How NDIS transport funding works
Two different things are called transport in a plan, and mixing them up is why the budget runs out in March.
In short
- Two separate things get called transport: your transport funding, and provider travel.
- Transport funding is a periodic amount paid to you for getting around.
- Provider travel is what a provider charges for the time and distance of reaching you.
- Check which one an invoice is drawing on before you approve it.
Transport is the part of a plan people query most often, because two quite different things share the word and both come out of the budget.
The two things
Transport funding is money in your plan for your own travel: taxis, rideshare, community transport, or contributing to the cost of being driven. It is usually paid to you periodically rather than claimed per trip.
Provider travel is what a provider charges for the time they spend travelling to you, and sometimes for vehicle running costs while transporting you. It is claimed against your supports budget, not against your transport funding.
They are separate. An invoice that includes worker travel time is not spending your transport funding, and a provider should be able to tell you which is which.
How much transport funding you get
The NDIA applies broad levels based on how much you are out in the world, working, studying, or participating in the community. More activity generally means more funding, which is the opposite of intuitive but reflects the purpose: the funding exists to enable participation rather than to compensate for a disability.
Your plan states the amount. If it does not match your actual life, that is a conversation for a plan review, supported by evidence of the trips you are actually making.
Provider travel, and how to keep it small
Provider travel is charged under the NDIS Pricing Arrangements. A provider can claim for travel time to you, subject to caps, and the rules differ between metropolitan and regional areas.
The practical lever is geography. A provider based twenty minutes away charges twenty minutes. A provider crossing Sydney charges the crossing, and it comes out of the same budget that pays for your actual support. Over a year, on several visits a week, the difference is not small.
It is why we work across one council area.
What to ask before supports start
Ask whether travel will be charged, on what basis, and roughly how much per visit. Ask whether it changes when a different worker covers. Get it in the service agreement rather than discovering it on the first invoice.
Then check the first few invoices line by line. Not because providers are dishonest, but because errors happen and nobody else is checking on your behalf.
Making the budget last
Group trips where you can: one outing covering three errands costs less than three outings. Use community transport for routine appointments where it exists. And if the funding genuinely does not cover the travel your life requires, document the trips for a few months and take the evidence to your review.
Questions
Can I use transport funding for anything?
No. It is intended for travel related to your goals and participation, not general spending. Keep records of what you spend it on, particularly if you are self-managed.
Why is a provider charging me for their travel time?
The NDIS Pricing Arrangements allow it within limits. It should be disclosed before supports start and set out in your service agreement.
Does provider travel come out of my transport funding?
No. It is claimed against the relevant supports budget. They are separate pots.
What if my transport funding runs out?
Talk to your plan manager or coordinator early. A plan review may be warranted if your circumstances have changed, but it takes time, so do not leave it until the money is gone.
Make a referral or ask about a placement
Tell us the supports the plan funds and when they need to start. We respond the same business day.