NDIS transport funding helps you get to and from the places in your life: work, study, day programs and community activities. It sits in its own part of your plan, it is paid in a different way from most supports, and the amount depends on how much you travel for work, study or activities. Here is where to find it in your plan, what it can pay for and how the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) decides.
The essentials:
- Transport funding sits in the recurring supports budget of your National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) plan.
- It pays for travel to work, study, day programs and social, recreational or leisure activities.
- There are three funding levels, based on whether and how much you work or study.
- The NDIA considers the reasonable help your family, carers or community can give.
Where transport sits in your NDIS plan
An NDIS plan can have up to four support budgets: core, capacity building, capital and recurring. You might not have funding in all four, because your plan is based on your own needs.
Recurring supports is the budget for transport. Recurring transport is the only category in it, so if your plan funds transport, you will see it listed there. The guide to understanding your NDIS plan explains how the four budgets fit together.
Transport funding is paid differently from most supports. The NDIA can pay it to your nominated bank account on a regular basis, or you can claim it through the participant portals or the my NDIS app.
What NDIS transport funding is for
Recurring transport funding can pay for travel that helps you get to and from:
- your workplace or place of study
- community activities
- day programs
- other social, recreational or leisure activities.
The NDIA’s page on recurring supports says this transport can include rideshare services and other private travel. In practice, you choose how to travel to the activities the funding covers.
The three NDIS transport levels and who each is for
Recurring transport funding comes in three levels. Each level is matched to how much you work, study or take part in activities:
- Level 1: Community access. For participants who are not working, studying or attending day programs, but want to do more activities in the community.
- Level 2: Part-time work or study. For participants working or studying part-time, up to 15 hours a week, or attending day programs, or taking part in other social, recreational or leisure activities.
- Level 3: Work or study. For participants working or studying, or both, for at least 15 hours a week.
The amount for each level is published on ndis.gov.au and can change, which is why it is not quoted here. Your plan shows the level and amount that applies to you.
How the NDIA decides on transport funding
When deciding whether to fund recurring transport, the NDIA considers the reasonable help that your family, carers or community networks can give you with transport. This is the part many people do not expect.
So if a family member already drives you to work every day, that may be taken into account. If that help is not realistic, for example because of their own work, health or caring load, say so clearly when transport is discussed. Describe the trips you make each week, how you make them now and what gets in the way. Concrete detail helps the NDIA understand what you actually need.
If you are not sure whether you can get recurring transport funding, your my NDIS contact can explain how it applies to you.
If you cannot find transport in your plan
Plans are not all laid out the same way, and the budget headings in an older plan may look different from the four described above. If you cannot see a recurring supports budget, or you are unsure whether transport is funded, ask your my NDIS contact where it sits in your plan before you spend or claim anything.
Other ways to get around
Recurring transport funding is about trips. Other supports can help you travel more independently over time, and they are funded in different parts of a plan when they are reasonable and necessary for you:
- Driver training. Specialised lessons can help you learn to drive or return to driving with a disability. Provider24 lists businesses in its Specialised Driver Training category.
- Vehicle modifications. Changes to a car, such as hand controls or a wheelchair hoist, can make driving or travelling as a passenger possible. Browse the Vehicle Modifications category.
- Support to use public transport. A support worker can help you learn a route and build confidence travelling on your own, often as part of community access supports.
Raising transport at your next check-in or reassessment
Your transport needs can change. You might start a course, pick up more hours at work or join a regular activity. If your current level no longer matches how you live, raise it.
Before a check-in or plan reassessment, write down your regular trips for a typical week: where you go, how often, how you get there and any help you rely on. Note any trips you have stopped making because getting there is too hard. That list gives the NDIA a clear picture of your travel needs.
The guide to NDIS community participation activities has ideas for the activities transport funding can help you reach.
Finding community access and travel supports
If you want support to get out and about, Provider24 lists businesses in its Community Access category, and you can narrow the search by state on the Explore page. Contact each business directly to ask what they offer. Provider24 does not verify listings, so confirm registration and service areas with each provider before you book.
This article is general information, not advice; ask your my NDIS contact about the transport funding in your own plan.
Frequently asked questions
Can NDIS pay for transport?
Yes, if it is in your plan. Recurring transport funding can pay for travel to work, study, day programs and community, social or leisure activities. It sits in the recurring supports budget of your plan.
Does NDIS pay for Uber and other rideshare trips?
Recurring transport funding can be used for rideshare services and other private travel to the activities it covers. You choose the type of transport that works for you.
What is NDIS travel allowance?
“Travel allowance” is a common name for NDIS recurring transport funding. It is the funding in the recurring supports budget of your plan that helps you travel to work, study and community activities.
How is NDIS transport funding paid?
The NDIA can pay it to your nominated bank account on a regular basis, or you can claim it through the participant portals or the my NDIS app.