Making sense of your NDIS plan.

Your NDIS plan records your goals and the funded supports to pursue them. The funding is grouped into three budget categories — Core, Capacity Building and Capital — and you choose how it’s managed: by the NDIA, by a plan manager, or by yourself. Understanding these two ideas — budgets and management — is most of what it takes to use a plan with confidence.

The three budgets

Core Supports are the most flexible and cover everyday assistance — help with daily activities, consumables, and getting out into the community. Capacity Building funds supports that build your skills and independence over time, such as therapies, employment support and help to coordinate your plan; it’s generally less flexible because funds are allocated to specific goal areas. Capital covers higher-cost items like assistive technology and home or vehicle modifications, and is usually tied to specific quotes and approvals.

How much sits in each, and exactly what each can buy, is set in your plan and governed by current NDIS rules — which is why the official source matters for specifics. The shapes above, though, are stable and worth knowing before your planning meeting.

The three ways to manage funding

NDIA-managed (agency-managed): the NDIA pays your providers directly. It’s the lowest-admin option, but you can generally only use NDIS-registered providers. Plan-managed: a plan manager (funded separately in your plan) pays your invoices and keeps the books, which lets you use both registered and unregistered providers with little paperwork for you. Self-managed: you receive and manage the funds, pay providers, and keep records — the most flexibility and choice, with the most responsibility.

You can often mix these across your plan, and your choice isn’t permanent — it can change at a plan review. There’s no universally “best” option: it’s a trade-off between flexibility and admin that depends on your confidence, time and goals.

Using your plan and reviews

Once your plan starts, you use it to arrange and pay for supports, ideally with service agreements that set out what each provider will do (we help providers build these — see form creation). Keep an eye on your budgets so funding lasts the plan period, and keep records, especially if you self-manage.

Plans are reviewed periodically, or sooner if your circumstances change significantly. A review is your chance to reflect on what worked, update goals, and adjust funding. A support coordinator (if funded in your plan) or a plan manager can help you prepare — and finding the right providers is its own skill worth getting right.

Frequently asked questions