NDIS Support Catalogue · 15 sub-categories
NDIS support categories: what each line in your plan actually means
The NDIS Support Catalogue groups every funded service into three budget types – Core, Capacity Building + Capital – across 15 sub-categories. The line codes in your plan (01 through 15) map directly to this structure. Understanding what fits where, what can be moved + what cannot, is the first step to using your plan well.
★Key takeaways
- ✓Every NDIS plan is built from three budget types: Core (everyday support – most flexible), Capacity Building (skill-building – locked to sub-category) + Capital (one-off equipment + housing – locked to quoted item).
- ✓Core has four sub-categories (01 Daily Life, 02 Transport, 03 Consumables, 04 Social/Community). Funds move freely between them – except Transport which is typically a fixed periodic allowance.
- ✓Capacity Building has nine sub-categories (07–15). Funds CANNOT move between them – therapy in CB-14 stays in CB-14.
- ✓Capital covers Assistive Technology (05), Home Modifications (06) + Specialist Disability Accommodation. Each item is approved against a specific quote + cannot be substituted.
- ✓Plan management + support coordination are funded separately on top of other supports – they do not draw down from your therapy or support-worker budgets.
- ✓Unspent funds do not roll over to the next plan. They return to the Commonwealth.
The three budget types
Flexibility at a glance
| Budget type | Sub-categories | Flexibility | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|
| Core | 01–04 (4 lines) | Flexible within Core | Everyday assistance needed because of disability |
| Capacity Building | 07–15 (9 lines) | Locked to sub-category | Time-limited skill building to reduce future reliance on paid support |
| Capital | 05–06 + SDA (3 lines) | Locked to quoted item | Equipment, modifications + specialist accommodation |
Core budget
Core supports
Core supports fund the everyday assistance a participant needs because of their disability. It is the largest budget pool for most participants + the most flexible.
Flexibility rule
Flexible within Core. Funds move freely between the four sub-categories – except Transport, which is typically paid as a fixed periodic allowance.
Code 01
Assistance with Daily Life
Support workers helping with personal care (showering, dressing, toileting, mobility), domestic tasks (cleaning, laundry, meal preparation), medication prompts + general living-skills assistance. Includes SIL (Supported Independent Living) when funded.
Example: Support worker visits 3 mornings/week to help with showering + breakfast preparation. Or a 24/7 SIL roster supporting 3 housemates with daily routines.
Code 02
Transport
Funding to help with transport costs related to disability – Uber/taxi for non-driving participants, fuel reimbursement for a support worker driving the participant, modified-vehicle running costs. Three tiers: ~$1,800/yr (not in work/study), ~$2,700/yr (part-time work/study), ~$3,500/yr (full-time work/study).
Example: Weekly taxis to a day program + monthly trips to specialist appointments + occasional community access transport.
Code 03
Consumables
Low-cost everyday items related to disability needs – continence products, low-cost AT (under $1,500 per item), nutrition supplements (when prescribed), basic communication aids, sensory tools.
Example: Monthly continence-product supply, sensory chew aids for an autistic child, a low-cost grab rail for the bathroom.
Code 04
Assistance with Social, Economic + Community Participation
Support workers accompanying the participant to social, sporting, educational or community activities. Includes day programs, group activities, mentoring + 1:1 community access. This is the second-largest Core line for most participants.
Example: Support worker attends a weekly art class with the participant + supports community sports + occasional weekend social outings.
Capacity Building budget
Capacity Building supports
Capacity Building funds time-limited support intended to build skills + reduce reliance on paid support over time. Allied health therapy, support coordination, life skills training, employment support all sit here.
Flexibility rule
Locked to sub-category. Funding allocated to one sub-category (e.g. CB-09 Improved Daily Living) cannot be moved to another (e.g. CB-08 Increased Social + Community Participation).
Code 07
Improved Living Arrangements
Help finding or sustaining suitable housing – tenancy support, navigating SDA applications, transitioning out of family home or institutional settings, mediation with landlords.
