Supports that are not NDIS Supports

There are 15 categories of goods and services that are not ‘NDIS supports’.

Day-to-day living costs

  • Rent, rental bonds, home and property deposits, stamp duty, mortgage repayments, and strata fees.
  • Purchase of land, or house and land packages.
  • Standard home security and maintenance costs, fencing, gates and building repairs.
  • Pools, pool heating and maintenance, spa baths, saunas, steam rooms.
  • Standard home repairs, home improvements, standard renovations and maintenance.
  • Water, gas, and electricity bills, council rates, land taxes and levies.
  • Water filters, purifiers, or aerators.
  • Electricity generators, solar panels, home batteries for power storage, hot water and gas systems.
  • Standard household (including garden) items, appliances, tools and products. For example, a dishwasher, fridge, washing machine, non-modified kitchen utensils and crockery, food processors, electric toothbrushes, floor rugs, beanbags, standard mattresses, and bedding.
  • Standard furniture, fixtures or fittings. For example, lounges, beds, fire alarms, blinds.
  • Donations, tithes, gifts, and political contributions.
  • Fines, penalties, and court-ordered amounts.
  • Travel insurance, life insurance, income protection insurance, home and contents insurance, car insurance and excess insurance for no vated vehicles.
  • Health insurance, ambulance membership, gap payments for Medicarefunded services and private health insurance claims.
  • Superannuation for the participants or a member of self-managedsuperannuation fund (within the meaning of the Superannuation Industry(Supervision) Act 1993) of which the participant is a member.
  • Fringe benefits for staff or contractors.
  • Education and tuition fees including fees for school, vocational education andtraining and higher education.
  • Legal costs.
  • Child support fees and debt repayments.
  • Gift cards.
  • Business development costs and business skills development costs includingcompany registration, book-keeping, accounting services or software.
  • Debts, liabilities, loan repayments, buy now pay later payments, and taxes.
  • Groceries including all food, beverage, cleaning, household and health products.
  • Fast food services, takeaway food and food delivery platforms (excluding meal delivery platforms where the food and ingredient component can be separately identified from the meal preparation and delivery component).
  • Cigarettes, vapes and smoking paraphernalia, legal cannabis.
  • Smoking cessation devices such a nicotine replacement items.
  • Gambling.
  • Internet devices (such as modems and routers), land line phones, mobile phones (including smart phones), mobile phone accessories, tablets, and sim cards.
  • Internet, landline and mobile phone plans and data.
  • Standard computers, standard computer accessories, consoles and games, and subscriptions for streaming services.
  • Standard (non-modified and not adaptive) recreational equipment and tools, including toys, balls and racquets.
  • Costs associated with recreational sports and activities. This includes membership costs, venue hire fees, uniforms and footwear.
  • Costs associated with elite or professional sports and activities, including equipment or modifications to equipment and related travel costs.
  • Dating or relationship services including virtual reality, match makers or Apps.
  • Costs associated with weddings, honeymoons, funerals, and other social, business, private, public, formal or informal events.
  • Musical instruments, music production, social media production.
  • Tickets to theme parks, tourism and entertainment operators.
  • Tickets to music, theatre, cinema, sporting events, and conference fees or entrance fees.
  • Accommodation to attend or participate in work, study, music, theatre, cinema, sporting events or conferences. This includes any other social, business, private, public formal or informal event.
  • Standard indoor or outdoor play equipment.
  • General health, fitness, social or recreational activity costs or services.
  • Membership and entry to a recreational club and standard gym equipment.
  • Non-prescription medicines, sunscreens, weight loss products, vitamins, sport or athletic supplements, and homeopathic medicines.
  • Jewellery, watches (including smart watches).
  • Makeup, cosmetic treatments, cosmetics and cosmetic accessories.
  • Standard (non-modified and non-adaptive) clothing and footwear.
  • Hair treatments, cutting, dying, styling, extensions, threading, weaving, hair replacements and transplants, wigs.
  • Manicures, pedicures, false nail application or removal of any kind, nail painting and removal, nail decorations, nail piercings, hand or foot massage or treatments.
  • Body art including body piercings, tattoo services, and henna.
  • Cruises, holiday packages, holiday accommodation and airfares, including interstate and overseas travel, passports, visa, activities and meals included in travel.
  • Vehicles. This includes motor vehicles, motorbikes, watercraft, all-terrain vehicles, standard bikes and scooters and other recreational vehicles.
  • Vehicles, devices, modifications or products that are not legal for use in the relevant State or Territory.
  • Mechanical repairs (except for NDIS funded vehicle modifications),automotive tools.
  • Vehicle registration.
  • Personal mobility devices including e-scooters, electric bikes and skateboards.
  • Transport for children as part of their reasonable care and support provided by families or carers.
  • Petrol, diesel and gas.
  • Animals (other than NDIS funded assistance animals). This includes pets and companion animals.
  • Pet food for animals other than NDIS funded assistance animals.
  • Veterinarian costs, pet boarding, pet grooming for animals that are not NDIS funded assistance animals. For example, this includes for pets and companion animals.
  • Pet insurance.
  • Taxidermy and pet cremations, burials or funerals.
  • Surrogacy and fertility treatments.

