What's Covered FAQs
How the scheme decides what it funds, and where the published lists and tests live.
Is there an official list of what the NDIS funds?
Not in the way people hope. The NDIS publishes support categories and a catalogue of item codes, and it publishes lists of things that generally fall outside the scheme, but whether a specific support is included in a specific plan is a decision, not a lookup.
What does reasonable and necessary actually mean?
It is the legal test the NDIA applies to every request. A support needs to relate to your disability, help you pursue your goals, represent value for money, be effective and beneficial, and sit with the NDIS rather than another system like health or education. All parts matter, not just the first.
Why do two people get different answers for the same item?
Because the test is about the person, not the product. The same item can meet the reasonable-and-necessary test for one participant's goals and situation and fail it for another's. That is a feature of an individualised scheme, not an inconsistency.
Where can I check the rules for a specific item?
The NDIS operational guidelines and the Would We Fund It guidance on the official website explain how decisions are made for different kinds of supports. Each verdict page on this site links the relevant official guidance so you can read the primary source.
What is the NDIS supports list?
There are two lists. One describes supports that count as NDIS supports, grouped into broad categories. The other names supports that never count. Together they set the outer boundary of what NDIS money can buy, before your own plan and goals narrow it further to what sits with you.
How many categories does the supports list hold?
The supports-that-are-NDIS-supports list groups goods and services into thirty-seven broad categories. An item counts if it fits one of those descriptions, even when it is not named as an example, and provided it does not also appear on the list of things that are never NDIS supports.
What is never an NDIS support?
The not-an-NDIS-support list holds fifteen categories, covering everyday living costs, anything unlawful, supports another government system should provide, and specific exclusions. If an item lands here, no plan or goal brings it back in, and NDIS money can never be used to buy it.
Does the NDIS pay for everyday living costs?
Everyday living costs that people meet regardless of disability sit outside the scheme. The published not-an-NDIS-support list names things like rent, groceries, and utility bills. The scheme targets the extra disability-related cost, not the ordinary cost of daily life everyone carries.
What happens if I buy something off the excluded list?
If NDIS money is spent on something that is not an NDIS support, or is not in line with your plan, the NDIA may ask you to repay it. That is why checking an item against both lists, and your own plan, before buying is worth the few minutes it takes.
What is a replacement support?
A replacement support is an everyday item you use instead of an NDIS support already in your plan, not an extra one. It needs written NDIA approval first, has to be on the pre-approved list, help you the same or more, and cost the same or less than what it replaces.
Can I claim education or training about my disability?
Some capacity-building supports help you build skills and knowledge tied to your goals. Whether a specific course or session sits inside your plan depends on your goals and how your funding is managed. Your plan manager or support coordinator can check before you commit.