NDIS Assistance with Daily Life: Complete Guide 2026
Camila
Healthcare Expert
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Key Points
- Assistance with Daily Life is a Core Support category that funds hands-on help with personal care, household tasks, community nursing, and daily living activities
- The primary weekday daytime rate is $70.23/hour for standard supports and $75.98/hour for high intensity supports under the 2025-26 NDIS Price Guide
- Prices rose by 3.95% from July 2025, the largest increase in recent years, driven by superannuation increases and cost-of-living pressures
- Core Support budgets are flexible: you can generally move funds between Core categories without a formal plan amendment, with the exception of stated supports
- From 30 June 2025, most therapeutic disability-related health supports moved out of Core and into Capacity Building only; nursing care items remain in Core
- A major new planning framework begins from mid-2026, replacing the current approach with simpler flexible and stated funding types
What is Daily Life Support?
Assistance with Daily Life is one of four Core Support categories within the NDIS. It provides funding for the practical, hands-on help participants need to live safely and comfortably at home and in their community when their disability prevents them from managing those tasks independently.
This category is distinct from Improved Daily Living, which sits in Capacity Building and funds therapy, training, and skill development. Assistance with Daily Life addresses your current, ongoing practical needs rather than working toward future independence. Think of it this way: a support worker helping you shower each morning is Assistance with Daily Life; an occupational therapist teaching you a new technique so you can eventually shower with less help is Improved Daily Living.
The category covers a broad range of sub-categories: personal care, domestic assistance, meal preparation, community nursing, high intensity personal activities, supported independent living, short-term accommodation, and more. Each sub-category has its own support item codes, price limits, and eligibility considerations.
Understanding what falls under this category, and what does not, helps you plan your budget accurately, choose the right support items, and avoid disputes with providers or the NDIA over whether a particular service is funded.
For a broader overview of how Core Supports work as a whole, see our NDIS Core Supports guide.
Sub-Categories Explained
Assistance with Daily Life is not a single service type. It encompasses several distinct sub-categories, each with its own scope and funding rules.
| Sub-Category | What It Covers | Key Registration Group |
|---|---|---|
| Personal Care (Self-Care Activities) | Showering, dressing, toileting, grooming, eating assistance, transfers | 0107 |
| Domestic Assistance | Cleaning, laundry, meal prep, grocery shopping | 0107 |
| High Intensity Daily Personal Activities | Personal care for participants with complex medical or behavioural needs | 0104 |
| Community Nursing | Clinical nursing care delivered in the home | 0115 |
| Supported Independent Living (SIL) | 24/7 or regular support in shared or individual accommodation | 0115 |
| Short Term Accommodation (STA) | Respite care away from your usual home | 0115 |
| Medium Term Accommodation (MTA) | Temporary housing while awaiting long-term solutions | 0115 |
| Individualised Living Options (ILO) | Flexible, self-directed living arrangements | 0115 |
Each sub-category has its own line items. Claiming the correct code for the service actually delivered is important for compliance and for ensuring your budget is spent accurately.
Personal Care: What’s Included
Personal care, sometimes called self-care activities, is the most commonly used part of this category. It covers any hands-on assistance your support worker provides with tasks directly related to your body and personal hygiene.
Activities covered under personal care
- Showering and bathing: Full shower or bath assistance, hair washing and drying, skin care
- Dressing and undressing: Putting on and removing clothing, fastening buttons or zips, selecting appropriate clothing for the weather or occasion
- Toileting: Assistance using the toilet, continence management, pad changes
- Grooming: Shaving, hair brushing, nail care, oral hygiene
- Eating and drinking: Meal assistance, feeding support, supervision during meals for participants with swallowing difficulties
- Mobility and transfers: Assisting you from bed to chair, repositioning to prevent pressure injuries, walking assistance
- Medication prompting: Reminders and prompting to take medication (note: clinical administration by a nurse is a separate item)
What personal care does not include
Personal care funding covers the worker’s time only. It does not cover the cost of toiletries, clothing, or personal products. Those items may be funded through your Consumables budget if they are disability-specific.
A support worker can prompt you to take your medication but cannot administer injections or perform clinical procedures under the standard personal care items. Clinical tasks require a registered nurse or a support worker with specialist training, billed under high intensity items or community nursing codes.
