NDIS domestic support can help with essential household tasks when disability makes everyday activities difficult, unsafe or exhausting. Independent Disability Services (IDS) provides domestic assistance across Melbourne, including cleaning, laundry, meal preparation, grocery shopping and home and garden maintenance.
For eligible NDIS participants, this type of household support may be funded through Core Supports, including Assistance with Daily Life. Depending on your goals and funding, Core Supports can be used for support workers to assist with everyday tasks such as cleaning, yard maintenance, cooking and personal care.
The right domestic assistance can also reduce the physical effort, fatigue and day-to-day stress involved in keeping your home running. It can leave more energy for family, work, appointments, community activities and the tasks you want to continue doing yourself.
There is no single NDIS support item for every form of domestic assistance. House cleaning, house or yard maintenance, and assistance with personal domestic activities are treated differently in the current NDIS pricing structure. Understanding that distinction can help you identify the right support and avoid assuming every household task is funded or charged in the same way.
IDS is a registered NDIS provider supporting people across Melbourne’s inner and outer suburbs. Its current NDIS Commission registration includes Household Tasks and Assist-Personal Activities.
Need domestic support? Make a referral or call IDS on 03 9340 5100 to discuss the support you need.
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The IDS Difference
You will be supported by staff who have the qualifications and experience to meet your needs and goals, and the personal profile to meet your individual preferences.
The IDS Difference
You will be supported by staff who have the qualifications and experience to meet your needs and goals, and the personal profile to meet your individual preferences.
What Can IDS Domestic Support Help With?
Domestic support is practical assistance with the everyday tasks that help keep your home and routine manageable.
For some people, that means a support worker completing tasks they cannot safely or consistently do because of their disability. For others, it means doing household tasks together so the participant can maintain or develop skills and greater independence.
Domestic Support may include:
- grocery shopping and meal preparation
- dusting, vacuuming and general tidying
- changing bed linen
- washing and ironing
- assistance with pets
- home and garden maintenance
- walking or supported exercise
The exact mix of household tasks should reflect your needs, preferences and agreed supports rather than a standard cleaning checklist.
Where Domestic Support overlaps with other services
Some forms of assistance can cross service boundaries.
Currently we include supported exercise and attending appointments as Domestic Support. However, the way an activity is delivered matters.
If you need hands-on support with showering, dressing, personal hygiene, toileting, mobility or transfers, see Personal Support.
If the main purpose of the support is getting into the community, attending activities, developing transport confidence or participating socially, Community Access may be more appropriate.
Where needs overlap, the support being delivered and the way it is charged should be clear in your service agreement.
Which NDIS Domestic Support Item May Apply?
The current NDIS Pricing Schedule separates three support items that are particularly relevant to domestic assistance.
| NDIS support item | Plain-English purpose | When it may be relevant |
|---|---|---|
| 01_020_0120_1_1 — House Cleaning and Other Household Activities | Essential cleaning and household activities | When the primary need is for someone to carry out household cleaning because disability prevents the participant from doing it |
| 01_019_0120_1_1 — House or Yard Maintenance | Essential maintenance of the home or yard | When disability affects the participant's ability to complete necessary home or garden maintenance |
| 01_004_0107_1_1 — Assistance with Personal Domestic Activities | Assistance to undertake or develop skills needed to maintain the home environment | When a support worker helps the participant take part in domestic activities or develop their ability to manage them |
These item numbers and names appear in the NDIS Pricing Schedule 2026–27, version 1.2, published 22 July 2026. The schedule lists different maximum prices for each item.
Funding information reviewed: 4 September 2026. NDIS pricing and support information can change, so current NDIS sources should be checked when making funding or billing decisions.
Cleaner or disability support worker?
Start with what you actually need the person to do.
If the main requirement is for essential cleaning to be completed for you, House Cleaning and Other Household Activities may be the relevant support item.
If the main need is necessary upkeep of the house or garden, House or Yard Maintenance may be more suitable.
If you need a support worker to help you participate in domestic tasks, develop skills or maintain greater independence in your home environment, Assistance with Personal Domestic Activities may apply.
The support item should reflect the assistance actually delivered. It should not be chosen simply because one item has a different maximum price.
How NDIS Funding and IDS Pricing Work
Domestic assistance commonly relates to Core Supports, including Assistance with Daily Life.
