What household tasks include
The NDIS describes household tasks as help with essential jobs around the home that you are not able to do yourself because of your disability. In the NDIS Pricing Arrangements, the household tasks registration group covers:
- House cleaning and other household activities, such as vacuuming, mopping, bathrooms, dishes and laundry
- House or yard maintenance, such as basic gardening and lawn mowing
- Meal preparation and delivery
When the NDIS will fund it
Cleaning is normally a day to day living cost that everyone has, so the NDIA has to be satisfied that the help you need is because of your disability, not a general household expense. It also looks at what is reasonable and necessary, including:
- Whether your disability stops you doing the task safely or at all
- Who else lives with you and what they would usually do around the home
- Whether equipment or skills training could help you do more yourself
- Whether it helps you pursue your goals, for example living independently
What is not covered
The NDIS pays for the worker's time. You pay for everyday costs, including cleaning products, groceries, garden supplies and household items. Home repairs that need a tradesperson, renovations and replacing appliances are not household tasks. Physical changes to your home for disability reasons are a separate support called home modifications.
Budget, price and the 2026 changes
Household tasks are paid from the Core budget called assistance with daily life, which is flexible across the supports it covers. Providers charge per hour up to the price limits in the NDIS Pricing Arrangements, and those limits apply if you are agency managed or plan managed. Self managed participants are not bound by them.
The government has listed supports in the home, including laundry and cleaning, among the supports not affected by the October 2026 funding reset. Only social, economic and community participation and improved daily living skills budgets are reduced.
Cancellations and service agreements
Regular cleaning is easy to set and forget, so it pays to get the agreement right at the start. Agree on the tasks, the time, how often, and what happens if you need to cancel. The NDIS Pricing Arrangements set what counts as a short notice cancellation, and a provider can only charge for one if your service agreement allows it. Check the notice period in your agreement before you sign.
Finding a cleaner or domestic assistance provider
- If you are self managed or plan managed, you can use registered or unregistered providers, including sole traders
- Ask whether workers have an NDIS worker screening check
- Ask for the same worker each visit if consistency matters to you
- Check what the provider brings, and what products you need to supply
- Get invoices promptly, because from 1 December 2026 claims must be made within 90 days