You guide on what the budget category 'Consumables' in your plan means. What can you spend funding for Consumables on and what does it cover?
Your NDIS plan is divided into different budget categories. What categories you get depends on the needs and the goals of the NDIS participant. As a reminder, there are three main categories under which you can get your NDIS funding. These are Core, Capital and Capacity Building supports.
Today we're going to be looking at the Core funding sub-category: Consumables
The Consumables budget category allows you to purchase low-cost and low-risk everyday items for your disability related needs. You can buy these items in-store or from online retailers too. Many of the items are what you can consume and then dispose off, hence the name consumables. Examples are things like continence products, low cost assistive technology, equipments to improve your mobility and even sign language interpreters.
The consumables budget covers low-cost items up to $1500.
It is really flexible - which means that once you have your consumables budget, you can spend it on whatever items you want as long as they are reasonable, necessary and in-line with your goals.
Specific examples of what you can access under Consumables are -
General items not related to your disability like grocery, cosmetics and prescription medications are not covered.
You can generally buy consumables by paying directly at an online store, chemist, hardware store or supermarket. For items over $1500 you will most likely require a couple of quote.
For the specific items you are buying, generally you will be able to find multiple NDIS registered providers with an online search or in your local community. Make sure to shop around and check from a few different sources so that you get the best value for money. This will help your consumables funding go a long way.
If you're self-managing your NDIS plan, you can use Humane's disability management app to store all your invoices and records in one place, stay prepared for audits and view, forecast and plan your budget in real time.