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Every NDIS plan splits your funding into up to three budgets: Core Supports, Capacity Building, and Capital. Knowing which is which is the single most useful bit of NDIS knowledge you can have, because it tells you what you can actually spend on what.
Core Supports: the flexible everyday budget
Core is the budget for day-to-day support, and it's the most flexible part of your plan. Within Core, you can generally move funding between support types as your needs change. Core typically covers things like personal care, help around the home, getting out into the community, and one-on-one support work. If the support helps you with daily life as it is right now, it's probably Core.
Capacity Building: the skills and independence budget
Capacity Building is for supports that build your ability to do things more independently over time. Unlike Core, this budget is locked to specific categories, so funding allocated to Improved Daily Living can't be shifted to something else. Capacity Building typically covers skills development, support coordination, therapies, and employment supports. The test: is this support teaching me something or building toward a goal? Then it's Capacity Building.
Capital: equipment and modifications
Capital covers assistive technology, equipment, and home or vehicle modifications. It's the most tightly controlled budget, usually tied to specific quotes and assessments. You can't use Capital funding for services.
Why the same support can sit in different buckets
Here's where it gets interesting. Cooking support funded to get healthy meals on the table this week is Core. Cooking support funded to teach you to cook for yourself is Capacity Building. Same kitchen, same activity, different purpose, different budget. This is true for a lot of supports, which is why it's worth asking your provider which budget they're claiming from and why.
Three questions to ask about your own plan
One: how much do I have in each budget? Two: which of my current supports comes out of which budget? Three: is anything in my plan going unused? Unused funding doesn't roll over, and consistently unspent budgets can shrink at review time.
If you'd like someone to walk your plan categories with you in plain English, that's literally what we do. Call 1300 095 012 or read more about how our support coordination works.
