Written by the Good Company Disability Services team, NDIS support providers in Perth and Melbourne. Reviewed October 2026.
NDIS life skills are the everyday skills that help you live more independently, like cooking, budgeting, catching public transport and managing appointments. The NDIS can fund support to build these skills through capacity building budgets, such as Improved Daily Living Skills, when the support relates to your disability and fits your plan. This guide explains which skills count, which budgets can help, and how mentoring builds independent living skills step by step.
What are life skills?
Life skills, also called independent living skills or daily living skills, are the practical things most adults do each week. For adults with disability, building these skills can mean more choice, more confidence and doing more things your own way.
| Skill area | What you might learn |
|---|---|
| Cooking and meals | Planning meals, writing a shopping list, following a simple recipe, using kitchen appliances safely |
| Budgeting and money | Making a weekly budget, paying bills, using a bank card, saving for something you want |
| Travel and public transport | Planning a trip, reading timetables, topping up your transport card, knowing what to do if a service is late |
| Shopping | Finding items, comparing prices, paying at the checkout, shopping online |
| Managing appointments | Booking appointments, keeping a calendar, setting reminders, preparing questions |
| Household routines | Laundry, a cleaning schedule, putting the bins out, keeping your space organised |
| Communication | Making phone calls, writing emails and texts, speaking up for what you need |
| Safety | Staying safe at home and online, spotting scams, knowing who to call in an emergency |
Which NDIS budgets can fund life skills?
Support to build life skills usually comes from your capacity building supports, which the NDIS says are there to build your skills to do things for yourself.
| Budget | What it’s for | Life skills examples |
|---|---|---|
| Improved Daily Living Skills | Building your living skills and independence, including assessments, training and therapies such as occupational therapy | Cooking, household routines |
| Increased Social and Community Participation | Finding and joining activities, and training to build social skills and independence | Getting to activities on your own, joining a new group |
| Improved Life Choices | Building the financial and organisational skills to self-manage your NDIS plan | Paying providers, keeping records |
| Finding and Keeping a Job | Time-limited support to build work skills and get ready for work | Planning your trip to work, workplace routines |
The NDIS Pricing Schedule 2026-27 also lists capacity building support items such as:
- skill development and training, including public transport training
- assistance with decision making, daily planning and budgeting
- life transition planning, including mentoring, peer support and individual skill development.
The NDIS guideline on specific types of supports says transport supports can include training to use public transport.
Capacity building funding is a stated support, so you can’t move it between categories. Check which budgets are in your plan before you start.
What the NDIS won’t pay for
The NDIS funds the support to learn, not your everyday living costs. For example, the NDIS nutrition supports guideline says it won’t fund the cost of food or ingredients, because food is an everyday cost for everyone.
Changes to Improved Daily Living Skills budgets
The NDIS is reducing some support budgets for Improved Daily Living Skills, and for Social, Economic and Community Participation. This applies to plans created or reassessed from 1 October 2026, and plans renewed from 1 February 2027. The NDIS says the impact will be different for every participant, and that the change itself isn’t a reviewable decision. You can still ask for a plan reassessment or variation if you have a significant and ongoing change, such as in your ability to do daily activities. Our guide to NDIS changes in 2026 has more detail.
With less funding in some plans, it makes sense to focus your hours on skills that will make the biggest difference to your independence.
Life skills or personal care: what’s the difference?
Building life skills is different from personal care. Personal care is when a worker does a task for you or helps you with it physically, like showering or dressing. Life skills support is about teaching and practising, so you can do more yourself over time.
The NDIS takes a similar view. Its nutrition guideline says that, generally, it will fund supports that help you build the skills to do tasks like meal preparation by yourself over time.
Good Company’s self-care skills support is capacity building. We teach and practise skills with you, and we don’t provide personal care.
How does mentoring build life skills step by step?
A mentor helps you learn a skill in small, manageable steps, then gradually steps back as your confidence grows. A typical approach looks like this:
- Start with your goal. Pick a skill that matters to you, like cooking dinner twice a week or catching the bus to TAFE.
- Break it into small steps. Cooking dinner might start with choosing a recipe, then writing a list, shopping, preparing and cleaning up.
