NDIS domestic assistance is help with the running of your home: cleaning, laundry, preparing meals and keeping the house and yard in order. This guide explains it in the NDIA’s own words. It covers what the NDIS can fund, what it will not pay for, the support items providers claim it under, and how to ask for it in your plan.
For this guide we read the NDIS Pricing Schedule 2026-27, the NDIA’s two lists of what is and is not an NDIS support, and the NDIA’s pages on plans and support workers. Every claim below comes from those primary sources, and we link the main ones in the check-it-yourself section.
NDIS domestic assistance: quick summary
- On the NDIA’s list of supports, this help sits under “household tasks”. It covers meal preparation and delivery, house or yard maintenance, and cleaning and laundry.
- The test is that these are essential household tasks you are not able to do yourself because of your disability.
- In your plan, help at home can be paid from your Core supports budget, in the Assistance with daily life category.
- The NDIS Pricing Schedule lists cleaning and maintenance under two support items: House Cleaning And Other Household Activities, and House or Yard Maintenance.
- The NDIS can fund meal preparation and delivery. However, groceries, including all food, are on the NDIA’s list of supports that are not NDIS supports.
- Cleaning products, standard appliances and exit cleaning for a rental are also on that list.
- NDIS domestic assistance must meet the reasonable and necessary criteria, like every NDIS support. Your planner also checks that a support is not something your family already provides.
What NDIS domestic assistance covers
The NDIA publishes a list of 37 categories of goods and services that are NDIS supports. None of them is called “domestic assistance”. Instead, the closest match is the category called “household tasks”.
The NDIA describes household tasks as “supports that provide assistance with essential household tasks that a participant is not able to do themselves because of their disability”. According to the list, this includes:
- meal preparation and delivery
- house or yard maintenance
- cleaning and laundry.
Two words in that description do a lot of work. First, the task must be “essential”. Second, it must be something you cannot do yourself “because of their disability”. So the question is not only whether the house needs cleaning, but why you need help to do it.
The NDIA also says a support does not need to be listed as a specific example. It must fit one of the 37 categories and its overall description, and it must not appear on the list of supports that are not NDIS supports.
Supports that sit close to household tasks
Several other categories on the NDIA’s list touch on life at home. Each one is separate, so it helps to name the right one when you talk to your planner.
- Development of daily care and life skills: training that builds your own ability to do things such as shopping, meal preparation and managing finances.
- Assistive products for household tasks: products for preparing food and drink, products that make house cleaning, gardening or laundry easier, and the extra cost of household items with accessibility features.
- Daily personal activities: help with you rather than your home, such as showering, dressing and eating. Our guide to NDIS personal care covers this category.
The NDIA’s page on support workers shows how these fit together. It says support workers can help you at home, and can also help you build the skills to do things yourself, “like preparing and cooking meals, cleaning the house or running errands, depending on your goals”.
What NDIS in home support does not pay for
The NDIA’s second list sets out 15 categories of goods and services that are not NDIS supports. Several of them affect NDIS domestic assistance. The NDIA also warns that it might ask you to pay funding back if you use it for things that are not NDIS supports and are not in line with your plan.
| Not an NDIS support | What the NDIA’s list says |
|---|---|
| Groceries | “Groceries including all food, beverage, cleaning, household and health products” |
| Takeaway and food delivery | Fast food, takeaway food and food delivery platforms, except meal delivery platforms where the food can be separately identified from the meal preparation and delivery |
| Household items | Standard household (including garden) items, appliances, tools and products, for example a dishwasher, fridge, washing machine or food processor |
| Home repairs | Standard home repairs, home improvements, renovations and maintenance, and fencing, gates and building repairs |
| Rental obligations | Direct costs of complying with a tenancy agreement, including bond, pest control, exit cleaning and general damage repairs |
In short, the NDIS can fund the help, but not the everyday costs of running a home. The reasonable and necessary rules say the same thing in general terms: an NDIS support “can’t include day-to-day living costs”.
There is one useful exception for equipment. The NDIA’s list of NDIS supports includes the “additional costs to upgrade or modify standard household items” to items with accessibility features. In other words, a standard fridge is your own cost, while the extra cost of accessibility features that address your support needs may be an NDIS support.
Meals: the NDIS funds the preparation, not the food
Meals are where the two NDIA lists meet, so it is worth reading them side by side. On one hand, “meal preparation and delivery” is part of household tasks on the list of NDIS supports. On the other hand, “groceries including all food” are on the list of supports that are not NDIS supports.
