7 Surprising Things You Didn’t Know You Can Use Your NDIS Funding For

Who’s Eligible for NDIS Funding?

The National Disability Insurance Scheme provides Australians or permanent residents who are aged 7 to 65 with funding packages to help them access support to live with a permanent or significant disability. It provides funding for those living with disabilities to access support workers to help with everyday tasks, to buy equipment specific to their disability, and to access certain treatments that will reduce their future needs. This does not replace income or a disability support pension, but instead, provides those with disabilities with the financial means to complete everyday tasks, achieve goals, and access community areas that are often made more difficult due to their disability. This removes the financial burden from the individual. NDIS packages are reviewed yearly by a NDIS planner in tandem with the person requiring support.

What Do People Usually Use NDIS Funding For?

Sometimes, it can be unclear to the extent to which you can actually use your NDIS funding, while still adhering to the rules that dictate what you may use your funding for. Most people assume funding is only for equipment and direct support with activities of daily living and help around the home. The most typical things someone may spend NDIS funding on is assistance with activities of daily living like eating, dressing, showering, cooking, and keeping the house clean and tidy – things someone may not be able to complete independently due to their disability.

NDIS also covers special necessary equipment that someone needs due to their disability, such as mobility aids, medical equipment, or certain technological items that are altered for use specific to someone’s disability. These are the types of support that are most commonly paid for using funding, but there is so much more you are able to use your funding for in order to achieve your goals and access more of your community – you just have to know what the options are!

What Surprising Things Can I Use My NDIS Funding For?

1. Assistance and company to entertainment venues

NDIS funding is vital in ensuring those with disabilities can access and engage in community activities – and that includes things that are purely for leisure, like seeing a live band, going to the movies, or attending an art gallery. This is because having a disability may make attending these kinds of venues challenging physically, or perhaps you need support navigating certain venues or activities. You can engage the help of a support worker to attend these kinds of activities with you – they can help you with your physical and medical needs on an outing, but also provide genuine companionship if you’re engaging the help of someone who shares the same passions and hobbies as you. You may have access to a companion card for your support worker too, which allows them free access to certain venues and activities so they can accompany you. Your NDIS funding is available to both engage the help of a support worker and fund your ticket to whichever community venue you want to attend!

2. Gardening

If you have a beautiful garden you want to maintain but need assistance with, or if you’re maybe interested in starting a veggie patch – gardening is something that can be covered by the NDIS! This is because gardening is something your disability may inhibit you from completing independently, but is an important part of the upkeep of your home, or may be an important hobby to you. You can hire a support worker to work in collaboration to help you tend to your garden – this is good for exchanging knowledge and ideas as well as having company as you work. Or, if you lack a green thumb and simply need someone to tame your backyard –  you can hire an NDIS-funded professional gardener to take care of it for you!

3. Taking Care of Pets

Pets are invaluable members of your household, providing entertainment, companionship, and loyalty. However, it can be a big responsibility to make sure you’re able to feed them morning and night, as well as take them out for exercise – if you have an active and willing pet! Thankfully, another surprising use of the NDIS you can take advantage of is employing support to assist you with taking care of your pet. Considering this is an aspect of maintaining a clean and functioning home, a support worker can absolutely help you out with taking care of pets – including feeding, taking them to vet appointments, and taking them for walks.

4. Driving Lessons

You can use your NDIS funding to achieve a goal of learning how to drive, or getting your license! Certain driving schools provide lessons that are NDIS-accredited and thus, you can use your funding to pay for them. This alleviates the financial pressure on learning how to drive, as a few more steps are required to obtain a license if you have a disability. First, book an appointment with your GP who will assess whether you need an Occupational Therapist to assess your driving ability before you get stuck into it. The GP will send off their assessment to VicRoads, who will advise you of the outcome. If you need an OT assessment before you can jump behind the wheel with an NDIS accredited teacher, your funding will cover this part, too. Once you’ve dropped through those few hoops, you can begin to take driving lessons with your teacher – all courtesy of the NDIS! If you need help navigating these steps before you’re whizzing down the highway, a support worker can be invaluable assistance in this stage.

