NDIS Meal Preparation and Delivery: Your Handy Guide
Want to know what the NDIS covers when it comes to meal preparation and delivery? We reveal all.
Do you find meal preparation challenging?
The National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) maybe able to offer support.
Depending on your circumstances, funding can be unlocked for assistance with shopping, food preparation, skill development programs and even meal delivery.
How does it all work?
In this article, we give you the lowdown on how the NDIS funds meal preparation and delivery, including what is and is not included.
Does the NDIS Fund Meal Delivery?
Yes, but only if it is deemed reasonable and necessary within your NDIS plan.
The NDIS can help cover the costs associated with delivering meals relevant to your specific needs. But this funding does not cover the basic cost of ingredients – more on that below.
To find out if you are eligible for funding, it is best to talk to your NDIS Planner or Support Coordinator directly.
Looking for easy, no-bake recipes? See here.
Who Can Access This Funding?
If you live alone with minimal support, and shopping and cooking safely is a challenge for you, the NDIS may consider meal delivery to be essential.
Your NDIS Planner will look at your unique needs and circumstances. Here is what they will consider:
- The supports you have to prepare meals.
- How much time a Support Worker would need to help you prepare meals.
- Whether there are any likely changes that will limit your friends', carers' or support workers' ability to assist you with meal preparation.
- What participants with a similar situation to yours have access to in their plans.
- What programs are available in the community to help you prepare meals.
Is There a Catch?
In cases where the NDIS does choose to fund meal delivery, it will notpay for the individual ingredients required to cook that meal. This is because these ingredients are considered ‘everyday expenses’.
As it is tricky to itemise the cost of each ingredient in every meal, the following split generally applies:
- 70% of costs are for meal preparation and delivery: the NDIS funds this.
- 30% of the costs are for ingredients: the NDIS does notfund this.
Note: It is best to clarify these costings with your NDIS Planner or Support Coordinator.
What About Funding for Meal Preparation?
Separate to meal delivery,NDIS funding for meal preparation is available, where applicable. It would typically form part of your core supports budget.
This funding exists to help participants build their skills to plan and prepare healthy meals. As part of this, you would need to buy supports that help you achieve this goal.
You could choose to instead use this funding to have meals prepared and delivered for a limited time,but this will not help you build your skills.
Here are two common scenarios in which meal preparation funding may be applied:
1. Tailored Support from a Support Worker
This is the most popular way to access NDIS funding for meal assistance.
A Support Worker may help you with your shopping needs and to cook at home.
Example: Ava gets 1:1 support twice a week to plan meals, shop and cook.
2. Developing Meal Preparation Skills
You may have goals that extend beyond mastering basic cooking skills. If so, the NDIS can fund programs for skill development.
Example: Archie attends a cooking program at a Learning and Lifestyle Hub to help gain independence.
To summarise, NDIS funding isavailable for meal preparation and/or delivery. But as with anything in the NDIS world, there is no one-size-fits-all approach.
If you think funding could help you, schedule a review meeting with your NDIS Planner.
Need Help?
Navigating the NDIS can be tricky, but you are not alone.
At Endeavour Foundation, our NDIS specialists are available to guide you through this complex scheme.
These specialists regularly advocate for improved NDIS funding outcomes for our clients and have even created their own escalation pathways with the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA).
Get in touch to see how we can support you.