Put together, NDIS domestic assistance can fund someone to prepare or deliver your meals, but everyday food and groceries are your own cost. The list of NDIS supports does include modified foods, for example for PEG feeding, under assistive products for personal care and safety. The not-list also draws a line for meal delivery platforms. It excludes food delivery platforms, except meal delivery platforms where “the food and ingredient component can be separately identified from the meal preparation and delivery component”.
For that reason, if you use a meal service, check that the food cost is shown separately from the preparation and delivery, for example on the invoice. If it does not, ask the provider before you sign a service agreement.
If your goal is to cook for yourself, a different category may fit better. Development of daily care and life skills covers training to increase your ability to do meal preparation independently.
Where NDIS domestic assistance sits in your plan
Core supports are one of 4 support budgets in an NDIS plan, and a Core budget can have funding in up to 3 support categories. One of them is Assistance with daily life. The NDIA says you might use this funding “to hire support workers to help you with everyday tasks like cleaning, yard maintenance, cooking and personal care”.
Core funding is flexible. As a result, you can use the total Core amount across and within its categories to buy the NDIS supports you need. However, the NDIA adds a limit: you can only buy NDIS supports that its rules allow and that are in line with your plan. Our guide to NDIS Core supports explains the three categories in more detail.
The support items for NDIS domestic assistance
The NDIS Pricing Schedule lists support items, each with a number and a name, and the maximum amount for each. For NDIS domestic assistance with cleaning and maintenance, the items are in Appendix 3, Table 15 of the Pricing Schedule 2026-27, which took effect on 24 September 2026. The Schedule calls them “Other Labour Supports”.
| Support item number | Support item name | Unit |
|---|---|---|
| 01_020_0120_1_1 | House Cleaning And Other Household Activities | Hour |
| 01_019_0120_1_1 | House or Yard Maintenance | Hour |
Each of these is a single item, claimed by the hour. The same table also lists an item called Assistance with Personal Domestic Activities (01_004_0107_1_1). The Schedule does not describe what each item covers, so ask your provider which item they plan to use for your support, and why.
You will not find a separate meal preparation or meal delivery item in the Pricing Schedule 2026-27. We searched the whole document, and neither appears. So if a provider quotes for meals, ask which support item they will claim it under.
What the price limits mean for you
The Pricing Schedule sets maximum amounts, not fixed prices. It states that those maximums apply when your funding is managed by the NDIA or by a registered plan manager, and that they already include GST. The NDIA adds that providers can’t charge more than the maximum for those participants. A provider can charge less, so read the service agreement before you sign. The current amounts are in our NDIS price guide.
How to get NDIS domestic assistance in your plan
Your NDIA planner decides what goes into your plan, based on the information and evidence you give. So the work you do before your plan meeting matters. These steps are based on the NDIA’s own guidance.
1. Link each task to your disability
List the household tasks you need help with, such as cleaning, laundry, cooking or yard work. Next to each one, write why your disability means you are not able to do it yourself. That answers the NDIA’s own test for household tasks. Describe a typical week, including the harder days, rather than your best day.
2. Gather evidence
When you ask for a change to your plan, the NDIA says evidence might include reports from treating health professionals, therapists or support workers. Ask for a report that explains what you can and cannot do around the house. The NDIA’s page on preparing for your plan meeting says sharing your information before the meeting can speed up the process.
3. Explain what family and others already do
The reasonable and necessary rules say an NDIS support can’t be the same as supports already provided by family or other mainstream and community services. So be clear about what your family does now, and what they can no longer keep doing. Our guide to the reasonable and necessary criteria explains each test in plain English.
4. Know what the planner will weigh up
Every NDIS support must relate to your disability, help you work towards your goals, be value for money, and be likely to be effective and beneficial for you. The NDIA says your planner will also look at whether you share a support with anyone, how much of it you need (including hours), and how often you need it.
5. Think about skills as well as help
If you want to do more around the house yourself, say so. The NDIA’s page on support workers says they can help build your skills and independence, depending on your goals. A goal such as learning to cook simple meals can point to skill-building support as well as hands-on help.
Choosing who helps you at home
The NDIA says support workers can work for a company or for themselves, and can be registered or unregistered. It also suggests checking that your support workers have completed an NDIS worker screening check. In addition, the NDIA suggests making a service agreement, so it is clear what you and your provider have agreed.
