NDIS Daily Living Support can help with everyday tasks when your disability makes them difficult or unsafe to manage on your own. Depending on your NDIS plan and individual needs, this may include personal care, cooking, cleaning, laundry and help with daily routines.

The NDIS generally funds the disability-related support you need to complete these activities, rather than ordinary expenses such as groceries, rent or household bills.

What is NDIS Daily Living Support?

NDIS Daily Living Support is a common way of describing help with everyday activities. In an NDIS plan, this type of support commonly sits under the Core Supports category called Assistance with Daily Life.

It can include practical help with activities such as cleaning, cooking, household tasks and personal care.

The level of assistance looks different for everyone.

You might need help getting ready in the morning but manage the rest of your day independently. Someone else may need regular assistance with preparing meals, cleaning or keeping up with household routines.

Support can also change over time as your needs, confidence or skills change.

What is included in NDIS daily living support?

Daily living assistance can cover a range of practical tasks when the support is related to your disability, fits your plan and meets current NDIS funding rules.

Common examples include:

Area of support	What it may include
Personal care	Showering, dressing, grooming, toileting and eating
Meal support	Meal planning, shopping support, cooking and preparing food
Household tasks	Cleaning, laundry and maintaining your home
Daily routines	Getting ready, organising tasks and creating structure
Skill development	Practising everyday tasks with support rather than having everything done for you

This type of NDIS assistance with daily life should be based on what you actually need help with, rather than a fixed list of tasks.

What can that look like in everyday life?

Suppose you can prepare breakfast independently but find using the stove difficult because of your disability.

You may not need someone to prepare every meal for you. A support worker could assist with the parts of cooking that are difficult or unsafe while you continue doing the parts you can manage yourself.

For another person, support might mean doing laundry together each week until the routine becomes easier to manage.

The aim is not to take over tasks you can do. Good support should provide the level of help that works for you.

What is not covered by NDIS daily living support?

The NDIS does not generally cover normal day-to-day expenses simply because they are part of daily life.

Participants are usually responsible for costs such as:

Groceries
Rent
Electricity, water and other utilities
Phone and internet bills
Standard household furniture and appliances
Other ordinary personal expenses

The difference is usually between the everyday expense itself and the disability-related assistance needed to complete an activity.

For example, a support worker may help you go grocery shopping because your disability makes shopping independently difficult.

The worker’s support time may be an NDIS support. The groceries you buy are normally your own expense.

The same principle can apply at home. Disability-related help with cleaning may be funded, while buying an ordinary vacuum cleaner or paying your electricity bill generally would not be.

There can be exceptions for eligible disability-specific supports, so check the current NDIS guidance on what can and cannot be funded before using your funding for something you are unsure about.

Can I use NDIS funding for personal care at home?

Yes. Personal care at home can be funded when you need the assistance because of your disability and it is appropriately included within your NDIS plan.

Support may include help with:

Showering
Dressing
Grooming
Toileting
Eating
Moving through parts of your daily routine

Your support does not have to look the same every day.

For example, you may only need help with showering in the morning but prefer to manage dressing and breakfast independently. Your support should reflect what you actually need rather than automatically covering the entire routine.

Can NDIS fund meal preparation and cooking?

Yes. The NDIS can fund help with meal planning, shopping and meal preparation when your disability means you cannot manage these tasks independently and the support meets the funding criteria.

A support worker might:

Help plan meals for the week
Support you while grocery shopping
Prepare ingredients
Cook alongside you
Help you build skills so you can do more yourself over time

Again, there is a difference between the support and the ordinary expense.

If your worker spends an hour helping you plan and cook dinner, their eligible support time may be funded. The chicken, vegetables and other groceries normally are not.

The NDIS provides more detail about eligible meal preparation and nutrition supports.

How much does NDIS daily living support cost per hour?

There is no single hourly price for every type of daily living support.

The amount can vary depending on the support being delivered, when it is provided, the level of assistance required and where you live.

The current NDIS Pricing Schedule provides guidance on appropriate and reasonable maximum prices for NDIS supports. Different amounts may apply depending on the support, location and when it is delivered.

Before starting services, check:

Which support item will be used
What your provider charges
Whether different rates apply in the evenings, on weekends or public holidays
What is included in your service agreement
Whether the agreed support fits your available funding

It is more useful to check the rate that applies to your specific support than rely on one general hourly figure.

What is the difference between Assistance with Daily Life and improved daily living NDIS?

