Are you unsure whether you need personal care or daily living support in your NDIS plan? Many participants and their families find these terms confusing, yet understanding the difference is essential for accessing the right supports and making the most of your funding. NDIS personal care and daily living support are both funded under Core Supports, but they serve distinct purposes in helping you live independently and achieve your goals.
Both types of support are delivered by trained NDIS support workers and funded through the same budget category under the NDIS (Supports for Participants) Rules 2013, yet they address different aspects of your daily routine. This guide will clarify what each support involves, how they differ, and how to request the right combination for your needs.
NDIS at a Glance
- STATAs of December 2023, 88% of NDIS participants have Core Supports funding in their plans, which includes both personal care and daily living support (NDIS Quarterly Report, December 2023, National Disability Insurance Agency)
- STATThe average Core Supports budget for NDIS participants aged 15-64 is $31,800 per year, covering personal care, daily activities, transport, and consumables (NDIS Quarterly Report, December 2023, National Disability Insurance Agency)
What is Personal Care in the NDIS?
Personal care refers to assistance with self-care tasks that relate directly to your body and personal hygiene. These are known in disability and healthcare settings as Activities of Daily Living (ADLs). Personal care supports help you maintain your dignity, health, and wellbeing when your disability impacts your ability to perform these essential tasks independently.
Under the National Disability Insurance Scheme Act 2013 (Cth), personal care is considered a reasonable and necessary support when your disability significantly affects your capacity to complete these self-care activities without assistance. The National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) assesses your functional capacity and determines the level of personal care support you require based on evidence from allied health professionals, medical practitioners, and your own description of your daily challenges.
Personal care is delivered by trained NDIS support workers who understand person-centred approaches and respect your preferences, routines, and cultural needs. For participants new to the scheme, our complete guide to NDIS services provides broader context on how personal care fits within the overall NDIS service framework.
What is Daily Living Support in the NDIS?
Daily living support encompasses assistance with household tasks and community participation activities that enable you to live independently in your home and engage with your community. These are referred to as Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADLs) and include tasks that are essential for maintaining a safe, clean, and functional living environment.
Daily living support is also funded under Core Supports – Assistance with Daily Life, as outlined in the NDIS (Supports for Participants) Rules 2013. This support recognises that your disability may impact your ability to manage household responsibilities, prepare meals, shop for essentials, or participate in community activities without assistance. Understanding what your NDIS funding can be used for helps you make informed decisions about allocating your Core Supports budget between personal care and daily living assistance.
The same support workers who provide personal care can typically deliver daily living support, making it convenient to receive comprehensive in-home assistance from a consistent team who understands your needs and preferences.
What Tasks Fall Under Personal Care?
Personal care tasks are those that involve direct assistance with your body and personal hygiene. These supports are intimate in nature and require support workers who are trained, respectful, and sensitive to your dignity and privacy. Common personal care tasks funded under NDIS personal care include:
- Showering, bathing, and personal hygiene assistance
- Dressing and undressing
- Toileting assistance and continence management
- Grooming tasks such as hair care, shaving, and nail care
- Eating and drinking assistance, including feeding support
- Mobility assistance, including transfers from bed to wheelchair or assistance with walking aids
- Positioning and repositioning to prevent pressure injuries
- Assistance with taking oral medications (not administering injections or complex medication management)
It is important to understand the scope of what support workers can provide. Our guide on what NDIS support workers can and cannot do clarifies the boundaries between support worker-delivered personal care and clinical nursing care, which requires a registered nurse and is funded under Capacity Building – Health and Wellbeing.
What Tasks Fall Under Daily Living Support?
Daily living support tasks focus on household management and community participation rather than direct personal care. These supports help you maintain your home environment and engage in everyday activities that contribute to your independence and quality of life. Common daily living support tasks include:
- Meal planning and preparation
- Light housework such as vacuuming, mopping, and dusting
- Laundry and linen changes
- Grocery shopping and other essential shopping tasks
- Assistance with attending appointments or community activities
- Support to access recreational and social activities
- Assistance with pet care related to your disability support needs
- Support with managing household bills and correspondence
Daily living support is designed to help you maintain a safe and comfortable home environment and participate in your community. The NDIA assesses whether these supports are reasonable and necessary based on how your disability impacts your ability to complete these tasks independently.
