NDIS Stated Supports vs. NDIS Flexible Supports: What It Means for You

Key Points:

• NDIS Flexible Supports (usually Core and Capacity Building) allow you to move funds around freely within their own category. Refer to the plan and goals. Confirm with your plan manager if you have Capacity Building funding.
• NDIS Stated Supports are funds reserved for one specific item, like high-cost equipment or Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA).
• You must spend flexible funds only on items listed in the official NDIS Supports List.
• The Stated vs. Flexible distinction tells you where your spending flexibility begins and ends.

Summary:

Understanding the difference between Stated and Flexible supports is key to managing your NDIS plan effectively. Flexible funds (often Core funding) offer freedom to use services as needed, but Stated funds are for specific, often high-cost items requiring dedicated allocation. Even with flexible funds, all purchases must comply with the official NDIS Supports List, ensuring spending aligns with your disability support needs.

Outline:

1. Introduction
2. What is a Flexible Support in NDIS?
3. What is a Stated Support in NDIS?
4. The “New Rules” to Watch Out For (As of Late 2025)
5. What This Means for Your Plan Management
6. Getting the Right Plan Management Support with AIIM Choices

If you have ever looked at your NDIS plan and felt a bit confused by the layout, you are not alone. The language can be tricky. One of the most common questions participants have can be about how they can spend their funding. Specifically, the difference between “Stated Supports” and “Flexible Supports.”

Understanding this difference is important. It gives you the power to use your plan well and avoid any accidental overspending. Let’s break it down simply for you.

What is a Flexible Support in NDIS?

Think of NDIS Flexible Supports like a general bucket of money. The NDIS gives you this budget to achieve a specific goal, but they don’t mind exactly how you mix and match the services to get there.

Most often, you will see this in your Core Supports budget. This is the funding you use for everyday activities.

For example, let’s say you have *$10,000 in your Core budget. You might have originally planned to spend half on a support worker and half on consumables (like low-cost disability products). But maybe your needs change one month. You might need more help at home and fewer products.

With flexible supports, that is completely fine. You can shift those funds around within that category without asking the NDIS for permission. It puts you in the driver’s seat. You can adjust your spending week-to-week as your life happens. Moving this funding is done by your plan manager when they pay your invoices. If you’re unsure, feel free to contact your plan manager.

What is a Stated Support in NDIS?

NDIS Stated Supports are different. Think of these as a locked box. When a support is “stated,” the money is set aside for one specific thing. You cannot use it for anything else.

You will spot these in your plan because they will usually have the specific description written out, often with the word “stated” next to them.

Why does the NDIS do this? Usually, it is for high-cost items or very specific services that need to be delivered exactly as prescribed. A common example is Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) or a specific piece of expensive assistive technology, like a custom wheelchair.

If you have money “stated” for a wheelchair, you cannot decide to use that money for therapy instead. This ensures that the big, essential things you need are guaranteed to be there for you.

The “New Rules” to Watch Out For (As of Late 2025)

We also need to talk about the changes that have occurred this year. As of late 2025, the rules on what you can buy have become more limited.

Even if your budget is “flexible,” you still need to follow the rules. You can only spend NDIS money on items that are on the official NDIS Supports list.

Back in October 2025, the “transition period” for these new lists ended. This means the NDIS is now more focused on checking that purchases are allowed. So, while you have flexibility within your budget categories, you cannot step outside the list of approved NDIS items. For example, you can’t use flexible funds to pay for things like general groceries or rent, even if you feel it helps your disability.

What This Means for Your Plan Management

So what should you do next time you read your plan?

First, check your descriptions and look at each budget category. If it says “stated,” remember that money is locked for specific items that were approved in your plan. If it doesn’t say stated, you likely have some wiggle room.

Second, keep an eye on your funding periods. New plans in 2025 often break funding down into shorter periods (like quarterly). This helps make sure you don’t run out of flexible funds too early in the year.

Summary:

• Flexible: You can move funds around within a category (like Core funding) to suit your changing daily needs.
• Stated: Funds are locked for a specific item or service. You cannot change them into something else.
• The Golden Rule: Always check the official NDIS Supports list before you buy, even with flexible funds.

Managing an NDIS plan takes a bit of practice. But knowing which funds you can move and which ones you can’t is the first step to feeling in control. You’ve got this!

Getting the Right Plan Management Support with AIIM Choices

Understanding your plan can take time. As experienced NDIS plan managers, we help you make sense of your funding so you feel confident using it every day.

Our NDIS plan management services include checking invoices, tracking budgets and guiding you through changes that may affect your plan. We can also support you during your NDIS plan review, so you know what has been updated and what to look out for.

If you need help understanding your flexible or stated supports, we are here for you. Reach out to AIIM Choices anytime to get clear, friendly guidance or to sign up for our plan management service. We would love to support you on your NDIS journey.