NDIS Assistance with Daily Life is a Core Support category that funds practical, hands-on help with personal care and everyday tasks, at home and in the community.
It pays for a support worker’s time when your disability makes daily activities difficult or unsafe so that you can live as independently as possible.
- Assistance with Daily Life sits within your Core Supports budget.
- It covers personal care, household tasks, daily routines, and accommodation-based supports such as supported independent living and respite.
- It funds a worker’s time, not groceries, rent, toiletries or event tickets.
- Core funds are usually flexible so that you can move money between Core categories, with some exceptions.
What is NDIS Assistance with Daily Life?
Assistance with Daily Life is one of the four Core Support categories in an NDIS plan. It provides funding for the everyday help you need to live safely and comfortably when your disability affects your ability to manage certain tasks on your own.
That might mean a support worker assisting with your morning routine, preparing a meal, or helping you keep your home clean and organised. Our disability support worker team delivers exactly these supports in the comfort of your home.
Assistance with Daily Life versus Improved Daily Living
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There is a difference between assistance with daily life and improved daily living as core support categories.
Assistance with Daily Life is about having help provided now. Improved Daily Living is a separate Capacity Building support that funds therapy and skill development, so you can build your independence over time.
A simple way to picture it: a support worker helping you shower each morning is Assistance with Daily Life.
An occupational therapist teaching you a technique so you can eventually shower with less help is Improved Daily Living. One meets your current practical needs, the other works towards future independence.
What does Assistance with Daily Life cover?
This category is broad and is designed to flex around your routine and goals. Below are the main types of support it covers, with examples of how the funding is commonly used.
Personal care and self-care
Hands-on help with tasks directly related to your body and personal hygiene. This often includes:
- Showering, bathing, and skin care
- Dressing and undressing, including help with buttons, zips and choosing suitable clothing
- Toileting and continence support
- Grooming, such as shaving, hair care, nail care and oral hygiene
- Eating and drinking assistance, including supervision at meals where needed
- Mobility and transfers, for example, moving safely from bed to chair
Household and domestic tasks
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Support to keep your home safe, clean and functional. The NDIS funds the worker’s time, not the cost of products or groceries.
Common examples include cleaning, laundry, meal preparation, grocery shopping, and light yard tidying needed for safety and access.
Daily routines and in-home support
Help with the rhythm of your day, such as getting up in the morning, going to bed at night, and managing daily schedules and appointments, so your routine stays steady and predictable.
Accommodation-based supports
This category also spans several supports connected to where and how you live, including Supported Independent Living (SIL), Short Term Accommodation (STA, often called respite), Medium Term Accommodation (MTA), and Individualised Living Options (ILO).
Each has its own rules, so it is worth confirming how they appear in your own plan.
Community nursing and high-intensity support
For participants with complex or clinical needs, this category may include community nursing delivered by registered or enrolled nurses, as well as high-intensity personal care for needs such as PEG feeding, catheter or stoma care, and complex bowel care.
Homage has qualified nurses on staff for these supports; you can explore our full range of home care and nursing services to see what is available.
The sub-categories at a glance
| Sub-category | What it typically covers |
|---|---|
| Personal care (self-care) | Showering, dressing, toileting, grooming, eating and drinking assistance, transfers |
| Household tasks | Cleaning, laundry, meal preparation, grocery shopping, and light yard tidying for safety |
| High-intensity personal care | Hands-on support for complex needs such as PEG feeding, catheter or stoma care |
| Community nursing | Clinical care at home from registered or enrolled nurses |
| Supported Independent Living (SIL) | Regular or around-the-clock support in a shared or individual home |
| Short Term Accommodation (STA) | Respite care away from your usual home, giving carers a break |
| Individualised Living Options (ILO) | A flexible, self-directed living arrangement that follows the person |
What Assistance with Daily Life does not cover
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As a general rule, the NDIS funds disability-related support, not everyday costs that all Australians pay. Assistance with Daily Life funding does not cover:
- The cost of food and groceries for meal preparation
- Cleaning products, detergents and toiletries
- Personal items unrelated to your disability, such as cosmetics
- Rent, utilities and other regular living expenses
- Medical and hospital costs
- General home maintenance, repairs and major landscaping
- Event tickets, recreation fees and transport fares
Every support must still meet the NDIS reasonable and necessary criteria, which means it relates to your disability, helps you pursue your goals, and represents value for money.
Support item codes and the price guide
Assistance with Daily Life supports sit in your Core Supports budget and are delivered against specific line items. Personal care and domestic assistance generally fall under the Daily Personal Activities registration group, while complex supports fall under High Intensity Daily Personal Activities.