Not evidence-based

  • Crystal therapy.
  • Tarot card reading, psychics, mediums and clairvoyants.
  • Cuddle therapy.
  • Reflexology.
  • Aromatherapy.
  • Sound therapy.
  • Yoga therapy.
  • Wilderness therapy.
  • Animal therapy. For example, puppy therapy, goat therapy.
  • Hair therapy.
  • Alternative or complementary medicine.
  • Massage that is not provided by an allied health professional for disability related purposes.
  • Sports or athletic supplements.
  • Life coaches, wellness coaches, career coaches, cultural coaches.
  • Hypnotherapy.
  • Neuro feedback.
  •  Gaming therapy.
  • Mastermind coaching including Apps and software.
  • Somatic therapy.
  • Kinesiology.
  • Reiki (including intuitive reiki).
  • Scalar lounge.
  • Frequency healing and energy balanced massage.
  • Deep energy clearing.
  • Spinal flow technique.
  • Shamanic healing.
  • The diagnosis, early intervention and clinical treatment of health and dental health conditions, including ongoing or chronic health conditions.
  • Diagnostic assessments and screening services.
  • Time-limited, recovery-oriented services and therapies:o where the predominant purpose is treatment directly related to the person’s health status, or provided after a recent medical or surgical event, with the aim of improving the person’s functional status, including post-acute rehabilitation or post-acute care.• Pharmaceuticals (including prescription medicines and non-prescription medicines), biological medicines, vaccines, sunscreens, weight loss products, vitamins, sport and athletic supplements, and homeopathic medicines.• Equipment or assistive products prescribed or issued as a result of clinical care, treatment or management from a medical practitioner and then delivered in the clinical setting, unrelated to the person’s disability. For example, a knee brace issued following an acute knee ligament injury after sport or gardening accident.
  • Surgical services or procedures or procedures related to aids and equipment.
  • Acute, subacute, emergency and outpatient clinical services delivered through public or private hospitals.
  • Prescription spectacles or contact lens.
  • Nursing services (where related to treatment of a health event).
  • Ambulance services.
  • Health transport services.
  • Hospital in the home services.
  • Sleep consultant services.
  • Health retreats.
  • New-born follow-up provided in the health system, including child andmaternal health services.
  • Hearing services or supports provided by the Hearing Services Program surgical services for hearing.
  • Sub-acute, palliative care including in-patient and out-patient services delivered in the person’s home or clinical setting. Noting that disability-related supports as part of an NDIS participant’s plan may continue to be provided at the same time as palliative care services.
  • Pharmaceuticals (including prescription medicines and non-prescription medicines).
  • Treatment, including for drug and alcohol dependency, gambling, and other addictions or disorders.
  • Acute, subacute, emergency and outpatient clinical services delivered through public and private hospital mental health services.
  • Supports related to mental health that are clinical in nature, including acute, ambulatory or continuing care or rehabilitation.
  • Residential care where the primary purpose is for inpatient or outpatient treatment or clinical rehabilitation.
  • Travel or accommodation for parents visiting their children that are in out-of-home care (OOHC).
  • Guardianship services for children and adults.
  • General family therapy.
  • Parenting programs.
  • Babysitting or nannying services, au pairs.
  • Marriage and relationship counselling.
  • Child protection services required by families who have entered, or are at risk of entering, the relevant State or Territory statutory child protection system.
  • General parenting programs, counselling or other supports for families, which are provided to families at risk of child protection intervention and to the broader community, including making them accessible and appropriate for families with disability.
  • Out-of-home care or support to carers of children in out-of-home care where these supports are not additional to the needs of children of similar age in similar out-of-home care arrangements.
  • Early childhood supports or therapies to support the general child development needs of a child.
  • Childcare fees (including any fees associated with specialist or segregated childcare service models), long day care, family day care and informal care arrangements. This includes the costs associated with the reasonable adjustment that childcare services are required to make to accommodate a child with developmental delay or disability.
  • Teaching aids or supports related to educational attainment.
  • Building modifications for early childhood educational and care settings.
  • Meeting the early childhood education and care needs of a child.
  • Fees and payments for outside school hours care. This includes before school, after school, student free days, vacation care and school holiday programs.
  • Education and tuition fees across all education settings.
  • Standard school uniforms, shoes, lunchboxes, drink bottles or other school equipment.
  • Personalised learning or supports for students that primarily relate to theireducational attainment.
  • Aids and equipment for educational purposes. For example, modified computer hardware, education software, braille textbooks.
  • Assistive products which are fixed or non-transportable in schools that enable a student access to education. For example, hoists and specially adapted furniture.
  • Reasonable adjustment to education campuses, including capital works. For example, ramps, lifts, hearing loops.
  • Services from a person employed at the participant’s school or the relevant authority or Department of State for a State or Territory agency with responsibility for school education.
  • Textbooks and teaching aids (including alternative formats).
  • Tutors and scribes.