Core Supports can be flexible, but your funding can only be used for NDIS supports allowed under the rules and in line with your plan. Having an NDIS plan does not mean every household expense can automatically be funded.
The NDIS's reasonable and necessary criteria also require funded supports to relate to disability, help pursue goals, represent value for money, be likely to be effective and beneficial, and work alongside other supports in the participant's life. Ordinary day-to-day living costs are generally not funded simply because someone has an NDIS plan.
For example, funding may pay for disability-related assistance with grocery shopping or meal preparation. That does not generally mean the cost of ordinary groceries becomes an NDIS expense.
What will IDS charge?
Our fees depend on the services and support selected, and reflect the allocations of the relevant funding agency, including the NDIS, TAC or WorkSafe.
Each client has an individual agreement. There are no hidden charges and that monthly statements are available.
Check out NDIS Support Worker Rates for more information.
Because NDIS maximum prices and our own published rates are not the same thing, do not assume the NDIS maximum for a support item is automatically the amount we will charge.
Before support starts, make sure your service agreement clearly sets out:
- the support being provided
- the applicable rate
- how the support will be paid
- any conditions that may affect charges
- how the agreement can be changed.
The NDIS also recommends agreeing on these matters with a provider before services begin.
How IDS Delivers Domestic Support
Allowing someone into your home and daily routine requires trust. Provider fit therefore involves more than checking whether a business offers cleaning.
IDS uses a small dedicated client team. Its published service model includes Disability Support Workers, a Key Worker, Service Coordinators and a Client Services Team Leader.
Support workers
Workers are matched according to client needs, skills and preferences.
Current requirements for IDS support workers include:
- First Aid and CPR certificates
- an NDIS Worker Screening Check
- a Victorian driver's licence
- access to a reliable, comprehensively insured vehicle.
Key Worker
The Key Worker gathers feedback on whether supports are progressing towards the client's goals, identifies opportunities for improvement and helps train new workers joining the client team.
Service Coordinators and Client Services Team Leaders
The Service Coordinator handles questions and rostering updates. The Client Services Team Leader works with clients, Service Coordinators and Key Workers to help keep services consistent and tailored to individual needs.
IDS also records shift notes through its client-management system. For support-coordinator relationships, its published process includes service agreements, support plans, emergency management plans and annual risk assessments.
Melbourne Coverage, Service Hours and Capacity
IDS provides in-home and community-based support across Greater Melbourne.
Day-to-day support is available 24/7, 365 days a year, with evening, overnight and sleepover support available by arrangement.
Coverage and current worker capacity can change. If you are looking for Domestic Support in a particular Melbourne suburb, call 03 9340 5100 to confirm current availability before relying on a specific commencement date.
IDS does not need to have a physical office in your suburb to provide support there. Domestic Support is delivered in clients' homes rather than from local IDS branches.
What Happens After You Make a Referral?
The referral process should help establish whether IDS is the right fit before support begins.
Make an enquiry or referral
You can refer yourself, have a family member or carer assist, or involve a Support Coordinator.
Use our referral form, call 03 9340 5100, or email support@idsa.org.au.
Discuss the support needed
IDS can discuss the household tasks you need help with, your goals and preferences, where you live and the type of support you are seeking.
Current capacity should also be confirmed at this stage.
Agree on the support
Where IDS and the proposed support are a suitable fit, the arrangement is documented through an individual service agreement and support plan.
This is where the agreed tasks, support arrangements and relevant charging information should be made clear.
Build the client team
IDS uses its client-management and rostering systems to match workers according to needs, skills and preferences and build a small client team.
Once services begin, shift notes and ongoing communication help document the support being delivered.
Information for Support Coordinators
If you are a Support Coordinator looking for NDIS domestic assistance in Melbourne, we have a dedicated Supporting Partners pathway.
The service includes:
- referrals across Domestic Support, Personal Support and Community Access
- client matching through IDS's CRM and rostering system
- individual service agreements and support plans
- emergency management and risk assessment documentation
- shift notes
- monthly statements
- monitoring of client spending trends
- communication with Support Coordinators if IDS identifies a spending trend that may lead to overspending.
The Supporting Partners phone service is available during business hours from 9am to 5pm.
The team will respond within 24 hours or on the next business day to discuss the client's needs.
