Personal care support changes the way people with disabilities live their daily lives. Under the National Disability Insurance Scheme, participants get funding to cover the hands-on help they need, from getting dressed in the morning to managing health routines. For many Australians, this kind of support is the difference between living independently and relying entirely on family.
We work with people across Adelaide who are trying to understand their plan and how personal care support fits into it. Knowing exactly what this support is and how it works helps participants make better decisions from the start.
This guide explains what NDIS personal care support is, how it gets funded, who qualifies, and what it covers in practice, so you have everything you need in one place.
What Is NDIS Personal Care Support Under the National Disability Insurance Scheme?
NDIS personal care support is funded assistance that helps participants manage their daily self-care tasks, things like showering, dressing, grooming, and eating, that become difficult due to a permanent or significant disability. The scheme is governed by the National Disability Insurance Scheme Act 2013 and administered by the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA). Personal care sits under Core Supports, meaning it covers the everyday help a participant needs to live safely and with dignity.
To receive this support, it must be listed in the participant’s NDIS plan and meet the “reasonable and necessary” criteria set by the NDIA. The NDIA makes funding decisions based on the NDIS Act and its operational guidelines, taking into account informal supports already available through family, carers, or community networks. This means the support must directly relate to the participant’s disability and cannot duplicate services already covered by health or other government systems.
How Does the National Disability Insurance Agency Fund Personal Care Support?
The NDIA funds personal care through the Core Supports budget inside every approved NDIS plan. This budget sits under the Daily Activities category and covers hands-on assistance that directly relates to a participant’s disability. To access this funding, the support must meet the “reasonable and necessary” criteria set out in the National Disability Insurance Scheme Act 2013.
After plan approval, the funding management type determines how participants access providers. Agency-managed participants use registered providers only. Plan-managed participants get a broader provider choice through a financial intermediary. Self-managed participants control their own funds and can hire registered or non-registered support workers directly, giving them the most flexibility.
Core Supports funding stays flexible across Daily Activities, Consumables, Transport, and Community Participation, as long as the management type stays consistent across those categories. This means personal care funding can shift between categories as a participant’s needs change, without requiring a full plan review.
What Types of Assistance Are Included in NDIS Personal Care Support?
NDIS personal care support covers three core areas: daily living activities, health-related personal support, and community participation. This includes assistance with showering, dressing, oral hygiene, meal preparation, and personal mobility, all delivered to help participants live as independently as possible.
Daily Living Activities
Personal care under this category covers personal hygiene tasks including showering, bathing, oral hygiene, dressing, grooming, toileting, bladder and bowel management, and menstrual care. National Disability Insurance Scheme support workers assist participants with these tasks at home, in the community, or during social and recreational activities. Assistance with daily personal activities is generally limited to 6 hours per day, though the NDIA may fund higher levels where high care needs, medical conditions, or two-person transfers are required. National Disability Insurance Scheme
Health-Related Personal Support
Health-related personal support covers medication prompts, mobility transfers, and mealtime assistance. Support workers can assist with subcutaneous injections, tracheostomy care, enteral feeding, and safe transfers between bed, wheelchair, shower, and toilet using the correct equipment and manual-handling plans. These supports require trained workers and must follow provider policy, with complex clinical tasks reserved for enrolled or registered nurses.
Community Participation Support Part of Personal Care
Community participation support covers the personal care a participant needs to take part in life outside the home. NDIS funding covers personal care in community settings when it is disability-related and required for the participant to take part in activities, including managing toileting, feeding, or medication prompts at work, TAFE, or day options. Health Direct Support workers also assist with preparing for appointments, travel logistics, and building consistent daily routines that carry across home and community settings.
Who Is Eligible for NDIS Personal Care Support?
To access NDIS personal care support, a person must meet four core requirements: be under 65 years of age at the time of first application, hold Australian citizenship, a permanent visa, or a Protected Special Category Visa, have a permanent and significant disability, and meet either the disability or early intervention criteria. The disability must substantially reduce a person’s ability to manage self-care, communication, mobility, or daily living tasks.