Key Differences Between Personal Care and Daily Living Support
While both personal care and daily living support are funded from the same Core Supports budget and often delivered by the same support workers, they serve different functions and address different aspects of your daily life. Understanding these distinctions helps you articulate your needs clearly during NDIS planning meetings.
Both types of support are assessed as reasonable and necessary under the National Disability Insurance Scheme Act 2013 (Cth) based on how your disability impacts your functional capacity in these areas. The NDIA considers evidence from allied health professionals, medical reports, and your own description of your daily challenges when determining your funding allocation.
Which NDIS Support Budget Do These Services Come From?
Both personal care and daily living support are funded from the same budget category: Core Supports – Assistance with Daily Life. This is one of three main support categories in your NDIS plan, as defined in the NDIS (Supports for Participants) Rules 2013. The other two categories are Capacity Building and Capital Supports.
Core Supports funding is flexible, meaning you can use it for either personal care, daily living support, or a combination of both, depending on your needs at any given time. This flexibility allows you to respond to changing circumstances, such as increased support needs during illness or recovery from surgery, or reduced needs as you develop new skills through Capacity Building supports.
According to NDIS Pricing Arrangements and Price Limits, support workers delivering personal care or daily living support are paid at the same hourly rate, whether they are assisting with showering or meal preparation. This means your Core Supports budget can be allocated based on your priorities and functional needs rather than being restricted to specific task categories.
Aus Care Community Services has been supporting participants across South West Sydney since July 2017, and as one of the first registered NDIS providers in the region, we understand how to help participants use their Core Supports funding effectively across both personal care and daily living tasks.
How to Know Which Support You Need
Determining whether you need personal care, daily living support, or both depends on a functional assessment of how your disability impacts your ability to perform these tasks independently. The NDIA uses a functional capacity framework to assess your support needs, considering factors such as:
- Your current ability to complete self-care tasks safely and independently
- The level of assistance you require (prompting, supervision, partial assistance, or full assistance)
- The frequency and duration of support needed
- Whether your support needs are likely to change over time
- Evidence from allied health professionals such as occupational therapists, physiotherapists, or medical practitioners
- Your goals for independence and community participation
If you struggle with showering, dressing, or toileting due to your disability, you likely need personal care support. If you can manage your personal hygiene independently but find it difficult to prepare meals, clean your home, or manage shopping due to your disability, you likely need daily living support. Many participants require both types of support to live independently and safely in their homes.
Our guide on maximising your NDIS funding provides practical strategies for allocating your Core Supports budget between different types of assistance based on your priorities and functional needs.
Can You Have Both Personal Care and Daily Living Support?
Yes, you can absolutely have both personal care and daily living support in your NDIS plan. In fact, most participants who require assistance with self-care tasks also need help with household management and community participation. The National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) assesses each area of functional need separately and funds supports based on the reasonable and necessary criteria outlined in the National Disability Insurance Scheme Act 2013 (Cth).
Your Core Supports budget is designed to be flexible enough to cover both types of assistance. The same support worker can provide both personal care and daily living support during a single shift, making it convenient and cost-effective. For example, a support worker might assist you with showering and dressing in the morning (personal care), then help you prepare breakfast and do some light housework (daily living support) before supporting you to go shopping (community access).
The key is to clearly articulate all your support needs during your NDIS planning meeting, providing evidence from allied health professionals and describing how your disability impacts both your self-care abilities and your capacity to manage household tasks independently.
How to Request Personal Care or Daily Living Support in Your NDIS Plan
Requesting personal care or daily living support in your NDIS plan requires clear documentation of your functional limitations and how your disability impacts your ability to perform these tasks independently. The NDIA assesses your support needs based on evidence and your description of daily challenges.
