Useful information for NDIS participants to help you understand these handy supports

Can you use your NDIS funding for cleaning, gardening or home maintenance? In many situations, yes. If your disability is making it difficult or unsafe for you to complete everyday tasks around your home and these supports align with your NDIS plan, you can pay for them with your funding.

In this article, we explain what NDIS cleaning, NDIS gardening and NDIS home maintenance can cover, which categories in your plan can fund them and whether you need to use a registered provider.

We’ve also provided some practical tips for choosing a provider, agreeing on rates and avoiding unexpected costs.

NDIS cleaning

NDIS cleaning is typically funded through Core Supports, under Assistance with Daily Life and household tasks. If your plan includes this funding, you could hire a support worker to complete tasks like:

• vacuuming, sweeping and mopping
• cleaning kitchens and bathrooms
• dusting and wiping surfaces
• washing, drying and folding laundry
• changing bed linen
• completing other basic household cleaning tasks

if you’re keen to build your skills and independence to do some or all of the cleaning yourself when you are ready, your funding may also cover a support worker to do these tasks alongside you.

What isn’t covered?

Generally, the NDIS won’t fund things like:

• everyday cleaning products (detergent, disinfectant or sponges)
• standard household cleaning equipment
• cleaning associated with moving house
• major repairs or renovations
• cleaning for other members of your household
• specialist services that aren’t related to your disability

NDIS gardening

NDIS gardening is generally funded through Core Supports, under Assistance with Daily Life and House or Yard Maintenance.

If you have this funding in your plan, you can hire a support worker for tasks such as:

• mowing the lawn

• removing weeds
• trimming hedges, shrubs and small trees
• raking leaves
• clearing pathways and outdoor areas
• completing basic yard maintenance needed to keep your property accessible

What isn’t covered?

The NDIS generally won’t fund things like:

• plants, flowers, seeds, soil or fertiliser
• gardening tools or standard equipment
• landscaping or garden redesign
• decorative gardening projects
• new garden beds, paving or irrigation systems
• major tree removal or specialist arborist work
• repairs or improvements that are the property owner’s responsibility
• gardening for other household members who can reasonably complete the work
• tasks that aren’t related to your disability

Sometimes, there’s a bit of a grey area between essential maintenance and ‘improving’ a garden. The NDIS may fund the work needed to keep an existing outdoor area accessible and maintained, but it’s unlikely to fund work that increases your property’s value or improves its appearance.

NDIS home maintenance

NDIS home maintenance is usually funded through Core Supports, under Assistance with Daily Life and the House or Yard Maintenance support item.

It’s different from a home modification that changes the structure, layout or fittings of your home to make it more accessible.

Funding may cover basic tasks needed to keep your home safe, accessible and in good working order, such as:

• replacing light bulbs or smoke alarm batteries
• completing minor repairs around the home
• cleaning gutters, windows or ceiling fans
• assembling basic household furniture
• carrying out small maintenance tasks you find difficult to do because of your disability

It’s worth noting that if you rent your home, repairs and maintenance that are legally the landlord’s responsibility can’t be paid for with your NDIS funding.

What else isn’t covered?

The NDIS generally won’t fund:

• plumbing, electrical or other specialist trade services
• general repairs caused by age, wear and tear or accidental damage
• structural repairs or major renovations
• renovations intended to improve the appearance or value of your property
• painting, decorating or home improvement projects
• building materials, tools or standard household equipment
• repairs that are the responsibility of a landlord, body corporate or property owner
• tasks that are unrelated to your disability

Because there can be grey areas, it’s always best to check with your plan manager, support coordinator or NDIS contact before booking a tradesperson for any of these services.

How does funding work for NDIS gardening, cleaning and home maintenance?

The NDIS can provide funding for cleaning, gardening and maintenance, but only if they are related to your disability and meet the reasonable and necessary criteria. For example, if you're unable to mow the lawn because of your disability, you can hire a gardener through your NDIS funds.

In some cases, the criteria for reasonable and necessary can get a little more complex. If you live in a share house (or at home with your parents) and are unable to clean your room, then the NDIS will cover the cost of a cleaner, but only to clean your room. As the rest of the house can be cleaned by the other residents, the NDIS doesn't consider it reasonable and necessary to cover the whole house.

Also, as a general rule, specialist supports that anyone (including people without disability) have a need to hire from time to time, like an electrician to rewire a socket or a plumber to fix water pipes, won’t be covered by the NDIS.

How is it funded in my NDIS plan?

The NDIS includes activities, such as cleaning, gardening and home maintenance, under Support Category 1 (Assistance with Daily Living). This is a Core Support, so if you have funding in your plan’s Core budget you can use it to get help around the house or garden.

Another option is to enlist a Support Worker to assist you with the jobs you’re unable to do. This is described as ‘Assistance with Personal Domestic Activities’ and this also falls under the Assistance with Daily Living Support Category.

Do I need to use specific businesses that are registered with the NDIS?

Many cleaners, gardeners and handymen are small businesses who are unlikely to be registered with the NDIS, due to a lack of time or resources. Fortunately, if you are plan managed or self managed, you can still use your NDIS funding to access them. If you are NDIA managed, you will need to find a provider who has registered with the NDIS.

What else should I do when hiring someone?

If you’re ready to reach out to a gardener, cleaner or handyman, there are some simple steps you should take to make the experience as smooth as possible for both of you.

• Agree upon a price – the NDIS uses an hourly-rate system for these services, so you and your service provider will need to agree on how much this is prior to starting the job. Keep in mind the NDIS won’t pay for any amounts outside of the hourly rate, so any incidental costs will need to be built into it.
• Set up a service agreement – a service agreement is just a simple written contract that states what services will be delivered, why and at what price. It’s always a good idea to set up a service agreement with any service providers you engage.
• Show them our guide - because navigating the NDIS can be tricky for small businesses, we’ve put together a guide for gardeners, cleaners and handymen which covers things like invoicing correctly so the NDIS will pay them!
• Make sure the provider has a valid ABN (Australia Business Number) – although the cleaner, gardener or handyman do not need to be registered with the NDIS, they still need a valid ABN to claim their services.

Tips to remember

Here are some useful tips...

• The NDIS will only fund household activities if your disability is preventing you from doing them.
• If you live with others who are able to help around the house or garden, the NDIS likely won’t consider it reasonable and necessary to pay for a professional to service the entire property – only your room or part of the house.
• Support workers can be a great resource for assisting you with household activities.
• Most gardeners and cleaners are likely to be unregistered with the NDIS, so you’ll need to either have plan management or self manage your NDIS funds to access them.
• Gardeners and cleaners must charge at an hourly rate, including GST, so be sure to agree on this first. If there are any additional costs, they can’t add these to their NDIS invoice as they won’t be paid, but they can factor them into the hourly rate.
• Set up a service agreement is a great way for you and your provider to be on the same page, so you can keep track of your NDIS funds.

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