To be eligible, a participant must meet all of the following:
- The impairment must be permanent, meaning it is not expected to improve significantly over time.
- The disability must directly affect the person’s ability to complete personal care tasks without support
- The requested support must relate to the participant’s impairment, help with their individual goals, and assist their social or economic participation.
- The impairment may be intellectual, cognitive, neurological, sensory, physical, or psychosocial.
Personal care funding also applies under the early intervention pathway. This pathway covers people who may not yet need extensive support but could benefit from assistance now to reduce their long-term need for care. National Disability Insurance Scheme For children under seven, the Early Childhood Early Intervention pathway applies instead of a standard NDIS plan.
Is NDIS Personal Care Funded Under Core Supports?
Yes, NDIS personal care is funded directly under the Core Supports budget, inside the Daily Activities category. Core Supports cover four categories: Daily Activities, Consumables, Assistance with Social and Community Participation, and Transport. Personal care sits under daily activities, making it one of the most commonly approved supports across all participant plans.
To access this funding, the support must be reasonable and necessary and directly relate to the participant’s disability. From October 2024, the NDIA introduced formal support lists that define exactly what core funding can and cannot purchase, giving participants clearer guidance on approved personal care expenses.
What Is the Purpose of NDIS Personal Care Support?
NDIS personal care support exists to help participants manage their daily routine safely, with dignity and independence. The NDIS funds support across education, employment, social participation, independence, living arrangements, and health and wellbeing, all guided by the reasonable and necessary criteria in the National Disability Insurance Scheme Act 2013. National Disability Insurance Scheme Personal care sits at the centre of this, covering the everyday tasks that disability makes difficult.
Beyond physical assistance, a structured personal care routine builds confidence, stabilises daily life, and gives family caregivers meaningful relief. For participants in Adelaide and across Australia, this support creates the foundation for a more connected and self-directed life.
What Safeguards Protect Participants Receiving Personal Care?
Several legal and regulatory safeguards protect every participant receiving personal care under the NDIS. The NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission is an independent agency responsible for managing complaints about NDIS providers, improving the quality and safety of supports and services, regulating providers and workers, and leading education and capacity building across the sector. These protections apply to every registered provider delivering personal care across Adelaide and all of Australia.
Participants are protected through the following safeguards:
- NDIS Worker Screening Check: Registered NDIS providers must ensure workers in certain roles hold a valid NDIS Worker Screening clearance before delivering personal care. Unregistered providers and self-managed participants can also request this check directly.
- NDIS Code of Conduct: All providers and workers must follow the Code of Conduct, which sets clear standards around safe, respectful, and ethical service delivery.
- Complaints process: Participants and their families can contact the NDIS Commission directly if they feel unsafe or unhappy with their services or are unsure about the quality of their supports.
- Plan safeguards: The NDIA planner works with the participant to identify risks and build safeguards directly into the plan, including plan management options and access to a Local Area Coordinator for ongoing monitoring.
- NDIS Practice Standards: Registered providers must meet the NDIS Practice Standards, which set minimum requirements for safe and quality personal care delivery.
What Are Common Questions About NDIS Personal Care Support?
Participants and families across Australia regularly ask the same questions about personal care support. The four most common ones are answered directly below, covering daily availability, family carers, children, and overnight support.
Is Personal Care Available Every Day?
Yes, personal care support can be funded seven days a week. The frequency depends on what the participant’s approved NDIS plan lists as reasonable and necessary.
Can Family Provide Paid Personal Care?
Family members can provide paid personal care in limited circumstances. The NDIA considers what is reasonable to expect from families and informal networks before approving paid family support.
Is It Available for Children?
Personal care is available for children whose disability support needs go beyond what is typical for their age, as assessed by the National Museum of Australia through the Early Childhood Early Intervention pathway.
Is Overnight Support Included?
Overnight personal care support is available through Short Term Respite, covering daily living assistance, including help getting ready and undertaking everyday activities during the stay.