NDIS supports

What are NDIS supports?

An NDIS support is a support that NDIS funding can legally pay for, as defined by section 10 of the NDIS Act and the lists made under it. Since 3 October 2024, participants can only spend NDIS funding on supports that are on the "NDIS supports" list and not excluded by the "not NDIS supports" list, unless the NDIA has approved a replacement support. Being an NDIS support is necessary for funding, but on its own it isn't enough: the support must also be reasonable and necessary and fit the participant's plan.

Before October 2024, whether something could be bought with NDIS funding was mostly judged case by case against the plan and the reasonable and necessary criteria. The 2024 amendments to the NDIS Act 2013 added a legal definition, so there is now a published boundary between what the NDIS funds and what other systems or the person pay for.

People use the phrase in two ways. In the everyday sense, "NDIS supports" means the services and items a participant receives, such as support workers, therapy or equipment. In the legal sense used on this page, it means a support that meets the section 10 definition. Providers and plan managers need the legal sense, because it decides whether a claim is valid.

How the NDIS supports rules work

Section 10 of the NDIS Act lets the Minister make NDIS rules declaring which supports are, and are not, NDIS supports. Because permanent rules need agreement with the states and territories, the 2024 amending Act allowed a transitional rule to apply in the meantime. That transitional rule took effect on 3 October 2024 and is still the rule in force while permanent rules are developed (explanatory statement, legislation.gov.au).

The transitional rule works through three lists, published by the NDIA on its NDIS support lists page:

1. Supports that are NDIS supports (Schedule 1): 36 categories of support, largely aligned to the provider registration categories, each with a description and some carve-outs.
2. Supports that are not NDIS supports (Schedule 2): categories and examples of things NDIS funding can't buy. Schedule 1 is subject to Schedule 2, so if something is on the "not" list it isn't an NDIS support even if it seems to fit a Schedule 1 category.
3. Replacement supports: a small, defined list of items that aren't NDIS supports but that the NDIA can approve in place of an NDIS support in specific circumstances.

For a support to be funded, the NDIA still has to be satisfied that it meets the reasonable and necessary criteria, one of which is that it is an NDIS support for the participant. And when a participant spends their funding, the purchase must be an NDIS support and consistent with their plan, including any stated supports.

What is not an NDIS support

The "not NDIS supports" list groups exclusions into categories. The NDIA's list includes:

The full list, with exact wording, is in the NDIA's downloadable supports that are not NDIS supports document. Always check the exact entry rather than a summary like this one, because some exclusions have exceptions. For example, a standard item may be excluded while a disability-specific version of it is an NDIS support.

Replacement supports

A replacement support is something that is not an NDIS support but that the NDIA can approve instead of an NDIS support. The NDIA says a replacement support may be approved where a standard item might give better outcomes and cost the same or less than the NDIS support it replaces (NDIA: what a replacement support is).

Only items on the replacement supports list can be requested. The NDIA lists them as:

• standard commercially available household items, such as a washing machine or dishwasher
• smart watches
• tablet devices
• smartphones
• apps for accessibility or communication

You must apply and be approved before you buy. If the application isn't approved, you can't apply for the same replacement support for 12 months, unless your plan is reassessed in that time.

NDIS supports vs reasonable and necessary vs stated supports

These terms overlap and are easy to confuse. Each is a different test, and a support usually has to pass more than one.

What providers and plan managers need to do

The lists matter most at the point of sale and the point of claim. The 12-month transition period for participants and providers to adjust to the lists ended on 2 October 2025 (NDIA: transition period ending). Since then:

• Check before you sell. If you supply items or services, check they are NDIS supports, especially products that look like everyday goods.
• Match the claim to the support. Use the right support item and stay within price limits; you can look items up in the free NDIS price guide.
• Don't relabel excluded items. Describing a standard household item as "assistive technology" doesn't make it an NDIS support.
• Plan managers should check invoices against the lists before paying, and ask the participant for evidence of approval when a replacement support is claimed.
• Record what was delivered. Service agreements, invoices and progress notes should make it clear what the support was, so it can be checked against the lists later.

What participants should know

The lists apply to every participant, however their plan is managed. If you self-manage or use a plan manager, you are choosing what to buy, so it pays to check the lists before you commit to a purchase.

• Funding must be spent in line with your plan and the rules. The NDIA can seek to recover funding that wasn't spent in line with your plan, so keep receipts and invoices that show what each purchase was.
• Ask before you buy if you're unsure. Your plan manager, support coordinator or local area coordinator can help you check an item against the lists, and the NDIA can confirm.
• Look for a disability-specific version. When a standard item is excluded, a disability-specific or modified version may still be an NDIS support, for example assistive technology designed for a person's needs.
• Some things belong to other systems. Medical treatment, school education and public transport are generally the responsibility of mainstream supports, not the NDIS.

Changes coming to the NDIS supports rules

The transitional rule was always meant to be temporary. In 2026 the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing is consulting on new framework planning rules and NDIS supports rules together. The consultation closes at 11.59 pm AEDT on 14 October 2026, and new framework planning is expected to start from 1 April 2027 and be introduced gradually (Department of Health, Disability and Ageing).

The consultation papers propose restructuring the list of NDIS supports into fewer, broader categories aligned with support item groupings, along with changes to the exclusions. These are proposals, not law. Until new rules are made, the October 2024 transitional lists apply. Separately, the NDIS Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Act 2026 includes changes aimed at clarifying the supports the NDIS funds; see the NDIA's Securing the NDIS page for what has started.

Common mistakes about NDIS supports

• "If it's in my budget category, I can buy it." The item must also be an NDIS support and consistent with your plan.
• "Anything a therapist recommends is an NDIS support." A recommendation doesn't override the lists; excluded items stay excluded unless approved as a replacement support.
• "I can buy a tablet and claim it later." Replacement supports must be approved before you buy.
• "Unregistered providers aren't affected." The lists apply to how participants spend funding, whoever the provider is.
• "The lists are final." They're transitional and under review, so check the current version.