There’s nothing more important than getting the most out of your NDIS plan, it’s your funding and you want to make sure you’re using it to its maximum! 

Understanding the way your plan budgets work and what they cover is therefore a key part of this, and we know from experience that the different funding options can be tricky. 

To help with this we thought we’d start to take a closer look at some of the funding options available under the three main budget areas of Core, Capital and Capacity Building. 

NDIS Consumables falls under Core supports and it’s a topic we receive a lot of questions about!  

So, let’s get stuck in and talk all things Consumables! 

What are NDIS Consumables? 

NDIS Consumables cover everyday expenses that are “reasonable and necessary” to manage your personal disability-related needs, up to a value of $1500. The sort of items you can buy from shops like hardware stores, chemists, supermarkets and even online. 

These could include single-use items like eating aids and continence products or larger items such as specialised mattresses and pillows. 

The important thing to remember is that the NDIS will only fund supports that it considers “reasonable and necessary”. Because this is open to interpretation, many people find it a confusing concept, but we can help. This guide breaks down the criteria the NDIS use to assess whether a support is reasonable and necessary. 

What do Consumables cover? 

As always, the below information will depend on your plan and what is considered “reasonable and necessary” for you. However, here are some items that you may be eligible to purchase using your NDIS Consumables budget. 

  • Home Enteral Nutrition 

  • Continence products (subject to meeting the age requirements) 

  • Catheters, absorbent products and pads 

  • Specialised mattresses and pillows 

  • Personal care and safety products 

  • Auslan or signed English training 

  • Telephone or video interpreting 

  • Vision or hearing-related low-cost assistive technology. 

  • Disability-related wound and skincare 

  • Pumps and syringes for home enteral nutrition purposes 

  • Food preparation products 

  • Modified eating aids 

As you can see, there is a wide range or expenses you could potentially purchase, and that’s one of the nice things about the Consumable budget, it’s flexible. Once you’ve allocated your amount you can decide how you spend it, so long as the expenses meet the requirements of “reasonable and necessary”. 

What do Consumables NOT cover? 

Firstly, just remember that what you can and cannot get funding for will depend on your specific personal circumstances, so if you’re unsure, just contact us and we’ll check it out for you! 

Generally speaking, there are some items that your NDIS Consumables budget will not cover. For example, general food and grocery items that are unrelated to your disability needs, prescription medications and toiletries or cosmetics. 

The NDIS also won’t fund nutrition supports that aren’t directly related to your disability, such as a poor diet due to reasons that aren’t related to your disability.   

How do I purchase a Consumable? 

Much like any other service provider, you can purchase Consumables from both registered and unregistered merchants, unless you are NDIA managed, then the provider must be registered. 

Most of the time a participant can simply pay the provider directly and provided the item is under $1,500, it will not require a quote. 

The NDIS does recommend getting advice for those looking to purchase low-cost and low-risk assistive technology expenses, from an Assistive Technology advisor. Any high-risk assistive technology expenses, even if they’re under $1500, will require written advice from an assistive technology assessor. 

We’re here for you 

At Plan Partners, we provide two important services that can support you to get the most out of your NDIS plan: 

Support coordination helps you bring your plan to life. Have your own support coordinator to work one-on-one with you to help you find and connect with the best service providers for your needs. Find out whether you could be eligible for support coordination. https://planpartners.com.au/knowledge/articles/ndis-support-coordination-eligibility 

Plan management takes the burden out of all your NDIS administration. We ensure your providers are paid accurately and on time and give you access to helpful tools, like our Dashboard to easily track your spending and budgets. Everyone is eligible for Plan Management - and it’s funded by the NDIS at no cost to you.