Example: Specialist working with a young adult preparing to move out of the family home – searching for accessible rentals, coordinating SIL/SDA enquiries, supporting the lease + move.
Code 08
Increased Social + Community Participation
Time-limited capacity-building (vs Core 04 which is ongoing assistance). Funds courses, group programs, mentoring + structured peer programs that build social + community participation skills.
Example: Block of 10 group sessions on social communication for a young adult with autism. Or a public-transport-skills program for an adult learning to commute independently.
Code 09
Finding + Keeping a Job
Disability Employment Services (DES) sits outside NDIS – but School Leaver Employment Supports (SLES) + supported employment fall under this category. Includes job-seeking support, interview skills, work placements, vocational training.
Example: 12-month SLES program for a school-leaver – workplace experience, social skills for work, transport-to-work training, supported employment placement.
Code 10
Improved Relationships
Specialist behaviour support (assessment, behaviour support plan development, training for supporters, regulated restrictive practice oversight). The participant's primary support workers + family attend the practitioner's training; the practitioner does not deliver day-to-day care.
Example: Behaviour support practitioner conducts a functional behaviour assessment, writes a positive behaviour support plan + trains the participant's family + workers in implementing it.
Code 11
Improved Health + Wellbeing
Dietitian + exercise physiologist support related to disability needs. NOT for general fitness or weight management – only for disability-linked health goals (e.g. swallowing difficulty, posture, mobility-driven fitness loss).
Example: Exercise physiologist designs a strength program for an adult with cerebral palsy to maintain transfer ability + reduce falls risk.
Code 12
Improved Learning
Transition support for school-to-tertiary, school-to-employment + similar education transitions. Not for funding mainstream education itself – that remains the responsibility of state education systems.
Example: Transition coach supporting a Year 12 student with cerebral palsy through the move to university – campus accessibility planning, lecturer briefings, study-skills coaching.
Code 13
Improved Life Choices
Plan management (the financial intermediary service). Plan management is funded separately + does not draw down from the participant's other supports. Standard funding: ~$232 set-up + ~$99/month ongoing (2025–26 rates).
Example: A plan manager processes provider invoices, claims from the NDIA, sends monthly statements to the participant + manages the participant's budget tracking.
Code 14
Improved Daily Living
Allied health therapy – OT, physiotherapy, speech pathology, psychology, dietetics + similar disciplines. This is the largest Capacity Building line for most participants. Time-limited skill-building, not ongoing maintenance.
Example: OT assessment + weekly sessions for 6 months focused on independence in dressing + cooking. Speech pathology for AAC device training. Psychology for anxiety management.
Code 15
Support Coordination
Three levels: Level 1 Support Connection (low-intensity, finding providers), Level 2 Coordination of Supports (mid-complexity, building participant capacity), Level 3 Specialist Support Coordination (high-complexity, allied health background practitioner). Sits inside CB but is sometimes treated separately in plan documents.
Example: Support coordinator helps a participant find + onboard providers, builds the participant's capacity to direct their own supports + attends planning meetings with them.
Capital budget
Capital supports
Capital supports fund the equipment, technology + home modifications a participant needs because of their disability. Approval typically requires an OT assessment + supplier quote.
Flexibility rule
Fixed. Each capital item is approved against a specific quote – funds cannot be moved to a different item, support category or service.
Code 05
Assistive Technology
Wheelchairs, communication devices, hearing/vision aids, beds + mattresses, hoists, environmental control systems, accessible vehicle modifications. Categorised by cost + risk: Low (under $1,500, no quote needed), Mid ($1,500–$15,000, single quote + OT script), High (over $15,000, multiple quotes + complex assessment).
Example: High-AT example: power wheelchair with tilt + custom seating, $35,000, with OT prescription + 3 supplier quotes + clinical justification.
Code 06
Home Modifications
Building works to make the participant's home accessible – ramps, bathroom modifications, widened doorways, environmental controls, lighting modifications. Requires a Home Modifications Assessment by a qualified OT or building practitioner. Major modifications need NDIA approval before commencement.
Example: Bathroom modification: hobless shower, grab rails, accessible toilet + basin, total $28,000, with OT assessment + builder quote + before/after photos for sign-off.