Referring a participant? Call 03 9340 5100 to confirm current coverage, capacity and support requirements.
How to Explain Domestic Support Needs to NDIS Planning
If domestic assistance is important to your daily life, explain the disability-related need clearly during planning, check-ins or plan reassessment.
Rather than simply saying "I need a cleaner", describe:
What your disability makes difficult
Identify the specific household tasks you cannot safely, consistently or independently manage.
This may include vacuuming, changing linen, laundry, preparing meals or maintaining your home.
What happens without support
Explain the practical effect.
Does completing the task cause significant fatigue? Does it affect the safety or usability of your home? Does it prevent you from maintaining your normal daily routine or participating in other activities?
What assistance you need
Explain whether another person needs to perform the task, physically assist you, prompt you, or help you build the skills to do more of it yourself.
Include how often the support is likely to be needed.
How the support connects to your needs and goals
Explain how domestic assistance relates to your disability and how it supports your independence, daily life or NDIS goals.
Relevant evidence from a treating or allied health professional may also help where it explains your functional support needs.
Funding decisions remain with the NDIA. Describing a goal does not by itself guarantee that a particular support will be funded.
What If Your Domestic Support Needs Change?
You do not necessarily have to wait for the next scheduled plan process if your circumstances change.
Current NDIS guidance distinguishes between:
- a plan variation for smaller changes; and
- a plan reassessment where there has been a significant and ongoing change to support needs.
From 27 August 2026, only the participant, nominee or child representative can request a plan reassessment. The request must explain what has changed and include the required evidence.
If you disagree with an NDIA decision, you may also have the right to request a review.
What Should You Check Before Choosing a Domestic Support Provider?
A registered provider may still not be the right provider for every participant.
Before making a decision, consider:
- whether the provider has experience with the type of assistance you need
- whether workers can be matched to your preferences
- whether you are likely to have a consistent support team
- current availability in your suburb
- service hours and flexibility
- worker screening and qualifications
- pricing and service-agreement terms
- how changes or concerns are handled
- reviews, testimonials and recommendations from people you trust.
The NDIS recommends researching providers and their services, checking reviews and asking trusted people for recommendations before choosing a provider. It also recommends meeting with potential providers and agreeing on the supports, costs and payment arrangements before you start working together.
Frequently Asked Questions About NDIS Domestic Support
Can the NDIS pay for a house cleaner?
NDIS funding may pay for disability-related assistance with essential house cleaning when the support is allowed under the NDIS rules and is in line with your plan.
The current NDIS schedule includes 01_020_0120_1_1 — House Cleaning and Other Household Activities.
Can the NDIS pay for gardening or yard maintenance?
It may fund disability-related assistance with essential yard maintenance where the support meets NDIS requirements and fits your plan.
The current schedule separately identifies 01_019_0120_1_1 — House or Yard Maintenance.
What is the difference between cleaning and Personal Domestic Activities?
House Cleaning and Other Household Activities is primarily about essential cleaning being performed.
Assistance with Personal Domestic Activities focuses on assisting the participant to undertake or develop skills needed to maintain their home environment.
The difference is therefore the nature of the support, not simply whether both involve household chores.
Can the same support worker help with domestic support and personal care?
A participant may need more than one type of assistance during a visit.
The support delivered and the way it is documented and charged, should reflect what the worker actually does and the participant's available funding.
For hands-on assistance with activities such as showering, dressing, personal hygiene, mobility or transfers, see Personal Support.
Do I need an NDIS plan to use IDS Domestic Support?
No. There are no restrictions on who can access its services, although all services attract a fee.
Most clients use funding through the NDIS, TAC or WorkSafe, but the appropriate payment arrangement should be confirmed with IDS before support begins.
Can a Support Coordinator refer directly to IDS?
Yes. Support Coordinators can use the IDS referral process or the dedicated Supporting Partners pathway.
Call 03 9340 5100 to confirm the participant's needs, current coverage and capacity.
Talk to IDS About NDIS Domestic Support in Melbourne
The right domestic support should make everyday life at home easier to manage without taking away your choice or the tasks you want to continue doing yourself.
IDS provides Domestic Support across Greater Melbourne through small client teams matched around individual needs and preferences.
Make a referral, call 03 9340 5100 or email support@idsa.org.au to discuss the support you or your client needs.
