Understanding the NDIS

Every NDIS plan is built from four support budgets: Core, Capacity Building, Capital and Recurring. Core covers everyday support. Capacity Building builds your skills. Capital pays for specific items, such as assistive technology. Recurring covers transport only. You only get funding in the budgets you need, so your plan may not use all four.

Core supports help you with everyday activities and taking part in your community, and that funding is flexible across its categories. Capacity Building supports build your skills to do more for yourself, such as support coordination, therapy or life skills. That funding is stated, so you can't move it between categories. You also can't move money from one budget to the other.

There are three. Self-managed means you pay your providers yourself. Plan-managed means a registered plan manager pays them for you. NDIA-managed means the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) pays them. You can combine options across one plan, and you can ask to change how your plan is managed without waiting for a new plan.

Not always. If the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) manages your funding, every provider you use must be registered. Supported Independent Living (SIL) must come from a registered provider, or one that applied to register before 1 October 2026. If you self-manage or plan-manage, you can choose unregistered providers for many other supports.

Search the NDIS Provider Register on the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission's website, using the provider's business name, legal name or ABN. Choose the status Approved to see current registrations. Each entry shows the provider's registration groups and any conditions on its registration. The Commission also publishes revoked registrations, banning orders and other compliance decisions.

Ask the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) to change your plan. For a small change, use the plan variation request form. For significant, ongoing changes to your support needs, use the plan reassessment request form, which only you, your plan nominee or your child representative can submit. Include evidence, such as reports from your treating health professionals. A Support Coordinator can help you gather it.