Assistance with daily life is generally practical core support, while improved daily living is capacity-building support focused on developing skills and independence through eligible assessments, training and therapies.

They sound similar, but they serve different purposes.

Assistance with Daily Life	Improved Daily Living
Part of Core Supports	Part of Capacity Building
Practical everyday help	Builds functional skills and independence
May include cooking, cleaning and personal care	May include assessments, training and eligible therapies
Often delivered by a support worker	May involve professionals such as occupational therapists or speech therapists

For example, if you need someone to help you prepare dinner because of your disability, that may fall under NDIS assistance with daily living.

If you need an occupational therapist to assess your functional abilities and develop strategies for completing daily tasks more independently, improved daily living NDIS funding may be relevant.

You can check the NDIS explanation of Capacity Building Supports for more detail.

How do I know if my NDIS plan covers daily living assistance?

Start with the support budgets and categories listed in your plan.

Assistance with Daily Life sits within Core Supports, but not every participant receives funding for the same supports. NDIS plans are based on individual disability-related needs, goals and circumstances.

Before using the funding, ask:

Is the support related to my disability?
There should be a clear connection between the assistance and your disability-related needs.

Does it fit my plan?
Check your support categories, stated supports and how your funding can be used.

Is it an NDIS support?
Not everything that makes everyday life easier can automatically be purchased using NDIS funding.

Does the support help with my goals or independence?
Think about what the assistance allows you to do more safely, consistently or independently.

If anything is unclear, speak with your NDIS contact, support coordinator or plan manager before using the funding.

How do I choose daily living support in Adelaide?

Look beyond a provider’s service list.

A suitable NDIS provider in Adelaide should first understand what your day actually looks like and where you want assistance.

Before agreeing to support, consider asking:

Can I choose which tasks I receive help with?
Will I have a say in who supports me?
Can the support change as my needs change?
How will you charge my NDIS plan?
What happens if I become more independent with a task?
How do you match support workers with participants?

If you are comparing NDIS in-home support in Adelaide, these questions can help you work out whether the service will genuinely fit around your life rather than expecting you to fit around the service.

How can Soaring Together support everyday life at home?

At Soaring Together, we provide person-centred in-home support for people with disability across Adelaide. We take time to understand your routine, preferences and goals before deciding what support should look like.

That might mean preparing meals together, helping with personal care, supporting household tasks or adding more structure to your day.

It does not always mean doing everything for you.

Sometimes the right support is stepping in. Sometimes it is doing the task alongside you. And sometimes it is stepping back as you become more confident.

Our approach to NDIS assistance with daily life is built around giving you practical support while keeping you involved in the decisions that affect your day.

You can explore our in-home support services to see how our support can work around your routine, everyday tasks and individual goals.

If you are looking for an NDIS provider in Adelaide and want support that fits naturally around your routine, our team can talk through what you need and how you would like to be supported.

Get support that works around your day

Everyday support should make daily life more manageable without taking away your choices.

At Soaring Together, we work alongside you to understand where support would actually help, whether that is with meals, personal care, household tasks or building a steadier routine.

If your NDIS plan includes daily living assistance and you are looking for NDIS in-home support in Adelaide, get in touch with Soaring Together today to discuss your support needs and the next steps with our team.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does NDIS fund house cleaning?

It can. Cleaning may be funded when you need assistance because of your disability and the support fits your NDIS plan. Cleaning is commonly included within Assistance with Daily Life where it meets NDIS funding requirements.

Can NDIS pay for my groceries?

Usually, no. Groceries are generally considered an ordinary day-to-day living cost. The NDIS may fund eligible support with shopping or preparing meals, but you normally pay for the food itself.

Can a support worker help with laundry?

Yes, where the support is disability-related and appropriately funded. Household assistance can include tasks such as laundry when you are unable to complete them independently because of your disability.

Is NDIS assistance with daily living only provided at home?

A lot of daily living assistance happens at home, but the exact support will depend on the activity, your needs and your plan. Some everyday assistance may also involve tasks such as shopping or completing activities outside the home.

Do I need Improved Daily Living funding for a support worker?

Not necessarily. Practical everyday help from a support worker generally sits within Core Assistance with Daily Life, while improved daily living NDIS is a Capacity Building category used for eligible assessments, training and therapies.

Can my daily living support change over time?

Yes. Your needs may change as your circumstances, skills or goals change. The type of support you use should remain consistent with your current NDIS plan and available funding.