Understanding your NDIS Plan
What Can I Do With My NDIS CORE Budget?
As an NDIS participant, understanding exactly what supports are available to you through your individual package and how you can access funding is vital. Every person living with a disability is unique and has different needs, and your NDIS funding is there to assist you in achieving your short, medium, and long-term goals, including planning your NDIS core budget. PriviCare is here to help you in understanding your NDIS plan better so you can maximise your benefits.
What Is My Core Budget?
Your NDIS core support budget forms part of your NDIS funding, enabling you to access core supports. Essentially core supports are dedicated products and services that are designed to assist you with day-to-day tasks and facilitate your ability to participate in the community and to live as independently as possible.
Your core budget provides funding to be utilised across the following four (4) specific subcategories;
- Consumables;
- Daily activities;
- Assistance with social and community participation;
- Transport.
What Do the Four (4) Core Budget Support Areas Include?
Your core support budget is flexible across each of the four subcategories, meaning that you as the participant have the ability to decide how to spend your funding on core support, taking into consideration your individual needs and goals as identified in your plan. Details of what the four subcategories include are as follows;
Consumables
These are everyday items that you will need to use on a continuous or daily basis. These items can include specialised food and nutritional supplements, products for eating or drinking as well as services such as an interpreter or translator.
Daily Activities
Daily activities are essential to community participation. Therefore, this category includes supports that assist with your every-day living, such as assistance with cooking, cleaning and personal care. Anything that will assist you with your goals to live as independently as possible.
Assistance with Social and Community Participation
This subcategory is all about supporting you to participate and engage in the community and can be used to fund courses, social and recreational activities such as art classes or individualised sports coaching.
Transport
Transport is essential in daily life, and this subcategory helps to cover transport costs that may be associated with day-to-day activities such as attending a work or volunteer placement, school and other community activities.
How Is My Core Budget Funding Provided and How Can I Spend It?
Your core budget funding is provided as a lump sum, however this does not mean that you have to select only one subcategory to utilise your funding. Your core budget is able to be used flexibly across all four subcategories if required, as you see fit.
For example, if your core budget funding was $5,000, you could elect to spend $2,000 on consumables, $1,000 on daily activities, $500 on community participation and the remaining $1,500 of your budget funding on transport.
Are There Any Limitations That Apply to My Core Budget?
The main limitation to your core budget which is important to understand is that it can only be used for core supports. This means that you cannot use your core budget to fund other support areas, such as capital or capacity supports.
I Need Some Assistance – Are You Able to Help?
Absolutely! PriviCare, provides ongoing support to enable you to live your best life, with our service empowering people to reach their full potential. We can assist in helping you make informed decisions about your core budget to ensure that you are being supported in the best way possible.
