NDIS Terms Made Simple: Supports, Providers & Budgets

Free: Your NDIS plain-English glossary (the essentials)

The NDIS can feel confusing at first, but many terms repeat the same way across plans, budgets and providers. This glossary focuses on the words you’ll see most often in everyday NDIS conversations—so you can ask better questions and make smarter choices.

Key terms to know: Support means an item or service funded in your plan. Provider is the organisation or individual that delivers that support. Capacity building helps you build skills and independence (like learning daily living tasks). Assistive technology includes devices that help you do things more easily. NDIS plan budget is the money your plan sets aside for supports.

Some terms also relate to how your plan is managed. Plan management is when a separate service pays providers for you and helps manage invoices. If you use MyMoney NDIS (www.planmanager.net.au), it can help keep track of your spending and reduce the admin you do yourself. When you compare options, My Care Finders can help you match providers to your needs, and understand what to ask before you start.

Key takeaway: If you can translate “support, provider, budget, and plan management” into simple questions—“What support?”, “Who provides it?”, “How is it paid?”, and “How much is funded?”—you’ll feel more confident navigating your NDIS plan.

• Claiming: asking to be paid for supports delivered (process depends on your plan type).
• Funding period: the time your plan is active.
• Goals: the outcomes you want to achieve.
• Service agreements: the written details about what will happen, when, and how.