Daily Living Supports: A Practical Guide for NDIS Participants

Daily living supports under the NDIS help you manage everyday tasks that your disability makes difficult or impossible to do independently. They can cover personal care, help around the home, meal preparation, and support to get out into your community. If you have funding in the Assistance with Daily Life budget category, you can use it to engage a support worker or disability service provider to deliver these supports. This guide explains exactly what is included, how the funding works, how to choose a provider, and what warning signs to watch for.

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What are daily living supports under the NDIS?

Daily living supports sit primarily within the Assistance with Daily Life (ADL) support category in your NDIS plan. This is one of the most commonly funded categories in Australia, and it covers a wide range of tasks that relate to your day-to-day functioning at home and in the community.

What does Assistance with Daily Life actually include?

The NDIS funds supports that are reasonable and necessary for your disability-related needs. Under Assistance with Daily Life, that can include:

• Personal care - showering, dressing, grooming and toileting
• Meal preparation and eating assistance
• Household tasks such as cleaning, laundry and basic home maintenance
• Overnight or 24-hour support, including sleepover assistance
• Support in a shared living arrangement
• Community access support to help you participate in social, recreational or civic activities
• Short-term accommodation and assistance (respite)
• Support with managing daily routines and building independence

It is worth noting that daily living supports are distinct from allied health therapies (which sit under Improved Living Arrangements or Capacity Building budgets) and from assistive technology. If you are unsure which budget category applies to a specific support, your support coordinator or the NDIA can clarify this.

What daily living supports do NOT cover

The NDIS does not fund supports that are not related to your disability, or that it considers the responsibility of another government system. Common exclusions include:

• Household costs that any person would have regardless of disability (for example, general groceries)
• Supports that are the responsibility of the health system
• Day-to-day living costs not linked to your disability needs

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Who pays for daily living supports?

Your NDIS plan funds daily living supports, not OpenWay or any marketplace. The funding sits in your plan under the relevant support category, and you use it to pay a registered or, in some cases, unregistered provider directly.

How plan management affects your choices

How your plan is managed determines which providers you can access:

1. Agency-managed: The NDIA pays providers directly from your plan. You must use NDIS-registered providers only.
2. Plan-managed: A registered plan manager handles payments on your behalf. You can use both registered and unregistered providers, which broadens your choice significantly.
3. Self-managed: You manage your own funds and pay providers directly. You have the most flexibility, including using unregistered providers, and you are responsible for keeping records.

If you are not sure how your plan is managed, check your plan document or ask your support coordinator. Participants and families can also find guidance on how the NDIS works on the OpenWay for-individuals page.

Pricing and the NDIS Pricing Arrangements

Under the NDIS Pricing Arrangements and Price Limits (formerly called the Price Guide), there are maximum hourly rates that providers can charge for daily living supports. These rates vary depending on:

• The time of day and day of the week (weekday, evening, Saturday, Sunday, public holiday)
• The ratio of support workers to participants (1:1 or group support)
• Whether the support involves a higher intensity or complex need

Providers cannot charge more than these price limits if you are agency-managed or plan-managed. Self-managed participants can negotiate rates, though many providers still use the published limits as a benchmark. Always ask a provider to confirm their exact rates before signing a service agreement.

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How to choose a daily living provider

Choosing the right provider is one of the most important decisions you will make as an NDIS participant. A good match can genuinely improve your quality of life; a poor one can cause stress, inconsistency and wasted funding.

Step 1: Get clear on what you actually need

Before you start comparing providers, write down exactly what support you need and when. Consider:

• Which tasks do you need help with, and how often?
• Do you need support at specific times (early mornings, evenings, weekends)?
• Do you have preferences around the gender, language or cultural background of your support worker?
• Do you have complex support needs that require experienced or specialist staff?
• Is location important, or are you comfortable with a provider that travels to you?

Having this list ready makes it much easier to ask the right questions when you speak to providers.

Step 2: Check registration and safety credentials

If your plan is agency-managed, you must use NDIS-registered providers. Even if you have more flexibility, registration is a useful quality signal. Registered providers must meet the NDIS Practice Standards and are audited by the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission. All providers - registered or not - must ensure their workers hold a current NDIS Worker Screening Check.

You can read about how OpenWay approaches trust and safety for listed providers to understand what verification steps are applied to profiles on the platform.