Household Tasks: What’s Covered
Domestic assistance covers help with maintaining your home. The NDIS funds the support worker’s time to assist with these tasks, not the cost of cleaning products, groceries, or garden supplies.
Common household tasks funded
- General house cleaning: vacuuming, mopping, wiping down surfaces, cleaning bathrooms and kitchens
- Laundry: washing, drying, ironing, folding, and putting away clothes and linen
- Meal preparation: cooking, following dietary requirements, preparing food safely for participants with specific needs
- Grocery shopping: accompanying you to the shops or shopping on your behalf
- Light garden maintenance: lawn mowing, weeding, basic yard tidying to keep the space safe and accessible
- Taking out rubbish and recycling
- Changing bed linen
What household tasks does not include
The NDIS distinguishes between disability-related household tasks and general home maintenance. Structural repairs, replacing appliances, painting, or major garden landscaping are not covered. Home modifications that are physical changes to the property fall under a separate funding category.
Groceries and cleaning products are not funded. If a support worker shops for you, they use your money for the groceries themselves; NDIS funds only their time.
For more detail on what the NDIS funds for in-home support, visit our household tasks services page.
Line Items and 2025-26 Rates
The NDIS Pricing Arrangements and Price Limits 2025-26 v1.1 (effective 24 November 2025) sets the maximum amounts providers can charge. Registered providers must charge at or below these limits. Plan-managed and self-managed participants can negotiate lower rates with unregistered providers.
Registration Group 0107: Daily Personal Activities
These are the standard support items used for personal care and domestic assistance.
| Line Item Code | Description | Price Limit |
|---|---|---|
| 01_011_0107_1_1 | Assistance with Self-Care: Weekday Daytime | $70.23/hr |
| 01_012_0107_1_1 | Assistance with Self-Care: Weekday Evening | $77.33/hr |
| 01_013_0107_1_1 | Assistance with Self-Care: Saturday | $98.83/hr |
| 01_014_0107_1_1 | Assistance with Self-Care: Sunday | $127.43/hr |
| 01_015_0107_1_1 | Assistance with Self-Care: Public Holiday | $155.50/hr |
| 01_019_0107_1_1 | Assistance with Daily Personal Activities Level 2 | $70.23/hr |
| 01_020_0107_1_1 | Night-Time Sleepover Support | $297.60/night |
Registration Group 0104: High Intensity Daily Personal Activities
These items apply when supports require specialist skills, such as complex bowel care, tracheostomy management, or behaviour support during personal care.
| Line Item Code | Description | Price Limit |
|---|---|---|
| 01_400_0104_1_1 | High Intensity Self-Care: Weekday Daytime | $75.98/hr |
| 01_401_0104_1_1 | High Intensity Self-Care: Weekday Evening | $83.72/hr |
| 01_405_0104_1_1 | High Intensity Self-Care: Weekday Night | $85.27/hr |
| 01_402_0104_1_1 | High Intensity Self-Care: Saturday | $106.59/hr |
| 01_403_0104_1_1 | High Intensity Self-Care: Sunday | $137.35/hr |
| 01_404_0104_1_1 | High Intensity Self-Care: Public Holiday | $168.05/hr |
Additional Charges
| Item | Rate |
|---|---|
| Provider travel (km) | $0.99/km |
| Provider travel (time) | Billable at applicable support rate |
| Short notice cancellation | Up to 100% of session cost |
| NDIA-requested reports | $70.23/hr |
These are maximum limits. Rates in remote areas (Modified Monash Model 6) are approximately 40% higher, and very remote areas (MMM 7) approximately 50% higher.
For the full pricing document, see the NDIS Pricing Arrangements page.
High Intensity Supports
High intensity daily personal activities apply when a participant’s care needs go beyond what a standard support worker can safely manage. These items carry higher rates because providers must ensure workers have specialist training or that a registered nurse supervises the support.
Who qualifies for high intensity supports?
High intensity supports are appropriate when your care involves:
- Complex bowel care, catheter management, or stoma care
- Tracheostomy management or suctioning
- Ventilator and respiratory support
- PEG (percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy) feeding
- Subcutaneous injections or insulin management
- Wound care and dressing changes
- Mealtime management for severe dysphagia (swallowing difficulties)
- Behaviours of concern requiring specialist intervention during personal care
How to access high intensity funding
High intensity items are not automatically included in every plan. You will generally need allied health evidence, such as a report from a registered nurse, occupational therapist, or speech pathologist, that documents the clinical complexity of your needs and why standard support worker rates are insufficient.
