Can the NDIS pay for yoga or Pilates?
Usually no for a mainstream class - it's recreation. But a worker to help you attend, or clinical exercise, can be. Here's the split.
Generally no for a standard yoga or Pilates class - that's recreation, a mainstream cost like anyone's. But the supports around it can be funded: a support worker to help you attend and take part, and clinical exercise from an allied health professional. What's not funded is the class fee itself.
The short answer
Three things to keep separate
How the NDIS decides, with an example
How to ask and what evidence helps
The honest wrap-up
Frequently asked questions
Will the NDIS pay my yoga studio fee?
Usually no. A mainstream class fee is a recreational, everyday cost like anyone's. The NDIS can fund a support worker to help you attend and take part, or clinical exercise from an allied health professional - but not the class fee or studio membership itself.
What if my therapist says yoga would help me?
That's useful, but a therapist recommending exercise doesn't make the class fee fundable. It supports a case for clinical exercise or a support worker to participate. Ask your therapist to link the support to your disability and a specific goal, and to put it in writing.
Can a support worker come to a Pilates class with me?
Yes, where it's reasonable and necessary. A support worker under Core can help you get to and take part in the class safely. That funds the support you receive, not your class or membership fee, so you'd still pay the studio yourself.
Is clinical Pilates different from a studio Pilates class?
Yes. Clinical Pilates is delivered by a physio or exercise physiologist as a disability-specific program, which can be funded as Capacity Building. A studio class is mainstream recreation, funded by you. If you need the clinical version, ask your physio to set it up and document it.