- Show, then do it together. Your mentor shows you a step, then you try it with them beside you.
- Practise in real places. It helps to practise skills where you will use them, like your own kitchen or the actual bus route.
- Step back slowly. Your mentor gives less help as you go, for example meeting you at the station instead of travelling with you.
- Review and adjust. Check what’s working, celebrate progress and keep simple notes that show how your skills are growing.
Example: learning to catch the train
- Plan the trip together using a journey planner app.
- Travel the route together a few times, at the same time of day.
- Practise what to do if the train is late or you miss your stop.
- Your mentor meets you at your destination instead of travelling with you.
- You travel on your own and send a text when you arrive, until you no longer need to.
How do you set life skills goals for your NDIS plan?
Clear goals help you and your providers focus on the skills that matter most. Some tips:
- Use your own words. Your goals should sound like you.
- Be specific. “Cook three simple meals a week” is easier to work towards than “be more independent”.
- Link it to independence. Say what you want to be able to do yourself.
- Keep records. Notes on what you have learned are useful when your plan is reassessed.
Here are some examples of life skills goals you could adapt:
- I want to cook three simple meals on my own each week.
- I want to catch the train to TAFE by myself.
- I want to make a weekly budget and pay my bills on time.
- I want to book and get to my own appointments.
- I want a weekly routine to keep my home clean and tidy.
For more ideas, see our list of NDIS goals examples.
What do improved daily living skills look like over time?
Progress looks different for everyone. This table shows how some life skills for adults with disability might build in stages.
| Skill | Getting started | Building confidence | More independent |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cooking | Making a simple snack with step-by-step help | Following a recipe with your mentor nearby | Planning, shopping for and cooking a meal yourself |
| Budgeting | Tracking what you spend in a week | Making a budget together | Paying bills and saving on your own |
| Public transport | Travelling a route together | Travelling with your mentor meeting you there | Travelling on your own |
| Appointments | Using a calendar with reminders | Making calls with your mentor beside you | Booking and getting to appointments yourself |
How Good Company can help
Good Company helps people build practical, everyday skills through capacity building support. Our in-person teams work across Perth and Melbourne, including the Mornington Peninsula, and we offer remote support in other states.
- NDIS mentoring to learn and practise life skills step by step
- Self-care skills to build everyday independence at home
- Social and community participation to use your skills out in the community
- Remote services for coaching by phone or video
Frequently asked questions
Does the NDIS fund life skills training?
It can. Life skills support usually comes from your capacity building budgets, such as Improved Daily Living Skills, which helps you build living skills and independence. The support needs to relate to your disability and fit your plan. Funding is never guaranteed, and some Improved Daily Living Skills budgets are being reduced for plans created or reassessed from 1 October 2026.
What is Improved Daily Living Skills in an NDIS plan?
Improved Daily Living Skills is a capacity building category. It helps you build your living skills and increase your independence, and can include assessments, training and therapies such as occupational therapy or speech therapy. It is a stated support, so you can’t move this funding into other categories. Check your plan to see whether it has been included.
Is travel training funded by the NDIS?
It can be. The NDIS says transport supports can include training to use public transport, and the NDIS Pricing Schedule 2026-27 includes a support item for skill development and training including public transport training. Whether it is in your plan depends on your goals and disability-related needs. A mentor can help you learn a route step by step.
Does the NDIS pay for food when I’m learning to cook?
No. The NDIS nutrition supports guideline says it won’t fund the cost of food or ingredients, because food is an everyday living cost for everyone. The NDIS can fund support to help you build cooking and meal preparation skills, but you pay for the groceries yourself. A mentor can help you plan meals that suit your budget.
What is the difference between life skills and personal care?
Personal care is when a worker does a task for you or physically helps you with it, like showering or dressing. Life skills support teaches and practises skills with you, so you can do more yourself over time. Good Company provides capacity building support to learn skills. We don’t provide personal care.
How long does it take to build independent living skills?
There’s no set timeframe. It depends on the person, the skill and how often you practise. Regular sessions at the same time each week, practising in real places and keeping simple notes on progress can all help. Your mentor can adjust the plan as you go.
Ready to work on your NDIS life skills? Call Good Company on 08 9334 6995 or get in touch online to talk about your goals.