  • Educational supports associated with home schooling.
  • School refusal programs.
  • School camp, incursion and excursion fees.
  • Transport between school activities including excursions and sporting carnivals.
  • Work experience generally provided as part of a school program.
  • Education and tuition fees across all higher education and vocational education training (VET) settings.
  • Any supports (including assistive technology) for students that primarily relate to their education and training.
  • Building modifications to higher education and VET settings.
  • Services from a person employed for educational purposes by the participant’s higher education or VET provider.
  • Personalised learning or supports for students that primarily relate to their educational attainment.
  • Assistive products which are fixed or non-transportable in higher education or VET settings that enable a student or trainee to access education or training.For example, hoists and specially adapted furniture.
  • Textbooks and teaching aids, including in alternative formats such as braille orEasy English.
  • Education and training to facilitate transition to employment generally provided in higher education and VET settings.
  • Government funded employment programs including Disability EmploymentServices and Workforce Australia.
  • Work-specific aids and equipment required to perform a job, including modified hardware and software.
  • Reasonable adjustments (including assistive products and workplace modifications) to access a workplace.
  • Employer responsibilities including recruitment processes, work arrangements, transport for work activities.
  • Employer compliance with employment laws, including those dealing with discrimination on the basis of disability Employment programs, including both disability-targeted and open employment services, to provide advice and support to job seekers with disability who are largely independent once placed in employment to find and retain a job.
  • Employment programs to encourage and assist employers to have recruitment policies and practices to hire and be inclusive of people with disability in the workplace. For example, support, training and resources, funding assistance to help employers make reasonable adjustments, and incentives for hiring people with disability, such as wage subsidies.
  • Direct costs of compliance with a person’s tenancy agreement, including bond, pest control, exit cleaning, general damage repairs.
  • Housing for people with disability other than participants eligible for specialist disability accommodation.
  • Design and subsequent changes or modifications to State and Territory owned residential facilities (including aged care facilities, transitional and boarding accommodation and rehabilitation facilities) public buildings and boarding schools to make buildings accessible for people with disability to a reasonable adjustment standard.
  • Design and subsequent changes or modifications to specialist disability accommodation.
  • Reasonable adjustments to social housing to make buildings accessible for people with disability.
  • Providing new publicly funded housing stock that meet accessibility standards and guidelines that apply in the location in which the housing is located.
  • Homelessness-specific services including homelessness outreach and emergency accommodation.
  • The improvement of community infrastructure including improving accessibility of the built and natural environment.
  • Postal services.
  • Housing subsidies. For example, rental bonds, mortgage relief and assistance with buying a home.
  • Crisis housing.
  • Accessible public transport.
  • Public transport fares.
  • Concessions to facilitate use of public transport.
  • Airline lounge memberships and access fees.
  • Transport costs for any animals that are not NDIS funded assistance animals.
  • Transport infrastructure, including road and footpath infrastructure.
  • Community transport services.
  • Modifications to public transport and taxis.
  • Supports in secure mental health facilities that are clinical in nature.
  • Supervision and monitoring to prevent or observe offending behaviour or to monitor adherence to justice system-imposed conditions.
  • The day-to-day care and support needs of a person in custody (including in a secure mental health facility), which includes supervision, personal care and general supports.
  • Pre-sentence psychological and psychiatric reports.
  • Secure accommodation facilities where the purpose of this accommodation is to safeguard the community or prevent reoffending, including secure mental health facilities.
  • Any of the following within the meaning of the Aged Care Act 1997:
  • basic daily care fees
  • refundable accommodation options
  • extra service fees.
  • Any of the following services provided by a residential aged care service:
  • daily assistance with tasks such as cleaning, cooking, laundry
  • personal care supports including bathing, dressing, going to the toilet
  • access to health practitioner services, clinical care and therapies
  • social and emotional support services and entertainment
  • Note: supports for a participant that entered residential aged care before the age of 65 may not be included if there is an agreement in place between the Agency and the Department of Health and Aged Care that those supports should be funded by the Agency.

A support the provision of which would be contrary to:

  • a law of the Common wealth
  • a law of the State or Territory in which the support would be provided.
  • Assistive products, vehicle modifications or home modifications that do not comply with Commonwealth, State or Territory laws, the National Construction Code or mandated Australian standards for the location or purpose the participant will require them.
  • Supports involving restrictive practices that are prohibited in the participant’sState or Territory of residence.
  • Consumable products that are against the law.
  • Firearms and weapons.
  • Seclusion rooms.
  • Income support payments.
  • Rent subsidy.
  • Income supplementation.