Is House Cleaning Covered by NDIS?
NDIS can fund assistance with household tasks, but general cleaning services aren't covered on their own.
The critical distinction
The NDIS funds Assistance with Household Tasks under Core Supports (Assistance with Daily Life). This covers a support worker helping you with cleaning, laundry, and other household activities as part of your disability supports.
What it does not cover is hiring a commercial cleaning company to come in and clean your house independently, with no support worker involvement. This is considered a general living expense, the same cost any Australian would pay regardless of disability.
The key test: is the need for this assistance directly caused by your disability? If yes, and a support worker is doing the assisting, it's fundable. If you're just outsourcing cleaning because it's convenient, it's not.
What IS funded
- Support worker helping you clean due to disability
- Assistance with laundry if disability-related
- Meal preparation support
- Safety-related yard maintenance
- Building your skills to manage household tasks
What is NOT funded
- Hiring a cleaning company without support worker
- General cleaning preference (not disability-related)
- Commercial garden or lawn services
- Cleaning shared spaces (others in household)
- Tasks a family member would reasonably do
Budget category: Core Supports → Assistance with Daily Life → Assistance with Household Tasks (line item 01_011_0107_1_1)
How to get household task support funded
Document how your disability affects daily living
Before your planning meeting, get supporting evidence from your GP, OT, or specialist explaining how your disability makes household tasks difficult or impossible. This is the strongest basis for the funding to be included.
Be specific about tasks and frequency
Don't just ask for 'cleaning support', tell the planner which tasks you can't do, how often you need help, and what happens if you don't get it (e.g. unsafe living conditions, health risks).
Connect it to your plan goals
Frame household task support as enabling you to maintain a safe and healthy home environment, which in turn supports your participation in community, employment, or other goals in your plan.
Related resources
- NDIS funding categories explainedUnderstanding Core Supports and daily living funding
- What does a Support Coordinator do?How a Support Coordinator helps you access the right supports
- Get started with 4titudeTalk to us about daily living and household task supports
Frequently asked questions
Questions about your daily living supports?
Our team can help you understand what household task assistance you might be eligible for and how to include it in your NDIS plan.