If you believe you need high intensity supports but they are not in your current plan, this is a strong basis for requesting a plan review. Gather clinical reports and speak with your Local Area Coordinator or Support Coordinator before making the request.
Community Nursing
Community nursing falls within the Assistance with Daily Life category and covers visits from registered nurses (RNs) or enrolled nurses (ENs) to your home for clinical care related to your disability.
Nursing care items remained in Core Supports even after the broader disability-related health supports changes from 30 June 2025 (see the 2026 changes section below for context).
Nursing supports can include:
- Assessment and care planning
- Complex wound management
- Catheter and stoma management
- Medication administration, including injections
- Diabetes management and monitoring
- Post-surgical care in the home
- Training support workers in clinical procedures
Community nursing is a stated support in most plans, meaning you cannot transfer unused nursing funds to other Core categories. It must be used for the specific nursing purpose it was allocated for.
How Funding Works
The way your Assistance with Daily Life budget is managed affects which providers you can use and how much flexibility you have over rates.
NDIA-managed (agency-managed)
The NDIA pays registered providers directly from your plan. You must use a registered NDIS provider. Providers must charge at or below the price limits in the NDIS Pricing Arrangements. This option offers the least administrative burden on the participant but restricts provider choice.
Plan-managed
A plan manager (a registered NDIS provider specialising in financial administration) pays providers on your behalf. You can use both registered and unregistered providers. Unregistered providers can sometimes offer lower rates or more specialised services that registered providers do not. You still have a budget limit, but you have broader provider choice within that budget.
Self-managed
You pay providers directly and claim reimbursement from the NDIA, or arrange direct payment authority. You have the most flexibility: you can hire unregistered providers, negotiate rates, and even engage an individual support worker directly. Self-managed participants carry more responsibility for record-keeping and ensuring the supports they purchase are NDIS-compliant.
| Feature | NDIA-Managed | Plan-Managed | Self-Managed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Provider choice | Registered only | Registered and unregistered | Any provider |
| Price limits apply | Yes, strictly | Yes, budget limit applies | More flexible negotiation |
| Admin burden on participant | Low | Low | Higher |
| Flexibility | Least | Middle | Most |
| Who pays providers | NDIA directly | Plan manager | You claim reimbursement |
If you are unsure which management type suits your situation, speak with your Local Area Coordinator or a Support Coordinator before your next plan meeting.
Core Support Budget Flexibility
One of the most useful features of Assistance with Daily Life funding is that Core Support budgets are generally flexible between categories. This means:
- Unused Assistance with Daily Life funds can be redirected to Transport or Assistance with Social and Community Participation
- If you spend less on household tasks one month, you can use that money toward extra personal care hours
- You do not need a formal plan amendment to move funds within Core (except for stated supports)
What is a stated support?
Some supports in your plan are “stated,” meaning they are locked to a specific purpose. Supported Independent Living (SIL) is the most common example. The dollar amount in your plan for SIL cannot be redirected to personal care or household tasks. Medium Term Accommodation and Short Term Accommodation are also typically stated.
If your plan has a mix of flexible Core funds and stated supports, your NDIS portal or plan manager can help you identify which portion is flexible.
For more on how Core Support flexibility works alongside community participation funding, see our NDIS Social and Community Participation guide.
2026 Changes You Need to Know
Several significant changes are affecting Assistance with Daily Life participants from 2025 through 2026.
Disability-related health supports moved out of Core
From 30 June 2025, most therapeutic disability-related health supports (DRHS) were removed from the Core Support category. Since 2019, these supports could be claimed from either Core or Capacity Building. That arrangement has ended.
If you previously used Core Support funds for therapy-style disability health supports, you now need Capacity Building funding to access them. Community nursing items and low-cost assistive technology for health needs remain in Core. Therapeutic supports like physiotherapy, occupational therapy, and speech therapy must now come from Capacity Building.
If your plan was written before this change and you are running low on Capacity Building funding as a result, a plan review is appropriate. Bring evidence of your ongoing needs.
