Your plan letter can be confusing. Here's how to understand your Core and Capacity Building budgets and what each section means.
When the NDIS approves your plan, you receive a plan letter — officially called a Statement of Participant Supports. This document sets out the funding you have been allocated for the year and which supports it covers. It is the starting point for all of your NDIS budgeting and planning.
The letter can be several pages long and is written in language that is not always easy to follow. But once you know what to look for, it becomes much more straightforward. The main thing you need to find is your budget amounts and the categories they belong to.
Core Supports is usually the largest part of your plan. It covers your everyday supports — the things you need to get through the day and participate in your community. This budget is the most flexible one in your plan, because money can generally be moved between most Core categories (with some exceptions).
Core Supports is made up of four categories:
In your plan letter, you will see these as separate line items with dollar amounts next to each. Some participants have all four; others only have one or two depending on their needs.
Tip: When you use NDIS Support Planner, you enter the Core Supports amount from your plan letter. If your plan breaks Core into categories, enter each one separately under the relevant budget type.
Capacity Building Supports fund therapies and services designed to help you become more independent over time. Unlike Core Supports, these funds are tied to specific therapy categories. Money cannot be moved between Capacity Building categories — what is allocated to Occupational Therapy can only be spent on Occupational Therapy.
Common Capacity Building categories include:
Each of these will appear in your plan letter with its own dollar amount. You only receive funding for the categories your plan includes.
To use a planning tool like NDIS Support Planner, you need the dollar amounts from each budget category. Here is where to find them:
If your plan is managed by the NDIA (agency-managed), your funding is held and managed by the NDIS. If your plan is plan-managed or self-managed, you or your plan manager handle the payments. The funding amounts in your letter are the same regardless of management type.
Not sure about your management type? It will be listed in your plan letter under "How your funding is managed." You can also check the myNDIS app or contact your LAC or Support Coordinator.
Once you have your budget amounts and know which categories they belong to, you can start planning how to use them. NDIS Support Planner lets you enter your funding, choose the supports you use, and see instantly whether your budget will cover your needs for the year.
It uses the official NDIS Pricing Arrangements for hourly rates, so you do not need to look up individual prices. Just enter your budget, choose your supports, and the tool does the rest.
Enter your budget from your plan letter and see your projection in minutes. No account needed to get started.
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