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NDIS Budget Planner 2026-27
Turn your plan's annual budgets into weekly targets and estimated support hours, using the current NDIS price limits. Free, instant, no sign-up.
How to use this planner
- Enter the annual budgets for Core, Capacity Building and Capital from your plan.
- Pick your plan duration to convert annual totals into weekly values.
- Review your allocation mix and estimated support hours.
Budget flexibility at a glance
Within Core: funding is usually flexible between Core line items.
Between categories:Core, Capacity Building and Capital can't usually be mixed without a plan reassessment.
⚠️ Estimates only. This planner is a practical guide, not advice. Always confirm the rules in your current NDIS plan and your service agreements.
Enter your NDIS plan budget
Type in the annual funding for each category, straight from your plan.
Plan durationHow the three NDIS budget categories work
Every NDIS plan splits funding across three purposes. Core Supports pay for everyday assistance: support workers helping at home and in the community, group programs, short-term accommodation (respite), transport to activities, and consumables. Capacity Building funds supports that build independence over the plan period, like occupational therapy, speech pathology, behaviour support and support coordination. Capital Supports cover specific approved purchases such as assistive technology, vehicle modifications or home modifications.
The split matters because the categories are walled off from each other. Money left in Capital can't become extra support hours, and Capacity Building funds can't buy equipment. That's why it pays to understand each category's budget on its own, not just your plan total.
Think in weeks, not years
Plans are approved as annual amounts, but supports are delivered and invoiced week by week. Dividing each category by the weeks in your plan (52 for a 12-month plan, 26 for six months, 104 for two years) gives you a weekly target you can actually manage. A $40,000 Core budget on a 12-month plan is about $769 a week: if your invoices are averaging $850, you'll run out early, and if they're averaging $500, you're on track to hand money back. A quick monthly check against the weekly number catches both problems while there's still time to adjust.
What an hour of support costs in 2026-27
The NDIS Pricing Arrangements and Price Limits cap what providers can charge per hour. For standard 1:1 daily-living and community supports, the 2026-27 limits are:
| Time of support | 2026-27 price limit (per hour) |
|---|---|
| Weekday daytime | $73.58 |
| Weekday evening | $81.07 |
| Saturday | $103.54 |
| Sunday | $133.50 |
| Public holiday | $163.46 |
Weekend and evening support costs more per hour, so the same budget buys fewer hours. Group programs work the other way: because the hourly rate is shared across the group, a day at an activity centre usually costs well under a 1:1 hour, which is one reason group activities stretch a Core budget further.
Underspend and overspend both cost you
Unspent funding returns to the NDIA at the end of the plan, and a pattern of underspending can shrink your next plan. Overspending means the support simply stops when the category runs dry, unless an urgent reassessment is approved. Staying within about 10% of your weekly target each month keeps a sensible buffer at both ends, and if your needs genuinely change, gather the evidence (therapist reports, GP letters, provider notes) and ask for a reassessment early rather than waiting for the plan to run out.
Frequently asked questions
How much of my NDIS budget should go to each category?+
There's no fixed rule, because the NDIA sets each category from your assessed needs. As a rough guide, most plans put 60-80% into Core Supports for day-to-day assistance, 15-30% into Capacity Building for therapies and skill-building, and 5-15% into Capital for equipment and modifications. If your mix looks very different, that's not automatically a problem: it just reflects what your plan was built for.
Can I move funding between Core, Capacity Building and Capital?+
Generally no. The three categories are separate by design, so you can't shift Capital dollars into Core to buy more support hours, or spend Capacity Building funds on equipment. Within Core, funding is usually flexible between line items (for example, between community access and consumables). Changing the category split itself normally requires a plan reassessment.
How many support hours will my Core budget buy in 2026-27?+
Divide your weekly Core budget by the hourly price limit. In 2026-27, standard 1:1 weekday support is capped at $73.58/hour, Saturdays at $103.54, Sundays at $133.50 and public holidays at $163.46. A $40,000 annual Core budget works out to roughly 10.5 weekday hours a week, or fewer if most of your support falls on weekends or evenings.
What happens to unspent NDIS funding at the end of my plan?+
It doesn't roll over: unspent funds return to the NDIA when the plan period ends, and consistent underspending can lead to a smaller budget at your next plan. Overspending is the opposite risk, because once a category is exhausted you can't access more of that support until a new plan starts. Tracking your spend against a weekly target is the simplest way to stay in the safe zone.
Does The Happy Human Hub work with my plan type?+
We welcome plan-managed and self-managed NDIS participants across Newcastle, Lake Macquarie, Maitland and surrounds, for respite stays, activity programs, community access and assisted transport. Get in touch and we'll talk through what your plan can cover.
Put your Core budget to work
Respite stays at our Boolaroo house, activity programs from our Cardiff centre, community access and assisted transport across Newcastle & Lake Macquarie. Call (02) 4965 8554or enquire online and we'll help you plan supports that fit your budget.