NDIS Funding: What's In And What's Out!

The NDIS Funding In and Out Lists were introduced in late 2024 to provide clearer guidance about what the NDIS will — and won’t — fund.

While the goal was to reduce confusion, it’s still left many participants, families, and providers wondering: “Can I use my funding for this… or not?”

With the transition period ending 3 October 2025, now is the time to get across what these lists mean — and how they impact your plan.

🧾 NDIS Funding: What Are the “In” and “Out” Lists?

As of 3 October 2024, the NDIS rolled out two new reference lists:

• NDIS Supports List (the In list)

• Items That Are Not NDIS Supports (the Out list)

Here’s the rule: You can only use your NDIS funding for supports that appear on the In list. If something is on the Out list — even if it seems helpful — it generally won’t be funded.

🚫 Examples from the Out List: What’s Not Covered

The Out list includes items that the NDIS now considers the responsibility of the individual, their family, or other mainstream services.

Here are a few things the NDIS won’t cover:

• Everyday costs like groceries, cleaning products, drinks

• Common household items (e.g. washing machines, recliners, gardening tools)

• General sports and activity costs (e.g. club memberships, uniforms, venue hire)

• Therapies that aren’t supported by strong evidence

• Supports that fall under health, education, or mainstream systems

• General childhood supports that aren’t disability-specific

There are limited exceptions for something called a replacement support, which we’ll explain further down this blog.

❓ Common Grey Areas

Some items that were previously approved may now be excluded unless strict criteria are met:

• Gym memberships or equipment → Only approved with clear evidence of benefit and goal relevance

• Smart home tech (e.g. Alexa) → Only if it’s related to a specific disability support goal

• Tablets, laptops, headphones → Must be for disability-related use (e.g. communication or therapy)

• Video game consoles or iPads → Often considered recreational unless supporting a therapeutic goal

Important: Even if you’ve been approved for something in the past, it may not be approved again unless it fits current guidelines.

✅ How to Know If a Support Is Funded

Here’s a basic checklist to help you decide if a support might be NDIS-funded:

• 🟢 It’s listed on the In list

• ❌ It’s not on the Out list

• 🧠 It’s clearly related to your disability

• 🏥 It’s not already funded by another system (e.g. Medicare, school)

• 📄 It aligns with the funding and goals in your current plan

Still unsure? Chat to your:

• Plan manager

• Support coordinator

• LAC

• Or contact the NDIS directly

📘 Impairment Categories and Your Plan

New and reassessed plans now include something called impairment categories — this helps the NDIS decide what supports are relevant to your primary disability.

For example:

• If your plan lists autism as the primary impairment, a support must be relevant to that disability to be approved.

• If you live with multiple disabilities, it’s worth checking which ones your plan is officially funding.

💸 What If You Accidentally Claim Something You Shouldn’t?

Good news: The NDIS is taking an educational approach during the transition (until 3 October 2025).

If a mistake is made:

• Under $1,500 → No debt raised for the first or second mistake

• Over $1,500 → A debt may be raised but could be waived depending on the situation

⚠️ After the transition ends, incorrect claims may result in:

• A request for repayment

• Your plan management type being changed

• A shorter plan review period

• Refusal to pay a provider

All debt decisions must be approved by the NDIA CEO, so participants aren’t penalised unfairly.

🧩 What Are Replacement Supports?

A replacement support is an item or service not typically funded by the NDIS but can be approved to substitute an existing support in your plan. This substitution is permissible when the new item:

• Replaces an existing NDIS-funded support in your plan

• Costs the same or less than the support it's replacing

• Provides equal or greater benefit in meeting your disability-related needs

It's important to note that approval for replacement supports must be obtained before making the purchase. The NDIS will not reimburse costs for unapproved items. 

✅ Criteria for Approval

To be considered for a replacement support, the following conditions must be met:

1. Substitution: The item must replace an existing support in your plan

2. Cost-Effectiveness: The replacement should not exceed the cost of the original support

3. Functional Benefit: The new support must offer the same or improved assistance in achieving your goals

4. Safety: The item must be safe for use

Additionally, the replacement support should help you:

• Participate more fully in the community

• Perform tasks more independently

• Reduce reliance on support workers or specialized assistive technology

🧭 How We Can Help

While we’re not plan managers ourselves, our team can absolutely help you:

• Explore which supports fall under Core or Capacity Building

• Connect you with Support Coordinators Or Plan Managers who can help you with NDIS Compliance.

We believe in making this system as clear, honest, and participant-friendly as possible.

📍 Based on the Gold Coast

📝 Contact us here if you’d like help making sense of your NDIS supports.