New framework planning from mid-2026
The NDIS planning process is changing from mid-2026, with a phased rollout beginning for participants over 16. The new framework replaces the current approach with two simpler funding types:
- Flexible funding: Money you can use across any NDIS-approved supports (similar to the current flexible Core budget)
- Stated funding: Money designated for specific supports from qualified providers (similar to how stated supports work now)
Plans under the new framework will cover longer periods, reducing the frequency of scheduled plan reviews. The transition will be gradual; many participants will not experience changes immediately. The NDIS will contact participants when their plan is due to transition.
23 new intensive behaviour support items
The NDIS added 23 new intensive behaviour support items and removed 35 legacy items as part of a broader overhaul. If you access behaviour support during personal care or daily activities, check with your support coordinator that your current line items are still valid and have not been replaced by updated codes.
Getting More Funding
If your Assistance with Daily Life budget does not cover your actual needs, you have options. A plan review is the formal process for requesting changes to your NDIS plan.
Grounds for requesting a plan review
- Your disability support needs have increased due to a health change or ageing
- You are consistently exhausting your Core budget before the plan period ends
- Your living situation has changed (for example, a carer is no longer available)
- You have moved to a new area where provider costs are higher
- You have been assessed as needing high intensity supports not currently in your plan
- You need supports that were previously funded under disability-related health supports but are now in a different category
Evidence that strengthens a review request
| Evidence Type | What It Shows |
|---|---|
| Functional assessment (OT, physio) | Which tasks you cannot safely do independently |
| Medical reports from your GP or specialist | How your disability affects daily living capacity |
| Support worker or agency records | Actual hours and support types used |
| Incident reports | Safety risks when adequate support is not available |
| Carer impact statements | How your disability affects those who support you informally |
| Quotes from providers | Real cost of the support you need |
Request a review through your myNDIS portal, or contact the NDIA directly. If you have a Support Coordinator, involve them in preparing the evidence and submitting the request.
Eligibility and What’s Not Covered
To receive Assistance with Daily Life in your NDIS plan, the support must meet the NDIS “reasonable and necessary” criteria. The NDIA considers whether the support:
- Is related to your disability (not a general living expense everyone pays for)
- Helps you pursue your NDIS goals
- Represents value for money compared to alternatives
- Is effective and appropriate for your needs
- Does not duplicate what another system (health, education) should provide
What NDIS does not fund
The NDIS does not fund supports that are the responsibility of other systems, general costs of living that all Australians pay, or supports unrelated to your disability. For Assistance with Daily Life, this means:
- Groceries and food costs (only the worker’s time is funded)
- Cleaning products and toiletries (check Consumables for disability-specific items)
- Home maintenance repairs (covered by insurance or landlords)
- General gardening beyond what is needed for safety and accessibility
Frequently Asked Questions
Can family members be paid to provide daily life support?
Yes, with conditions. A family member can be paid to provide support if they meet the same worker screening and training requirements as other support workers, the NDIA approves the arrangement in your plan, and the support is not something they would provide as part of normal family duties. Self-managed participants have more flexibility to engage family members. The arrangement must be genuinely disability-support focused and not simply replacing unpaid care the family member was already providing.
What is the difference between personal care and domestic assistance?
Personal care involves hands-on assistance with your body: showering, dressing, toileting, grooming, and eating. Domestic assistance involves help with maintaining your home: cleaning, cooking, laundry, and garden tasks. Both fall under Assistance with Daily Life but may use different line item codes. Personal care generally uses codes from Registration Group 0107, while domestic tasks may use 01_019_0107_1_1 or similar domestic activity codes.
Can I use Assistance with Daily Life funding for meal delivery?
Meal preparation is funded, meaning a support worker can spend time cooking for you. The cost of a commercial meal delivery service may also be funded if the NDIA determines it is more cost-effective than a support worker preparing meals and the cost is included in or covered by your Core budget. You cannot claim the cost of food itself; only the service or preparation time is funded.
How many hours of daily support can I get?
There is no fixed maximum. Your funding is based on your individual functional capacity, your NDIS goals, and what the NDIA considers reasonable and necessary for your situation. Participants with higher support needs, such as those requiring 24/7 care through Supported Independent Living, can receive substantial hours. Those with lighter needs may receive a few hours per week. Your assessment evidence and functional capacity report are the primary determinants.
What if I run out of Assistance with Daily Life funding mid-plan?
