Capacity Building Supports budget: Finding & Keeping a Job

There are three main types of NDIS support budgets, which help you live your daily life regardless of whether you are working, looking for work, or not looking for work:

• Core Supports – to help with your immediate assistive needs in your day-to-day life.
• Capital Supports – specific assistive items & delivery of items (assistive technology, home modifications).
• Capacity Building Supports – to help you build your independence and improve your life skills, so you can pursue your goals.

Finding & Keeping a Job is a support category in your Capacity budget. It aims to help increase your skills and empower you to reach your goals; in this case, helping you to find and keep the right job for you.

Related: Capacity Building Supports Budget 101: Everything You Need to Know

What is NDIS Finding and Keeping a Job?

Finding and Keeping a Job can help you with your work goals by funding supports that either aren’t available through mainstream programs, or aren’t available to all people who study or work.

Work means something different to everyone. Finding and Keeping a Job funding can help you figure out what work would mean for you (whether that’s full-time, part-time, changing careers, or just entering the work force), and provide assistance to maintain your employment.

This empowers you by increasing your financial independence, self-esteem and confidence – and helps you build work and life skills you’ll use again and again.

Can the NDIS help me find a job?

The NDIS helps you find a job by providing the support you need to find your ideal job and remain employed. The types of support you purchase will vary depending on your disability needs and your employment goals. They may include one or more of the following:

• Counselling to help you engage in employment
• Assistance with writing your CV or resume
• Support before and during job interviews
• Workplace assessment by an occupational therapist

These are designed to help you find job opportunities, secure work, and maintain employment by removing barriers. Finding and Keeping a Job doesn’t provide employment directly; it provides you the tools and support you need to get into the workforce, change careers, or otherwise meet your work-related goals. 

This might be to help you enter the open workforce or find employment through Australian Disability Enterprise (ADE) – also known as closed employment. This funding can likewise support participants wanting to transition from an ADEs to open employment – typically open employment has higher wages and more opportunities to develop your work skills over time. 

Does the NDIS help school leavers?

If you’re leaving secondary school, there’s a specific NDIS support called School Leaver Employment Supports (SLES) that focuses on providing assistance for young people with disabilities who are entering the workforce, or going into higher education. 

Similarly, this doesn’t directly provide jobs for young people leaving school. It is designed to prepare you for employment or higher study. Pre-employment skills might include money handling, travelling independently, and learning proper conduct for job interviews.

Can the NDIS help me at work?

Yes – NDIS support doesn’t stop once you’re employed. As long as you’re eligible, you can use your funding while you’re actively employed to help with keeping a job.

Some of the supports that can help you while you’re at work can even come from other categories. For example:

• A support worker to assist you with personal care tasks at work could be funded under Assistance with Daily Life.
• Transport to and from work could be funded under Transport.
• If you wanted to take part in volunteering arrangements or do work experience or vocational training in the local community, this could be funded under Assistance with Social, Economic and Community Participation.
• If you need training to use public transport to get to work, this could be funded under Increased Social and Community Participation.

As always, you would need to have this funding specified in your plan.

What kind of employment assistance isn’t covered?

The NDIS will not fund things that everyone needs, nor supports that are already funded by other government services like Disability Employment Services (DES). Specifically regarding employment, your NDIS plan will not cover:

• Work-specific equipment or aids that anyone would require for your work, like software, hardware or the cost of an internet connection.
• Reasonable adjustments to access the workplace (such as a ramp that’s used by others)
• Work arrangements, transport for work activities or other processes your employer is responsible for 

Who is eligible for this funding?

The general requirements are that you must be an active NDIS participant, with approved funding in your budget to align with your job-seeking or career development goals. All your NDIS-funded supports need to be ‘reasonable and necessary’ in regards to your specific situation and needs.

If you are looking to enter the workforce, transition into open employment, or have goals related to your career trajectory, you can check if you have this funding by looking at your Capacity Building budget in your NDIS plan. 

• All NDIS participants will be able to access this through the my NDIS portal or app.
• NDSP clients can also view this through our easy-access Nappa portal, which provides an overview of your plan and real-time budget tracking.

How to add Finding and Keeping a Job to your NDIS Plan

If you don’t currently have Finding and Keeping a Job in your approved plan, you can request a review from the NDIS at any time – regardless of where you are in your plan cycle. This allows you to request additional or different funding as your needs change. To get started on this process, you can contact your Local Area Coordinator (LAC) or your NDIS Planner. 

Making a request doesn’t guarantee that you will have new funding added to your plan – any changes must be approved by the NDIA first. Ahead of your planning meeting you should gather any evidence to support your need for employment supports, and outline how this support will assist you with your plan goals.

Breaking down common issues

NDIS employment support such as Finding and Keeping a Job can seem like a bit of a murky area. Here are some of the common stumbling blocks you may run into when navigating this, and how plan management can help:

Overlap with mainstream services

General support and employment services are available for all Australians, with advice and some support available for people with disability through JobAccess and DES respectively. Participants sometimes miss out on supports from either NDIS or from mainstream services due to confusion around who will fund what.

You can lean on your support coordinator or plan manager to clarify what NDIS funding covers – these are experts with in-depth and up-to-date knowledge of the complex NDIS system, where the boundaries lie for funding, and what you specifically are eligible for in your current plan.

Uncertainty around what funds are for

Similarly, you may be unsure what this category actually funds and underspend your budget – which could result in less funding for Finding and Keeping a Job at your next review, if the NDIS sees you haven’t been using it.

Your plan manager can help you interpret what your budget covers (the specified line items and what you can purchase with them). They can also work closely with you to make the most of your plan budgets, avoiding gaps or unspent funds. Accurately tracking budgets is particularly important with the new funding periods from 19 May 2025, so having the extra help from plan management really comes in handy.

Staying NDIS-compliant with inflexible budgets

Your Capacity Building budget isn’t very flexible. If you don’t use the funding for the category it was assigned to, it can’t be redirected somewhere else (not even to another category in the same budget). 

Your plan manager makes sure the provider invoices you submit to the NDIA are compliant with your plan – and if you want to check whether a particular support will be covered by NDIS funding, they can provide a quick answer.

Working towards your future with NDSP Plan Managers

When it comes to Finding and Keeping a Job, NDIS experts NDSP can make managing your plan one less thing to worry about. NDSP takes on the financial aspects of your plan, so you can spend your time and energy on better things – like securing your dream job.

No matter where you live, you’ll get people-first processes, consistent support from our plan management specialists, and clear communication with NDSP Plan Managers. NDSP is a national NDIS-registered provider, offering the same exceptional level of plan management services to participants across Australia. 

Our team knows the latest changes to the NDIS as soon as they happen and leverages in-depth knowledge of the NDIS system to help you make the most of your plan. This includes:

• Handling provider invoices
• Tracking your budgets
• Financial record keeping and administration
• Coordinating service agreements with your supports
• Liaising with the NDIA

With our online, user-friendly Nappa participant portal, you have live 24/7 visibility of your budgets – and our team is happy to answer any questions you might have about all things NDIS.

If this sounds like the right fit for you, contact NDSP to find out how we can help make your NDIS journey run smoother.