Step 3: Compare providers and ask good questions

Once you have a shortlist, contact each provider and ask:

• How do you match participants with support workers?
• What happens if my regular worker is sick or on leave?
• How do you handle complaints or concerns?
• Can I meet a potential support worker before committing?
• What is your cancellation policy?
• Do you have experience supporting people with my specific disability or condition?

A provider that answers these questions openly and without rushing you is a good sign. One that is vague, dismissive or pushes you to sign quickly is worth approaching with caution.

Step 4: Review the service agreement carefully

Before any support starts, your provider must give you a written service agreement. This document sets out the supports to be delivered, the rates charged, cancellation terms and how disputes will be handled. Read it carefully, and do not feel pressured to sign on the spot. If something is unclear, ask for an explanation or seek independent advice.

Support coordinators using OpenWay can shortlist providers and share options with participants directly from the coordinator workspace, which can make this comparison process much faster.

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Red flags to watch for when choosing a provider

Most NDIS providers are doing the right thing, but it pays to know what to look out for.

• Pressure to sign quickly: Legitimate providers give you time to consider your options. Urgency tactics are a warning sign.
• Vague or verbal-only agreements: Everything should be in writing. If a provider is reluctant to provide a written service agreement, walk away.
• No worker screening: Every support worker must have a valid NDIS Worker Screening Check. Ask to see evidence if you are unsure.
• Billing for services not delivered: Check your statements regularly. If you notice charges for sessions that did not happen, raise it with your plan manager or the NDIA immediately.
• Discouraging you from seeking other opinions: You have the right to get multiple quotes and to change providers. Any provider that discourages this is not acting in your best interest.
• Offering to manage your plan funds themselves: Providers should not offer to manage your NDIS funds unless they are a separately registered plan management provider. This is a potential fraud risk.

If you have concerns about a provider's conduct, you can report them to the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission, which oversees provider compliance across Australia.

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Building a good working relationship with your provider

Finding a provider is just the beginning. The day-to-day relationship matters enormously.

Be clear about your goals and preferences from the start. Share your NDIS goals with your provider so they understand the bigger picture, not just the individual tasks. Review the arrangement regularly - many participants do a formal review every three to six months to check whether the supports are still meeting their needs.

If something is not working, raise it early. Most issues can be resolved through a direct conversation. If the provider is unresponsive or the problem continues, you have every right to end the service agreement (subject to the notice period in your agreement) and find a new provider.

Remember that you are the customer. The NDIS is designed around participant choice and control, and that principle should be reflected in every interaction with your provider.

You can browse NDIS providers across Australia on the OpenWay provider directory to compare options in your area before reaching out.

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Frequently asked

Can I use daily living funding to pay a family member to support me?

In some circumstances, yes. The NDIS does allow family members or friends to be paid as support workers, but there are conditions. The support must be reasonable and necessary, the person must hold a valid NDIS Worker Screening Check, and the arrangement must be approved. Agency-managed participants face stricter rules around this than self-managed participants. The NDIA assesses these situations case by case, so it is worth speaking with your support coordinator or the NDIA directly.

What if I need more daily living support than my plan covers?

If your funded supports are not meeting your needs, you can request a plan review. Gather evidence - such as reports from your support coordinator, allied health professionals or your provider - that demonstrates why additional funding is needed. The NDIA will consider this evidence when reviewing your plan. Do not wait until your scheduled plan review if your needs change significantly before then; you can request an unscheduled review at any time.

Do I have to use the same provider for all my daily living supports?

No. You can use different providers for different supports within the same budget category. For example, you might use one provider for personal care and a different one for household tasks. Having multiple providers can give you more flexibility, though it does require a bit more coordination. Your support coordinator can help you manage relationships with multiple providers if this becomes complex.

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How OpenWay can help

Finding the right daily living provider takes time, especially when you are trying to compare multiple options across different suburbs or regions. OpenWay is a free-to-use marketplace for NDIS participants, families and support coordinators that lets you browse provider profiles, filter by support type and location, and send enquiries - all in one place.

If you are a support coordinator, the OpenWay coordinator workspace is designed to help you shortlist providers efficiently, share options with participants, and keep track of enquiries without the usual back-and-forth.

Participants and families can browse NDIS daily living providers across Australia at no cost. There is no obligation to engage any provider through the platform, and OpenWay does not handle your plan funds or sit between you and the provider in any way.

OpenWay is not part of the NDIS, NDIA or NDIS Commission. Final scope, pricing, travel, cancellation rules and non-face-to-face charges must be confirmed in a written service agreement between the participant (or their authorised support person) and the provider.