Beyond that, ask practical questions. Who will come, and will it be the same worker each time? Which tasks will they do, and which will they leave? How much notice do they need to change a visit? Someone working in your home sees how you live, so trust and continuity matter as much as price.
How to check NDIS domestic assistance items yourself
Support items, lists and maximum amounts can change, so it is worth knowing where to look. The steps take a few minutes:
- Go to the NDIA’s pricing arrangements page and open the current NDIS Pricing Schedule. Check the title line says the financial year and effective date you expect.
- Search the document for “House Cleaning” and “House or Yard Maintenance”. In the 2026-27 Schedule, both are in Appendix 3, Table 15.
- Each row shows three amounts: National, Remote and Very Remote. The Schedule says the National amount applies in MM 1 to 5 locations under the Modified Monash Model.
- To check whether something counts as an NDIS support, open the NDIA’s page on what NDIS supports are. Download both lists, then read “Household tasks” on the first and “Food and groceries” on the second.
- For how your Core budget works, read the NDIA’s page on what core supports are. For the tests every support must pass, read what reasonable and necessary is.
Frequently asked questions
Does the NDIS pay for a cleaner?
It can, when it is reasonable and necessary for you. Cleaning and laundry are part of household tasks, the NDIA category that covers NDIS domestic assistance. The task must be essential, and something you cannot do yourself because of your disability.
Does the NDIS pay for food or groceries?
Not everyday food or groceries. The NDIA’s list of supports that are not NDIS supports includes “groceries including all food, beverage, cleaning, household and health products”. The NDIS can fund meal preparation and delivery, but not everyday food. The list of NDIS supports does include modified foods, for example for PEG feeding, under assistive products for personal care and safety.
Can I use NDIS funding for a meal delivery service?
Meal delivery is part of household tasks. However, the not-list excludes food delivery platforms, unless it is a meal delivery platform where the food and ingredient cost can be separately identified from the preparation and delivery. Check that the food cost is shown separately, for example on the invoice, before you sign up.
Does the NDIS cover yard work?
House or yard maintenance is part of household tasks, and the Pricing Schedule has a House or Yard Maintenance item. Standard home repairs, renovations, fencing and gates are on the not-list, so they are your own cost.
Is NDIS domestic assistance in Core or Capacity Building?
Help with household tasks can be paid from Core supports, in Assistance with daily life. Training to build your own skills, such as learning to prepare meals, is a different category on the NDIA’s list.
Will the NDIS buy me a dishwasher or washing machine?
Not a standard one. Standard household items and appliances, including a dishwasher, fridge and washing machine, are on the not-list. However, the NDIA’s list of NDIS supports includes the extra cost of upgrading a standard item to one with accessibility features that address your support needs.
Does the NDIS pay for exit cleaning when I leave a rental?
No. The not-list includes the direct costs of complying with a tenancy agreement, and names bond, pest control, exit cleaning and general damage repairs.
What is the difference between NDIS domestic assistance and personal care?
Domestic assistance is help with your home: cleaning, laundry, meals and yard work. Personal care is help with you, such as showering, dressing and eating. The NDIA lists them as separate categories, “household tasks” and “daily personal activities”.
How Centre of Hope can help
Centre of Hope is a registered NDIS provider in NSW. Our NDIS in-home support service offers practical help with everyday tasks at home across Sydney and NSW. That includes cleaning and household tasks, meal preparation, laundry, and yard and garden upkeep where it is in your plan. We can also help you build your own skills, one task at a time.
Through support coordination, we can also help you prepare reports, evidence and goals for your next plan. If one of the options we discuss is one of our own services, we tell you plainly, talk through the alternatives, and leave the decision with you. To talk about NDIS domestic assistance, you can contact our team.
Related reading
- NDIS Core supports explained: the budget that can pay for help at home
- NDIS personal care: help with daily personal activities
- Reasonable and necessary criteria: the test every support must pass
- NDIS price guide: the current maximum amounts
- In-home support at Centre of Hope
Disclaimer: This article is general information only and does not replace personal advice about your circumstances. Information is current as at 21 October 2026 and reflects the NDIS Pricing Schedule 2026-27 (effective 24 September 2026), the NDIA’s lists of supports that are and are not NDIS supports, and the NDIA pages named in this article. Any example is illustrative and is not an entitlement: what your plan funds depends on the NDIA’s decision about your needs. Rules, support items and maximum amounts change, so always confirm the current position at ndis.gov.au before you rely on it. Centre of Hope is a registered NDIS provider in NSW, registration 4050161679.