Code 05a
Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA)
Payment for accessible housing itself (not the support staff inside it – that's SIL under Core). Five SDA design categories: Improved Liveability, Fully Accessible, Robust, High Physical Support, Legacy stock. ~6% of NDIS participants have SDA funding. Average SDA payment: ~$57,000–$94,000/yr (NDIS-set price levels).
Example: Adult with profound physical + intellectual disability funded for High Physical Support SDA in a 3-resident villa – separate from their SIL funding which pays the support staff.
Putting it together
How a real plan breaks down
A typical $70,000 plan for an adult with autism + intellectual disability living at home with family might look like:
| Line | Description | Allocation |
|---|---|---|
| Core 01 | Assistance with Daily Life (15 hrs/wk support worker) | $28,000 |
| Core 02 | Transport (Tier 2 – part-time work/study) | $2,700 |
| Core 03 | Consumables (sensory aids, low-cost AT) | $1,200 |
| Core 04 | Social + Community Participation (10 hrs/wk) | $18,500 |
| CB 14 | Improved Daily Living (OT + speech path therapy) | $10,000 |
| CB 15 | Support Coordination (Level 2, ~30 hrs/yr) | $3,300 |
| CB 13 | Improved Life Choices (plan management) | $1,420 |
| Capital 05 | Assistive Technology (replacement AAC device) | $4,500 |
| Total annualised | $69,620 |
Illustrative only – actual plans vary based on assessed need, goals, prior usage + informal support. Use this to understand how line items add up, not to predict your own plan.
Common questions
NDIS support categories – common questions
What is the difference between Core, Capacity Building + Capital?
Core funds the everyday support the participant needs right now – flexible across the four Core sub-categories. Capacity Building funds time-limited skill building intended to reduce future reliance on paid support – locked to its sub-category. Capital funds one-off equipment or home modifications – locked to the specific approved item. Most participants have all three types of funding in their plan.
Can I move money between support categories?
Inside Core: yes, freely (except Transport which is typically a fixed periodic payment). Inside Capacity Building: no – each sub-category is independently funded + funds cannot move between them. Capital: no – each item is approved against a specific quote. To move funds out of one category into another, request a plan reassessment + provide evidence of changed need.
What happens to unspent funds at the end of the plan?
Unspent funds are returned to the Commonwealth – they do not roll over into your next plan. Many participants try to forecast their spending across the plan year to avoid leaving funding unspent. A support coordinator or plan manager can help with mid-plan budget review + reallocation if needed.
Why are my Capacity Building budgets sometimes called "Improved X"?
The NDIS Support Catalogue names Capacity Building sub-categories with "Improved" or "Increased" prefixes (Improved Daily Living, Increased Social + Community Participation). The naming reflects the capacity-building goal – building skills to reduce reliance on paid support – rather than the support type itself. Therapy services sit under CB-14 Improved Daily Living.
How do I claim assistive technology under $1,500?
Low-cost AT under $1,500 per item is claimed from your Core – Consumables (03) budget without a separate quote or OT script. You buy it + claim back (self-managed), give the invoice to your plan manager (plan-managed), or the provider invoices the NDIA (NDIA-managed). Above $1,500 requires an OT prescription + supplier quote in your AT capital budget.
Is plan management or support coordination drawn from my other funding?
No. Both sit in Capacity Building but are funded separately on top of your other supports – plan management is fixed (~$232 set-up + ~$99/month, 2025–26 rates). Support coordination is allocated at one of three levels depending on plan complexity. Neither draws down from your therapy, support worker or Core funding.
What is the difference between SIL + SDA?
SIL (Supported Independent Living) funds the staff supporting the participant – typically 24/7 rosters in a shared or individual home. SDA (Specialist Disability Accommodation) funds the building itself – accessible homes built to specific physical standards. SIL sits in Core – Assistance with Daily Life. SDA sits in Capital. They can be funded together (a person living in an SDA property with SIL staff) or separately (SIL in private rental, or SDA with non-NDIS support).