First, check whether you can redirect unused funds from another flexible Core category such as Transport or Community Participation. If you have genuinely exhausted your budget due to increased needs, you can request an unscheduled plan review. Document the specific change in circumstances that led to the shortfall and gather evidence from your support providers before contacting the NDIA.
Can I use this category for overnight or 24-hour support?
Yes. The sleepover support item (01_020_0107_1_1) covers an overnight worker at $297.60 per night. For participants who need active support during the night rather than just a sleepover presence, active night support items are billed at the standard hourly rate. For continuous 24/7 support, Supported Independent Living (SIL) is the appropriate funding type within this category.
Does the 3.95% price increase affect what I receive?
The 3.95% price increase from July 2025 raised the maximum amount providers can charge. If your plan was written before July 2025, your budget may not fully reflect the new rates, meaning your existing allocation could buy fewer hours than it did previously. This is a legitimate basis for requesting a plan review if you can demonstrate that your support hours have been reduced as a result. Your plan manager or Support Coordinator can help you calculate the impact.
What is the difference between SIL and ILO?
Supported Independent Living (SIL) is funded support provided in a specific home, often shared with other participants. The support is attached to the property. Individualised Living Options (ILO) is a newer, more flexible model where funding follows the person rather than the property. ILO allows participants to design their own living arrangement with a mix of host arrangements, co-residency, or support workers, giving more control over who provides support and how. Both are funded under Assistance with Daily Life.
The Four Core Categories
Assistance with Daily Life sits alongside three other Core Support categories. Understanding how they relate helps you make the most of your overall Core budget.
| Category | Purpose | Typical Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Assistance with Daily Life | Personal care, household tasks, accommodation support | Support worker, SIL, community nursing |
| Consumables | Everyday disability-related items | Continence products, low-cost AT |
| Assistance with Social and Community Participation | Community access, social activities | Going to the gym, community events |
| Transport | Getting to activities and appointments | Taxi costs, mileage |
Most Core Support budgets are flexible across these categories. Stated supports within any category are the exception.
Choosing the Right Provider
When selecting a provider for Assistance with Daily Life supports, consider the following.
Practical questions to ask before engaging a provider
- What are your hourly rates, and do you charge below the NDIS price limit?
- What is your cancellation policy, and how much notice do I need to give?
- How do you match support workers to participants based on needs and preferences?
- What training do your workers hold, and are they screened with the NDIS Worker Screening Check?
- Do you have experience supporting participants with my specific disability or health condition?
- Can you provide references from current participants?
- How do you handle complaints, and what is your escalation process?
What good providers do
Reputable Assistance with Daily Life providers will conduct an intake assessment to understand your needs, provide a written service agreement before supports begin, use a consistent pool of workers to maintain continuity of care, communicate proactively about any changes to your scheduled supports, and keep records you can access for your own budgeting and compliance purposes.
Key Resources
Official NDIS resources
- NDIS Pricing Arrangements 2025-26: The authoritative source for all price limits and line item codes
- Supports Funded by the NDIS: Official guidance on what the NDIS does and does not fund
MD Home Care guides and tools
- NDIS Core Supports Explained: How all four Core categories work together
- NDIS Social and Community Participation Guide: The Core category most often used alongside daily life supports
- Personal Care Services: MD Home Care’s personal care provider network
- Household Tasks Services: Domestic assistance providers in the network
- NDIS Price Guide Tool: Look up current rates for any line item code
Find Daily Life Support
MD Home Care connects participants with providers offering comprehensive Assistance with Daily Life supports across Sydney, Melbourne, and surrounding regions.
Providers in the MD Home Care network offer:
- Personal care: Showering, dressing, grooming, and toileting assistance
- Domestic support: Cleaning, cooking, laundry, and household management
- Meal preparation: Cooking to dietary requirements, including modified texture diets
- Complex and high intensity care: Nursing-supervised support for clinical daily living needs
- SIL services: 24/7 supported independent living arrangements
- Respite and STA: Short-term accommodation and carer relief
All providers feature support workers with current NDIS Worker Screening Checks, training in person-centred care, cultural and language matching, and Registered Nurse oversight for complex needs.
Browse providers today to find Assistance with Daily Life support, or call 1800 953 253 to speak with someone about the MD Home Care network.
You can also find providers for specific assistive technology that supports daily living, including daily living and kitchen aids, personal emergency alarms, and home modifications.
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