5. Transport from a Support Worker

While you can find many taxi and bus companies that offer NDIS-funded trips and transport, sometimes it can be nicer getting someone you trust and know well to help you with transport in their car, instead. Your chosen and trusted support worker can provide transport for you to access the community, work, education, or medical appointments, using their own car. 

6. Learning a New Hobby

The great part about choosing your own support workers with an NDIS plan is that you can connect with and employ people who share your hobbies, interests and passions. You can hire support workers to teach you something new including gardening, arts and crafts, or a sport – or have them accompany you to a class or community group that you are both interested in! While your funding may not cover the sport/class/hobby itself, it definitely covers the support worker you can access to help you learn these new things! Many disability support companies allow you to chat to support workers before you hire them to make sure you are on the same page about the care you want to receive, and also get to know them and their hobbies. This makes the process of hiring a support worker far more streamlined and enjoyable, as you can spend time with someone who cares about the same things you do!

7. Ironing

While it may seem obscure that your NDIS funding can cover ironing – it’s just another part of light housekeeping that you may need help with, and therefore, you’re able to use your funding for it! Tasks like this are always fundable by the NDIS if your disability prevents you from completing them independently, or in a timely manner. Don’t be afraid to look for support workers to help you complete these tasks at home – your funding is there to be used to make your life easier, so you focus more of your time on doing things you love.

What Can’t I Use My Funding For?

Although the breadth of what you can use your funding for is large, there are some restrictions on what it can be used for. NDIS funding does not replace an income or disability support pension (which you can use on whatever you like, including costs of living), but rather, is used to access services and aids to assist with living with a disability.

Living Costs Not Associated with Your Disability

You can’t use your NDIS funding for the cost of living including rent, bills, groceries. Using a disability support pension, or job income, is the funding you should use for things like that. You can apply for a disability support pension online if you need assistance with the costs of day to day living, or are unable to work due to your disability. The exception to this if a certain bill relates directly to your disability needs – like if an item you require uses more amounts of water or electricity than a normal household, this is claimable under the NDIS.

Some Leisure Activities

Unfortunately, there are some leisure things that the NDIS will not cover, if the cost of the activity is not directly related to your needs. For instance, if you need support on a holiday, then you are able to bring a support worker to help you with your needs as your adventure or relax. However, it will not cover the cost of your flights or leisure activities/tours at your destination. There is a specific stipulation that you cannot use NDIS funding for things that may endanger your health or life – and this can specifically apply to things like alcohol consumption. So while you’re able to use your funding to attend a live band, or pay for a support worker to come with you to a fine dining experience, it can’t simultaneously fund your alcoholic drinks! Having access to NDIS funding means you have to be discerning, and careful, about what you’re accessing your funds for – especially if it is self managed and you are responsible for moving the money.

Services Not Related to Your Disability

There are many therapeutic services you can use your NDIS funding for, so long as they are directly related to your disability, or will reduce your need for further support in the future. For example, certain personal trainers, physios, or exercise physiologists may be able to create programs for you that keep your pain low, assist you in becoming more mobile, or reduce stiffness. The same may be said for other services like a swimming coach or massage therapist. However, if these kinds of services do not relate directly to aspects of your health that are affected by your disability, then they are ineligible to use your funding for.

So How Should I Decide What To Use My NDIS Funding For?

During your annual NDIS funding reviews, your NDIS planner will go over your plan and funding with you. Your planner and you will take into account your goals for the year and plan for funding accordingly. Before this review, it’s a good idea to get some goals together for the year that you may need support or special equipment to achieve – like achieving certain fitness goals, getting a drivers’ license, or attending all the football games of your favourite team! Your planner and you will decide how much funding you require to achieve these goals, as well as how much funding you need to complete daily living activities, as well as any treatment or equipment you require.

If you self-manage your fund, you have great liberty in deciding what support workers you want to employ for which tasks or goals you want to achieve – you can choose support workers who share interests, hobbies or talents that coincide with what you want completed or need assistance with. If your funds are not self managed, you can talk to your plan manager about your specific goals and tasks you want to achieve, and they can assist with linking you in with the perfect support workers or services to make this happen.

Provide the best care to your loved one today!