Because these rates are updated regularly, it is best to check the current figures rather than rely on a number you saw online. Our NDIS Price Guide breaks down what the rates mean for you in practice, including how evening, weekend and public holiday rates differ.
Who is eligible, and how to access it
Assistance with Daily Life is available to any NDIS participant whose plan includes Core funding for these supports and whose goals align with daily living needs.
Participants who are generally aged between 7 and 65 with a permanent and significant disability are eligible.
To put the support in place:
- Find the funding in the Core Supports section of your NDIS plan.
- Choose a provider and agree on a service plan that sets out your goals and the help you need.
- Begin services, and review how they are working as your needs change.
A Support Coordinator can help you make sense of your plan and connect with providers. You can read more about getting started on the Homage NDIS participants hub.
How your funding is managed
The way your plan is managed shapes which providers you can use and how much flexibility you have over rates. There are three options:
| How your plan is managed | Who can you use | Flexibility |
|---|---|---|
| NDIA-managed | Registered NDIS providers only | Least, providers must charge at or below price limits |
| Plan-managed | Registered and unregistered providers | More choice, a plan manager pays providers for you |
| Self-managed | Any provider, including individuals | Most, you arrange and claim payments yourself |
Understanding NDIS Core Budgets: Flexible Funding vs. Stated Supports
Within NDIS plans, Core Support budgets are fundamentally split into two distinct categories: flexible funding and stated supports.
Most everyday funding falls into the flexible category, meaning participants have the autonomy to reallocate funds between daily living tasks, such as shifting unused household cleaning hours to cover additional personal care, without needing official approval or a formal plan review.
However, any funds designated as “stated supports” are strictly locked to a single, specific purpose, such as Supported Independent Living or short-term accommodation.
These stated funds cannot be transferred or used for any other service, drawing a clear line between the adaptable portion of a budget and its restricted, fixed allocations.
How Homage can help
Homage is a registered NDIS provider supporting participants with personal care, domestic assistance, daily routines and nursing-supervised care, delivered at home by screened and trained support workers.
Whether your needs are light or complex, we can match you with the right support. To get started, speak with our Care Advisory team about making the most of your plan.
Frequently asked questions
What is Assistance with Daily Life under the NDIS?
It is a Core Support category that funds hands-on help with personal care and everyday tasks, so you can live safely and as independently as possible.
What does Assistance with Daily Life cover?
Personal care such as showering and dressing, household tasks such as cleaning and meal preparation, help with daily routines, and accommodation-based supports such as supported independent living, respite and community nursing.
What is not covered by Assistance with Daily Life funding?
Everyday living costs that all people pay, including groceries, rent, utilities, cleaning products and toiletries, along with medical costs, general home repairs, and event or transport fares. Only the support worker’s time is funded.
What is the difference between Assistance with Daily Life and Improved Daily Living?
Assistance with Daily Life provides help now and sits in Core Supports. Improved Daily Living funds therapy and skill-building, and sits in Capacity Building. One meets current needs, the other builds future independence.
What is the NDIS code for Assistance with Daily Life?
Supports are claimed against line items within registration groups, such as Daily Personal Activities and High Intensity Daily Personal Activities. The current codes and prices are listed in the NDIS Pricing Arrangements and Price Limits.
How much funding does Assistance with Daily Life use?
It depends on the line item and when the support is delivered, as evening, weekend and public holiday rates are higher. Always check the live NDIS price guide for current figures rather than relying on older numbers.
Is Assistance with Daily Life the same as Assistance with Daily Living?
Yes. People use the two terms interchangeably. The official Core Support category name is Assistance with Daily Life.
References
Show references
- National Disability Insurance Scheme. (n.d.). Home and living. https://www.ndis.gov.au/participants/home-and-living
- National Disability Insurance Scheme. (n.d.). Pricing arrangements and price limits. https://www.ndis.gov.au/providers/pricing-arrangements
- National Disability Insurance Scheme. (n.d.). Supports funded by the NDIS. https://www.ndis.gov.au/understanding/supports-funded-ndis
- National Disability Insurance Scheme. (n.d.). Guide to NDIS support budgets. https://www.ndis.gov.au/participants/using-your-funding/ndis-support-budgets/guide-ndis-support-budgets
- NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission. (n.d.). About the NDIS Commission. https://www.ndiscommission.gov.au/
- National Disability Insurance Scheme. (n.d.). Using your funding. https://www.ndis.gov.au/participants/using-your-funding
