NDIS Budget Categories Made Useful: Build Your Simple Weekly Spending Map

Your NDIS plan splits funding into categories like Core Supports and Capacity Building. The first step to taking control is mapping what you actually buy to these categories. Think of it like sorting your groceries into groups: some are for daily meals (Core), and some are for learning new recipes (Capacity Building).

Here’s a plain-English guide to get you started:

• Core Supports – Daily & Weekly Help: This is for your regular, ongoing needs. It includes help with daily personal activities, transport to appointments or community access, and consumables like continence aids or low-cost assistive technology. Example: Funding for a support worker to help with showering comes from here.
• Capacity Building – Skills & Independence: This funding is for supports that help you build skills for the future. It's divided into sub-categories like 'Improved Daily Living' (therapy) or 'Increased Social & Community Participation' (social skills development). Example: Funding for an occupational therapist to assess your home comes from the 'Improved Daily Living' sub-category.

The key is to look at your last month's supports and write down which category they belong to. Once you know where your money is supposed to go, you can start planning where it will go.