Getting the most out of community access supports

Getting out matters more than it sounds. In 2021, 19% of Australians with disability aged 15 to 64 were socially isolated, about double the rate for people without disability, and 29% often felt lonely. The NDIS's own figures show the difference support makes: among participants aged 15 and over, 33% were involved in social or community activities when they joined the scheme, and 41% at their latest reassessment.

Community access supports are a big part of that. This is how they work.

What it pays for

In your plan it shows up in your Core budget as assistance with social and community participation. The idea is to help you take part in activities in the community, like sport, classes, clubs, outings, volunteering or catching up with friends.

That usually means a support worker's time. The NDIA's own example is help changing into sports clothes or getting set up. It can also cover building skills so you can do more on your own, group and centre based programs, short-term help to connect you with something regular, and help getting there.

If your support worker drives you to the activity, the provider can claim the travel from your plan as activity based transport, at the hourly rate plus an amount per kilometre, as long as you've agreed to it in advance. Ask about it before the first outing so it isn't a surprise on your statement.

At the moment the price limit for a standard weekday daytime hour of this support is $73.58.

What it doesn't pay for

The NDIA is clear: "You'll still need to pay for the general costs of your social and recreation activities." That means entry fees, memberships, tickets, uniforms and your own food and drinks. The support worker's time is funded. The footy ticket isn't.

There's a handy workaround for one of those costs. In NSW, the Companion Card gets the person supporting you into participating venues for free, so you're not paying for two tickets every time you go to the movies. It has its own eligibility test, separate from the NDIS: you need a permanent disability that means you can't take part in most community activities without support. Processing can take up to 18 weeks, so apply early.

What's changing from October 2026

This is the hard part. Under the 2026-27 Budget, plans will have 50% less funding for social, economic and community participation once they're created or reassessed from 1 October 2026, or renewed from 1 February 2027. The government's stated aim is to take average spending back to where it was in 2023.

How much that affects you depends on how much of your budget you've been using. The government's own example: a plan with $50,000 for these supports and $30,000 spent drops to $25,000 available, so actual spending falls by $5,000. Supports in employment and disability-related health supports aren't affected. You can't request a review of this change, and the reduction on its own doesn't count as the kind of significant change that gets you a reassessment. If you have very high support needs and 24 hour funded supports, there's a separate pathway to ask for a plan variation.

The government has also announced a $200 million Inclusive Communities Fund to help community organisations run activities people with disability can join.

Making every hour count

Fewer funded hours means planning matters more. A few habits help:

1. Put it in your goals. Goals don't link directly to funding, but they shape what goes into your plan. "Join a walking group" or "get to church every week" says more than "community access".
2. Mix one-on-one and group support. In a group, the hourly price is shared between the people in it, so the same budget stretches further. A weekly group art class and a monthly one-on-one outing might suit you better than one or the other. Under the NDIS pricing rules a program of support runs for six months at most, and you can leave with no more than two weeks' notice at no cost.
3. Use what's free first. Community groups, local councils and volunteers run plenty of activities, and venues have to make reasonable adjustments so you can take part.
4. Get the Companion Card if you're eligible. One less ticket on every outing adds up.
5. Keep a simple note of what's working: what you did, how it went and what you'd like more of. It's useful evidence at your next reassessment.
6. Book the worker and the lift together. When the person who drives you is the one who supports you at the other end, you're not juggling two bookings or waiting on two people.

That last one is exactly how Zoomly works. You can book a Support Partner, transport, or both in one booking, and rebook someone you liked with one tap.

Where this comes from

• AIHW: People with disability in Australia 2026
• NDIA: Quarterly reports (Q4 2025-26)
• NDIA: What are core supports
• NDIA: What are NDIS supports
• NDIA: New price limits set for NDIS supports
• Department of Health, Disability and Ageing: Funding changes for NDIS supports
• NDIA: How to set goals
• NDIA: Pricing arrangements
• NSW Government: About the Companion Card