Core supports are the part of your NDIS plan that pays for help with everyday activities and disability-related needs. In 2026 there are three core categories: Assistance with daily life, Consumables, and Assistance with social and community participation. Transport is no longer one of them. This guide explains what core supports NDIS funding covers, what it cannot buy, and practical ways to make your core budget last.
What core supports are
An NDIS plan can have up to four support budgets: Core, Capacity building, Capital and Recurring. Core is the budget for day-to-day support, such as a support worker helping with personal care or everyday items you need because of your disability.
Core funding is flexible, which sets it apart from most of the plan. The NDIS page on core supports sets out the current rules.
The three core categories
Assistance with daily life
Help with everyday routines, such as personal care, dressing, preparing meals and household tasks. Provider24 lists providers for daily personal activities and household tasks.
Consumables
NDIS consumables are everyday items you need because of your disability, such as continence products and low-cost assistive technology. Everyday household and health products that anyone would buy are generally not NDIS supports.
Assistance with social and community participation
A support worker to help you take part in social, recreational and community activities. The support is fundable. The cost of the activity itself, such as an entry fee or a club membership, generally is not.
Where transport went
Older plans and older guides list transport as a fourth core category. In the current structure, transport sits in its own budget, called Recurring supports, which covers recurring transport. The NDIS page on recurring supports explains it.
Core is flexible, within limits
Flexible means you can generally use your core funding across the three core categories. If you need more help with daily life and fewer consumables one month, the budget can stretch to fit.
The limits still apply. You can only buy NDIS supports that fit your plan. Under the NDIS Supports Transitional Rules, things that are generally not NDIS supports include:
- groceries, including all food, drinks, cleaning, household and health products
- rent and bonds
- general fitness, social or recreational activity costs
- membership and entry to recreational clubs
How core sits beside capacity building and capital
Capacity building helps you build skills and independence. Its nine categories are Support coordination, Improved living arrangements, Increased social and community participation, Finding and keeping a job, Improved relationships, Improved health and wellbeing, Improved learning, Improved life choices and Improved daily living. This funding is stated, so it can only be used for the supports your plan describes.
Capital pays for higher-cost items in two categories: Assistive technology, and Home modifications and SDA. It is also stated.
Recurring covers recurring transport.
The Provider24 guide to your NDIS plan and its funding categories explains all four budgets in more detail.
Planning your core budget
Put essential supports first
List the supports you cannot go without, such as personal care, and set aside funding for those before anything else. Other supports can be arranged around them.
Track your spending
Check your budget in the my NDIS or myplace participant portal, or the my NDIS app. The NDIS explains how to use the participant portals. A regular check shows whether you are on track or spending faster than planned.
Talk with your providers
Share your budget and priorities with your providers so they can plan their support around them. Review your service agreements when your needs change.
Know what can be negotiated
Maximum prices in the NDIS pricing schedule apply to NDIA-managed and plan-managed funding. If you self-manage, you can negotiate prices above or below those limits. The NDIS explains how pricing arrangements work.
Use informal support where it suits you
Some participants ask family or friends to help with tasks they are comfortable sharing, which leaves more of the budget for supports that need a paid worker.
Speak up if your needs change
If a support is no longer useful, talk to your my NDIS contact. If your support needs have changed significantly and are likely to stay that way, you can ask for an unscheduled plan reassessment. From 27 August 2026, only you, your plan nominee or your guardian can make that request.
2026 and 2027 changes that affect core
- From 1 October 2026: funding for social, economic and community participation supports is reduced by 50% as plans are created, reassessed or renewed over the following 12 months. This can affect the social and community participation part of your core budget. Some supports within the category are not affected, and you can keep using your current plan until it is reassessed or renewed. Details are in Funding changes for NDIS supports.
- From 1 February 2027: when your plan reaches its scheduled reassessment date and is renewed, unspent funds from the previous plan are not carried over. The full timeline is on the Securing the NDIS page.
Practical tips by category
Assistance with daily life
- Set a routine with your support workers so their time goes on the tasks that matter most to you.
- Skills built through your capacity building supports may change how much daily help you need over time.
Consumables
- Keep track of what you use each month so you order what you need and avoid waste.
- If you self-manage, compare prices before you buy.
Social and community participation
- Look for low-cost activities through your local council, library or community centre, since activity costs are generally not funded.
- Volunteering and community groups are ways to take part without fees.
- Your support worker’s time is what the budget pays for, so plan outings around the support you need.
Transport
- Combine appointments into one trip where you can and plan your routes ahead.
- Remember that transport now comes from your recurring budget, not your core budget.
Compare core support providers on Provider24
If you are choosing who delivers your core supports, Provider24 lists daily living providers by category and state for you to compare. Start with the Daily Living category and contact the providers that suit your needs.
Last updated October 2026. This article is general information, not advice. NDIS rules are changing in stages, so check ndis.gov.au or ask your my NDIS contact about your own plan.
Frequently asked questions
Are there cuts to the NDIS budget in 2026?
From 1 October 2026, funding for two kinds of supports is being reset as plans are created, reassessed or renewed: social, economic and community participation supports by 50%, and improved daily living skills supports by 10%. Other parts of plans are not affected, and you can keep using your current plan until it is reassessed or renewed.
Can I move money between core support categories?
Generally, yes. Core funding is flexible, so it can be used across the three core categories, as long as you are buying NDIS supports that fit your plan.
Is transport still part of core supports?
No. Transport now sits in the Recurring supports budget, which covers recurring transport.
Can core supports pay for groceries?
No. Groceries, including all food, drinks, cleaning, household and health products, are generally not NDIS supports. Help from a support worker with shopping or preparing meals can be.