In many ways, the hardest part of the week for Australians who have a disability is getting to the appointment or filling out the form. It is the quiet one, when there isn’t anything on the agenda, and nobody calls. Friendships, hobbies and belonging are not something likely to be found by chance, which is why it’s called Community Participation in the NDIS.
This guide includes information about the support, where it will be found in your plan, what will change from 1 October 2026, and how to make the most of the support during each hour. If you are a participant, a parent or carer, or a support coordinator, the following are simple answers.
Further than merely getting out of the house
Community participation is not doing things to people, but rather doing things with people and being part of the community in which you reside. Imagine a Saturday morning at the footy club, a pottery class at the local community centre, a weekly coffee session, a change at the op shop or travelling alone to work.
NDIS Community Participation support assists you to make new friends, learn new skills, do new things and participate in social, recreational and civic life with just the right amount of support. That support could be a support worker who visits you, or a group program provided by a provider or a few weeks of training to eventually operate without support workers.
The idea is not to keep you occupied, but to make you feel like you are. It is to assist you to live life the way you want to.
The Core and Capacity Building module
The Core and Capacity Building module looks into where the money comes from and where it goes.
Money to support community participation can be included in two areas of your plan:
- Core Supports: typically described as support related to social, economic and community involvement. This covers practical support required to participate, e.g. having a support worker accompany you to an activity.
- Capacity Building: supports to grow your skills and confidence, including learning how to use public transport, which reduces your need to be supported by paid services in the future.
There has been a recent change in name. The term “social, economic and community participation” has replaced the former term, “social, civic and community participation” supports. The amount you receive will depend on your goals and reasonable and necessary, as determined by the NDIA. Review your plan word for word, or have your plan manager or support coordinator explain your plan.
A week in the life – what funded support can look like.
While each plan will be unique, here are some common examples:
- Participating in a community art, music or cooking class with a support worker.
- Participating in a group program (Day Trip, games night, peer support group etc.)
- Doing a service project at a local charity, community garden or animal shelter.
- Independent travel – reading timetables, tapping on an Opal/Go card
- Participating in the appropriate sporting club, gym/swimming group, with the proper support.
- Participating in festivals, cultural events, and faith/community events
- For children, organised play dates and school holiday programs available to children that offer support
The ideal activities relate to the goals. There are two different types of people who seek support: one is someone who is looking for “new friends,” and the other is someone who is looking for work experience by volunteering, and you can see they are asking for different support, so your plan should utilise different support.
This is the 1st October, 2026, Reset: What Is Actually Changing?
This is what everyone wants to know, and here’s the simple answer to that question for NDIS Community Participation budgets. The budget allocation for social, economic and community participation supports is to be reduced by 50 per cent from 1 October 2026, and the budget allocation for improved daily living skills supports is also being reset from 1 October 2026. The government states that it is looking to get back to 2023 spending averages.
The official example is to be read twice. If a participant has $50,000 annually and has been spending $30,000 annually on these supports, after the reset, the participant will have $25,000 to spend annually after the reset. That is, the reduction is for the amount in your plan, not the amount that is not spent.
Only social, economic and community participation supports and improved daily living skills are affected. This reset does not include the remainder of your plan.
Will Your Plan Change Tomorrow? The Timeline, Simplified
No – No changes to your plan happen automatically on 1 October. The reset will be to new plans, new assessments from 1 October 2026 and to other participants at plan renewal from 1 February 2027. The budgets for all participants will be revised from 1 October 2026 to 30 September 2027, and all participants will be advised of their revised budget when the revised plan is issued.
Safeguards are in place to keep the safety and wellbeing of participants safe. They provide protection for certain individuals with high support needs, including participants who are receiving 24-hour funded supports. Check the department’s safeguards guide on health.gov.au or ask your support coordinator if they apply to you.
The government will also fund an Inclusive Communities Fund to restore the capacity of community organisations to provide meaningful participation opportunities, in addition to the reset. As time goes on, there should be more places to “belong” that are not dependent on individual funding – and more mainstream options.
Save money while enjoying more social interaction than ever before:
With smaller budgets comes smart planning. A few ideas:
- Go to group where appropriate. One-to-one support can generally only reach as far as group-based support on a dollar-to-dollar basis. Others just like the company for the simple reason.
