What Does “Reasonable and Necessary” Mean in the NDIS?

carli215
4 days ago
3 min read

“Reasonable and necessary” is the criteria the NDIS uses to decide whether something should be funded.

For a support to be approved, it generally needs to:

Be related to your disability
Help you pursue your goals
Support your independence and participation
Represent value for money
Be effective and beneficial
Not be more appropriately funded by another system (like health or education)

Sounds simple… but this is where things get subjective.

Why This Confuses So Many People

Two participants can ask for the same thing and get completely different outcomes.

That’s because decisions are based on:

The individual’s disability
Their functional capacity
The evidence provided
How clearly the support is linked to goals

It’s not just what you ask for... it’s how it’s justified.

Real Examples of What May Be Considered Reasonable and Necessary in the NDIS

Let’s make this practical.

Example 1: Support Worker for Community Access

✔ Likely to be approved

If a participant has difficulty leaving the house independently, funding a support worker to assist with community access is generally considered reasonable and necessary.

This directly supports:

Independence
Social participation
Mental wellbeing

Example 2: Cleaning Support

✔ Often approved

If a participant is unable to safely maintain their home due to their disability, cleaning support may be funded.

The key factor is:

👉 the participant’s functional capacity, not preference

Example 3: Social Skill Development Supports

✔ Often approved under Capacity Building

Supports that help a participant build communication and social skills may be funded when clearly linked to goals.

This is especially common for participants working toward:

Building relationships
Increasing confidence
Engaging in the community

Examples That Are Often NOT Funded

This is where people get caught out.

Example 4: Gym Membership

❌ Usually not funded

Even if it benefits health, a gym membership is considered a general living expense unless it’s directly linked to disability-specific needs and supported by strong evidence.

Example 5: Everyday Living Costs

❌ Not funded

Things like:

Rent
Groceries
Utility bills

These are considered everyday expenses, not disability supports.

Example 6: Items Without Clear Justification

❌ Often declined

Even if something could help, it may not be funded if:

It’s not clearly linked to the participant’s disability
There’s no supporting evidence
A cheaper or more appropriate alternative exists

How to Improve Your Chances of Getting Supports Approved

This is the part most people miss.

To meet the “reasonable and necessary” criteria, you need to:

Clearly link the support to your disability
Show how it connects to your goals
Provide supporting evidence (reports, assessments)
Demonstrate why the support is needed

The stronger the justification, the stronger the outcome.

The Role of Reports and Evidence

Assessments like Functional Capacity Assessments (FCAs) play a huge role in NDIS decisions.

They help demonstrate:

What a participant can and can’t do
Where support is required
Why specific supports are necessary

Without this evidence, even reasonable requests can be declined.

Why Two Plans Can Look Completely Different

No two NDIS plans are the same.

Even with similar diagnoses, funding can vary based on:

Living situation
Informal supports
Risk factors
Level of independence

That’s why comparing plans rarely gives you the full picture.

Final Thoughts

“Reasonable and necessary” isn’t just a checklist.

It’s about whether a support genuinely helps a participant live more independently, safely, and meaningfully.

If something meets that standard and is backed by the right evidence, it has a much stronger chance of being approved.

Need Help Understanding Your NDIS Plan?

If you’re unsure what should or shouldn’t be funded, or how to structure supports around your goals, you can reach out to our team here.