NDIS Support Categories: A Complete Guide
A plain-English guide to NDIS support categories: what Core, Capital and Capacity Building fund, how budgets work, and what is changing.
Your NDIS plan divides your funding into support categories — groups of supports that each pay for different things, with their own rules about how flexibly you can spend them. Right now there are three main budget types (Core, Capital and Capacity Building), and within those sit the smaller categories you see line by line in your plan. This guide explains what each one covers, how the money can…
What are NDIS support categories?
The three budget types at a glance
Core Supports: your everyday funding
Capital Supports: equipment and modifications
Capacity Building: skills, therapy and coordination
How flexible is my funding, really?
A quick tour of where common supports sit
What is changing under the NDIS reforms
What the reset does and does not touch
Reading your plan: a practical step-by-step
Common pitfalls to avoid
Where to get help and what to do next
Frequently asked questions
How many NDIS support categories are there?
There are three broad budget types — Core, Capital and Capacity Building — and within them sit around 15 smaller categories, such as Assistance with Daily Life, Assistive Technology and Improved Daily Living. The exact categories in your plan depend on your assessed needs, so not everyone has all of…
Can I move money between NDIS support categories?
It depends on the category. Most Core funding can be spent flexibly across Core categories, but Capital funding is tied to the specific item quoted and approved, and Capacity Building is spent category by category with no moving between them. Your own plan and how it is managed can change these…
Which category covers therapy like OT, physio or speech?
Therapy supports such as occupational therapy, physiotherapy, speech pathology and psychology usually sit under Improved Daily Living, which is a Capacity Building category. Because Capacity Building is not flexible between categories, therapy funding generally cannot be redirected to other…
Are my support categories being cut in the reforms?
Critical daily-living and personal-care supports are not part of the participation changes. The main cut targets social, civic and community participation allocations, reducing them by roughly half progressively from 1 October 2026 as plans reassess or renew, with capacity-building daily-activity…
What if my plan does not have enough in a category?
You can request a plan reassessment if your needs have changed, though reassessment rules are tightening and stronger evidence is now expected. If a decision does not reflect your needs, you can seek a review and, if needed, go to the Administrative Review Tribunal, with extra appeals-advocacy…
Related guides
- What Is Support Coordination? (And Do You Need It?)
- NDIS Core Supports Explained: What They Cover and How to Use Them
- NDIS Capacity Building Supports Explained
- Assistive Technology and the NDIS: How Funding for Equipment Works
- Home and Vehicle Modifications Through the NDIS
- NDIS Therapy Supports: OT, Physio, Speech and Psychology Explained