What Are NDIS Stated Supports + What Can I Use Them For?
Written by: Cassandra Blecha | NDIS Plan Management Team
So… You’ve been approved for the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) and had a planning meeting with your Local Area Coordinator (LAC) or NDIS Delegate/Planner and documented your disability-related goals and support needs. Now, you have your NDIS Plan! You’ve noticed some “Stated Supports” noted in your NDIS Plan and wonder:
“What are “Stated Supports” and what can I use them for?”
This is an excellent question!
NDIS Plans are individually crafted to meet the specific needs of each and every NDIS Participant. As such, you may notice several different funding options within these plans, such as funding types and support categories. Some NDIS Funding can be used flexibly within a category. However, an NDIS Stated Support is different.
What Are NDIS Stated Supports?
An NDIS Stated Support (or stated item) is specifically allocated funding for a defined particular purpose.
If your NDIS Plan has a stated support, the funding allocated to that stated support can only be used for that specific support item. It is important to note that NDIS stated supports must still meet the reasonable and necessary and “value for money” criteria.
NDIS stated support funding cannot be used for any other type of support than the one stated in your NDIS Plan unless the NDIS CEO or their approved delegate under the NDIS Act provides written approval.
Types of NDIS Stated Supports
Any support can be specified as a stated support either by NDIS requirements or as determined by the NDIS Planner.
There are several different types of NDIS stated supports that you may find in your NDIS Plan. For example:
- Capacity Building – Choice and Control: This funding is for NDIS Plan Management, one of the three types of funding management options available for NDIS participants to choose when at the planning stage – the other two being agency-managed and self-managed. Plan Management gives you, the NDIS Participant greater choice and control over who you engage to deliver your NDIS supports. Plan Management means you can choose to get extra support from a registered NDIS Plan Manager who will help you with the “boring stuff” such as processing and paying invoices and the “hard stuff” such as monitoring funds and compliance. If you’re interested in Plan Management for your NDIS Plan, ask your planner or delegate to have your NDIS funds plan managed so that you can engage a Plan Manager to assist you with managing your NDIS funds. Something to note, Plan Management funding is completely separate from any of the other supports and services in your budget. This means that the monthly costs and set-up fee for a Plan Manager will not impact the amount of your funding for your other supports or take away from the other funding in your NDIS Plan.
- Capacity Building – Support Coordination and Psychosocial Recovering Coaching: You may also qualify for Support Coordination and/or Psychological Recovery Coaching when you have more complex support needs or need some additional help with navigating and connecting to supports. Support Coordinators and Psychological Recovery Coaches are trained to understand your situation more thoroughly and help you connect with appropriate supports and providers to maximise your plan. To get the most from your allocated funding. They can also help you access the right support and the optimal combination of activities to meet the goals set out in your NDIS plan.
- Capacity Building Improved Daily Living: The purpose of this funding is for strategy development and therapy supports to assist you with developing or increasing your skills and capacity for independence, socialisation, and community participation. The majority of the supports in this category can only be provided by practitioners in NDIS approved allied health professions.
Other stated supports include:
- Specialised Disability Accommodation;
- Assistive Technology items over $1,500;
- Assistive Technology repairs and maintenance;
- Home Modifications;
- Improved Living Arrangements: Assistance to build and increase capacity to obtain and retain appropriate accommodation;
- Capacity Building – Increased Social and Community Participation: Assistance to take part in skills-based learning to develop independence in accessing the community;
- Capacity Building – Finding and keeping a job: Assistance to help find and keep employment;
- Capacity Building – Improved Relationships: Specialised assessment and strategies if a participant has complex needs or behaviours of concern;
- Capacity Building – Health & Wellbeing: Assistance to help improve health and wellbeing; and
- Capacity Building – Improved Learning: Assistance to move and orientate moving from secondary school to further education.
Some stated supports require an approved quote before funding will be allocated:
- Linen Service;
- Assistance from a live-in carer;
- On call overnight monitoring offsite/onsite;
- Assistance in Living Arrangements;
- Specialised Transport; and
- Specialised Driver Training.
There is a support which, although not stated, does have to be specified. Core funding can only be used for Meal Preparation and Delivery where this support is specified in an NDIS Participant’s plan.
Please note: New legislation changes came into effect on the 3rd of October 2024, and these changes may impact stated support requirements for your NDIS Plan.
What Were the Recent Changes to NDIS Stated Supports + Do They Impact You?
As part of this change, the NDIS has now categorised supports as IN (NDIS supported) or OUT (not NDIS supported).
All NDIS participants are bound by this new legislation and can only be provided services on the IN list. Existing NDIS Participants may be permitted to continue with these supports on the OUT list, but only if specified in their plans or written consent from an NDIS Planner as the supports were deemed reasonable and necessary before the legislation changed. Thus, it is expected that these can continue to be supported for the duration of the applicable NDIS Plan. This also includes supports that were approved by the AAT (Administrative Appeals Tribunal) for the applicable NDIS Plan.
Canny Plan Management, Let Us Manage Your NDIS Funding…
As dedicated plan managers, the team at Canny Plan Management we work with our clients to assist in monitoring their funding and keep them apprised of how they are travelling with their NDIS plan managed funds.
We’re here to help!
Get in touch with our team if you would like to know more about your, or a loved one’s, stated supports or the NDIS in general.
