What is Core support?

Key points

• Core support funding helps you to work towards goals
• This funding can be provided as one lump sum payment
• Funding doesn’t have to be used and can be set aside for a specific purpose

The services you receive through your Core support funding should be assisting you to live your best life. For example, you could have a goal in your NDIS plan to work towards being more active within your community.

There are four Core support categories you can choose between and funding can be flexible across all categories. However, in some cases, you may find transport funding not as flexible depending on your circumstance.

Assistance with daily living

Aims to enable you to live as autonomously as possible. Includes support in the following areas:

• Assistance with daily personal activities – such as showering, personal hygiene and moving around the house.
• Assistance with household tasks – such as cleaning and maintenance to help maintain your home environment.
• Meals on Wheels/ preparation and delivery of meals – covers costs for a chosen service provider to prepare and deliver food on a weekly basis, taking your specific needs into account.
• Assistance in shared living arrangements / supported independent living – incorporates assistance with and/or supervising daily life tasks in a shared living environment. Each person living in the shared arrangement is provided with support based on their individual needs. If it is reasonable and necessary for you to receive this support, a quote is required from a registered provider to ensure their services can efficiently support everyone in the household.

Support can also include short-term accommodation assistance such as respite care

Transport

You can use your Core support funding to travel around your community. You can only get transport funding under the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) if you are not able to use public transport, such as a bus or train, because of your disability.

The funding can pay for transport such as a community bus, specifically for people with a disability, or taxi, and is paid fortnightly in advance. The funding will not pay for a carer or family member to drive you around to activities.

There are three levels of transport support:

• Level 1 – up to $1,606 per year – You can get level 1 support if you do not work, study or attend a day program. You could also get level 1 support if you would like to join in activities or volunteer in your community.
• Level 2 – $2,472 – You can get level 2 support if you work or study part-time (less than 15 hours per week), go to a day program or participate in social activities, like sport.
• Level 3 – $3,456 – You can get level 3 support if you work or study more than 15 hours a week or are currently looking for work.

Transport funding in your NDIS plan replaces the Centrelink Mobility Allowance.

In some circumstances, you may be able to receive higher funding for transport if it is within your NDIS plan to participate in employment.

Assistance with social and community participation

Support to help you to engage in social or recreational activities and become more involved in your community.

These could include a mix of community and centre-based activities such as art classes, sports, camps, library visits or day trips that include mentoring or peer support to strengthen your ability to participate independently.

Consumables

Support to purchase assistive, personal care or safety items relating to your disability that you would use every day. These can include:

– Toilet and bathroom equipment

– Continence needs

– Home enteral nutrition (HEN) products

– Specialised clothing

How can I spend my Core funding?

Funding for Core supports is provided as a single lump sum which can be used flexibly across all four categories.

For example, if you have a total Core budget of $14,000, you can choose to spread it across different categories and allocate $2,000 for consumables, $7,000 for daily activities, $1,000 for transport, and $4,000 for social activities.

Core support funding is flexible but you may choose to set aside funds for a specific purpose. For instance, you may choose to self-manage some of your Core funding to support additional transport needs and receive this as an automatic payment on an ad-hoc basis.

In some cases, the NDIS may set funding to be used in a specific category and can’t be used in other areas.

What do you want to use your Core funding on? Tell us in the comments below.

Related content:

What is Capacity Building support?
What is Capital support?
Understanding pricing in the NDIS