No, the NDIS generally does not cover standard gym memberships because they're seen as everyday living costs, but they can fund disability-related supports to help you exercise, like a personal trainer, support worker, or specialized equipment, if it helps achieve goals in your plan, like increasing social participation or independence. Funding is possible for specific services (like Exercise Physiology) that are directly linked to your disability needs, rather than just general fitness.
NDIS does not cover the cost of a standard gym membership. The NDIS may fund transport to and from the gym if you cannot use public transport independently. Funding for taxi or rideshare service to attend gym sessions. Funding may be provided for a support worker to assist with using gym equipment.
NDIS Core Supports
Note: Under the laws of the NDIS, we also cannot fund sexual services and sex work, alcohol or drugs. Rent, rental bonds, home and property deposits, stamp duty, mortgage repayments, and strata fees. Purchase of land, or house and land packages.
Remember – the NDIS will only fund goods and services which will assist sport activities if you have identified social and community participation in your NDIS planned goals, so it is important to be prepared for your NDIS Plan meeting.
The NDIS funds Personal Training under capacity building – health and wellbeing. PT's can help people with a disability improve their fitness levels, increase their confidence to participate and interact in daily tasks and build their physical capacity to be more independent.
The NDIS 90-day rule refers to different timeframes for participants and providers, primarily granting participants 90 days to respond to reassessment requests, replacing the old 28-day limit for more fairness, and requiring providers to invoice within 90 days of service delivery, though a new rule gives providers up to two years to claim for services from the start date, with details subject to ongoing updates and plan management.
NDIS won't fund for:
You can have up to $2,000 in savings and assets if you're single. You can have up to $3,000 if you're married. Certain things don't count as assets, like your home (if you live in it) or one car.
In some cases, you might require specialised exercise equipment or technology as part of your physical activity. The NDIS may fund certain types of equipment through two categories: Consumables. This covers the cost of low cost, basic equipment and any necessary adaptations to make it suitable for your disability.
Does NDIS pay for holidays? The “$15,000 NDIS holiday” is a misunderstood term. It often refers to short-term accommodation (STA) funding intended for respite care and support for specific needs related to a participant's disability.
Deliberately misusing NDIS funds is fraud. For example, if a provider uses a participant's NDIS funds to pay for their lunch while out at a café. NDIS funds can't be used to pay for everyday items like food and drinks. Using NDIS funds in this way is misuse.
The NDIS can fund iPads, tablets, or other smart devices if they are considered “reasonable and necessary” for your disability-related needs. An iPad might be approved if it: Improves communication for someone with speech difficulties. Supports education or skill-building for participants with learning challenges.
The NDIS provides funding to eligible people with disability to gain more time with family and friends, greater independence, access to new skills, jobs, or volunteering in their community, and an improved quality of life.
The main thing to remember is that people with disabilities should be treated just like everyone else. That means that gyms should be accessible to them, and they should be able to use all of the equipment and facilities just like anyone else.
Today, we're going to talk about four things you should not do if you are currently receiving Social Security disability benefits.
Receiving an inheritance can impact your eligibility for Centrelink benefits such as the Age Pension, Disability Support Pension, JobSeeker, or Family Tax Benefit, as it changes your income and assets.
The DWP can access information from various sources, including financial institutions. They won't check your bank account without reason, but they can request information to investigate: 1️. Savings and investments: If you exceed savings thresholds for certain benefits, this could affect your eligibility.
As the cost of a holiday may not be reasonable and necessary, you generally cannot fund it under the NDIS. You can, however, use your Core budgets to pay for a support worker to accompany you. This funding only covers the support worker's services, not their travel or accommodation costs.
The NDIS is not designed to fund items such as an iPad or Apple watch. However, should a participant know that they are able to communicate with their loved ones or a worker by using an iPad – rather than a specialist and more costly piece of equipment – then they can request the Agency to fund this.
From 1 July 2025, the NDIS no longer allows therapy supports to be claimed from your Core budget. Therapy must now only be claimed under Capacity Building – Improved Daily Living. If you or your provider try to claim therapy from Core after this date, it won't be paid.
You must leave the NDIS if you move into a residential aged care service permanently for the first time after you turn 65, or if you start getting home care services permanently for the first time after you turn 65. When we say aged care services, we mean services funded by the Department of Health's Aged Care system.
No, the NDIS generally does not pay for rent as it's a day-to-day living cost, but it can fund disability-related housing supports, like home modifications or Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA), and help you live more independently, with participants usually paying a Reasonable Rent Contribution (RRC) in SDA. For regular housing, your rent comes from your income (like the Disability Support Pension), while the NDIS covers supports within that housing.
However, we might fund a medical or specialised bed. If we approve funding for a medical or specialised bed, we would typically fund a king single sized bed. This is because this is considered a sufficient size bed for an adult participant.