When preparing for your NDIS planning meeting, gather the following information:
- ✓
List all personal care tasks you need help with (showering, dressing, toileting, eating, mobility assistance) - ✓
Identify daily living tasks you cannot do independently due to your disability (meal prep, cleaning, shopping, laundry) - ✓
Gather evidence from your GP, occupational therapist, or allied health professional documenting your functional limitations - ✓
Specify how often you need support (daily, weekly, occasional) and for how long each session - ✓
Request both personal care and daily living support in your NDIS planning meeting if you need both types of assistance - ✓
Ask your Support Coordinator or Local Area Coordinator to help you understand how much funding you may need for these supports
If you have NDIS Support Coordination in your plan, your Support Coordinator can help you articulate your needs clearly and ensure you request appropriate funding levels. They can also help you understand how Core Supports funding works and how to allocate it effectively between personal care and daily living support.
Our guide on preparing for your NDIS planning meeting provides practical advice on how to present your support needs to the NDIA planner and what evidence to bring to strengthen your funding request.
How Aus Care Community Services Delivers Personal Care and In-Home Support in South West Sydney
Aus Care Community Services has been delivering person-centred personal care and daily living support across South West Sydney since July 2017. As one of the first registered NDIS providers in the region, we have built a reputation for compassionate, reliable, and high-quality in-home support that respects your dignity, preferences, and goals.
Our experienced support workers are trained in both personal care and daily living support, and they understand the importance of consistency, respect, and person-centred approaches. We serve participants across Parramatta, Blacktown, Canterbury-Bankstown, Liverpool, Cumberland, Georges River, and Inner West, providing flexible support that adapts to your changing needs.
We work closely with participants, families, and Support Coordinators to ensure your Core Supports funding is used effectively and that you receive the right combination of personal care and daily living support to achieve your goals. Our team is committed to upholding the NDIS Code of Conduct and NDIS Practice Standards, ensuring you receive safe, respectful, and high-quality support at all times.
Whether you need assistance with morning routines, household tasks, or community access, our team is here to support you with professionalism, compassion, and respect for your independence and choices.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is personal care covered under Core Supports or Capacity Building?
Personal care is funded under Core Supports – Assistance with Daily Life, as defined in the NDIS (Supports for Participants) Rules 2013. This budget is flexible and can be used for various daily living and personal care needs based on your plan.
Can my support worker help with both personal care and household tasks?
Yes, NDIS support workers can provide both personal care (showering, dressing, toileting) and daily living support (meal preparation, cleaning, shopping) if both are included in your NDIS plan. The National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) allows flexible use of Core Supports funding across these activities.
Do I need a nurse for personal care or can a support worker do it?
Most personal care tasks can be delivered by trained NDIS support workers. However, clinical nursing care (wound management, medication administration, catheter care) requires a registered nurse and is funded under Capacity Building – Health and Wellbeing, as outlined in NDIS Pricing Arrangements and Price Limits.
How do I know if I’m eligible for personal care funding?
Eligibility is assessed during your NDIS planning meeting based on how your disability impacts your ability to perform personal care tasks independently. The NDIA considers functional capacity assessments and reports from allied health professionals when determining reasonable and necessary supports under the National Disability Insurance Scheme Act 2013 (Cth).
Can I use my NDIS funding for cleaning services?
Yes, household cleaning is considered daily living support and can be funded under Core Supports – Assistance with Daily Life, provided it relates to your disability support needs. General household maintenance unrelated to your disability is not covered, as per NDIA funding guidelines.
This article is general information only and does not constitute NDIS planning or funding advice. Every participant’s situation is different. For guidance specific to your NDIS plan, contact a registered Support Coordinator or the NDIA directly on 1800 800 110.
Aus Care Community Services has been delivering person-centred personal care and in-home support across South West Sydney since 2017. Our experienced support workers understand the difference between personal care and daily living support, and we work with you to use your NDIS funding in the way that best supports your independence and goals. Contact us today to discuss how we can support you at home.
Registered NDIS provider serving South West Sydney and beyond since July 2017.