- Use the mainstream and free resources. Libraries, council programs, neighbourhood houses, Men’s Sheds, parkrun, community gardens and surf lifesaving clubs are open to all, and many have a positive attitude to people with disability.
- Mix skills and socialising. Implement capacity building to acquire skills, including travel training or confidence building, to participate without paid assistance.
- Track your spending. If you have a plan manager, you can see right away what you are spending every month, and you will not have any surprises in time for your review.
- Enlarge and expand natural supports. Friends, family, neighbours and clubs can sit with paid assistance and make your week complete!
Tell your story at Plan Review!
If you don’t show your planner how community participation helps your life, he or she will not know. To develop a compelling case for your NDIS Community Participation funding, you can do this:
- Relate activities to objectives. Explain how each activity helps you achieve a goal (e.g., make a friend, become fitter, be more independent).
- Show the impact. Explain the shifts in confidence, mood, sleep, dependence/independence from the family. Specific is better than generic.
- Gather evidence. Reports from your OT, psychologist, or support coordinator, plus progress notes from support workers, are of significance.
- Be specific. Describe the hours, support ratio and the reason for this ratio of support.
- Bring backup. You may speak with a support coordinator, family member or advocate.
You usually can challenge a decision by requesting an internal review, and subsequently, by seeking a review through the Administrative Review Tribunal. Independent advocacy groups throughout Australia can assist, and numerous have free assistance.
Find a provider who truly understands.
Look for a provider who “gets it.”
The right provider can make a line item a social life! Great providers of community participation services discuss your goals before the hours. Prior to signing:
- Check if they are registered and that workers have an up-to-date NDIS Worker Screening Check.
- Request consistent support workers; that way you don’t meet a new one each week.
- Ensure they are inclusive and culturally safe for First Nations, culturally diverse and LGBTQIA+ participants.
- Ensure that pricing is recorded in writing in the NDIS Pricing Arrangements and Price Limits, and understand the cancellation terms in the service agreement.
- Do a workout session first. The fit can easily be determined at a trial.
This is your Next Step Towards a more Connected Life.
While things are changing in the NDIS Community Participation, things are not changing in the need for connection. First, review the date of your plan’s next review or renewal, then list activities, individuals and locations that bring positive energy to your week. Discuss with your support coordinator, plan manager or provider well in advance to ensure you are prepared for your review.
If you are unsure about what your plan entails or looking to find activities you can access that are inclusive to you, please reach out to our team for an easy and non-threatening conversation. All people should have a place in a community.
FAQ’s
1. What is NDIS Community Participation?
NDIS-funded supports are for people with disability to access social, recreational and civic activities, make friends and learn new skills. Support may be provided by a support worker, group programs or skills training. It needs to be in alignment with your objectives and reasonable and necessary.
2. What can be funded by the NDIS?
The NDIS may provide funding for the support you require to access community classes, sporting clubs, volunteering, group activities, social outings and travel training. It is not for the support but for the activity, and it must relate to your goals.
3. Are there cuts to funding for community participation in 2026?
Yes. The budget for social, economic and community participation supports will be cut by 50 per cent from 1 October 2026. The change is implemented over a period of around 12 months as plans are reviewed or renewed, with some support for those with high support needs.
4. What is the timeframe for the changes in October 2026 to impact my plan?
Your plan is not automatically changed. The plans and reassessments are reset on 1 October 2026, and other participants are reset on renewal from 1 February 2027. The amount for all participants will change by 30 September 2027 as well, and you will be informed of the new amount when you receive your plan.
5. Is the NDIS available for tickets, entry fees and day-to-day costs?
Generally, no. The NDIS does not cover your tickets, membership or other costs of living; it covers the supports you need to participate, including the time of a support worker. There are other costs which may also apply, including activity-based transport costs which may also be claimed if agreed in advance. Please check with the plan manager or provider first.
6. What is the Inclusive Communities Fund?
The $200 million government funding announced to support community organisations to regenerate their capacity to facilitate participation activities. It will provide grants for both mainstream and disability organisations and is being developed with the disability community. Please visit the DH and A website for updates.
7. What should I do when I receive a new NDIS plan?
Record your goals, how each community activity contributes to your goals and what would happen if the support ended. Get feedback from your therapists and support workers, and monitor your plan expenditure. Take a support coordinator, family member or advocate with you and request a review if you don’t agree with the outcome.
