to approved items
Why was my therapy funding reduced?
Often due to:
Vague goals
Lack of updated evidence
Assumption that previous funding automatically continues
Is support coordination always funded?
Not always. It depends on complexity, informal supports, and capacity.
Why Understanding Support Categories Matters
Knowing NDIS support categories empowers you to:
Plan more effectively
Advocate with confidence
Reduce funding rejections
Use your plan strategically
Get better long-term outcomes
The NDIS isn’t just about funding — it’s about using the system wisely.
Conclusion
NDIS support categories aren’t just administrative labels. They shape how plans are built, how funding is used, and whether participants get the support they actually need.
When participants and families understand these categories, they make better decisions, ask better questions, and achieve better outcomes.
If you’re navigating the NDIS, knowledge is one of your most powerful supports.
Resources:
Download this article in PDF
Download NDIS Categories of Supports (in plain english)
