NDIS can fund supports that help you get and keep a job — but it doesn't cover everything employment-related. Knowing what NDIS does and doesn't fund for employment, and how NDIS employment supports interact with the broader Australian employment system, matters if you want to work.

For many participants, work is part of what a good life looks like. NDIS employment funding can make a real difference — both by preparing people for work and by sustaining them in employment they already have.

A few specific supports under NDIS relate to work:

Finding and Keeping a Job. This is a Capacity Building category. Funding goes to help you find work, prepare for work, and keep a job once you have one. It can include skills training, resume help, interview preparation, workplace orientation, and ongoing support during employment.

School Leaver Employment Supports (SLES). A specific program for participants in their last year of school or who recently left school, designed to support transition to work. SLES can include workplace experience, skill-building, and personalised support to find suitable employment.

Supported Employment. For participants who work in Australian Disability Enterprises (ADEs) or similar settings, NDIS funds the disability-specific supports needed in those roles.

Capacity Building for work-related skills. OT, social skills training, life skills, and other capacity building supports can have employment as a goal even if not formally categorised as employment supports.

Transport for work. Higher transport allowance is often funded for participants who work or study, recognising the additional travel burden.

Personal care and other supports during work hours. If you need personal care while at work (e.g. toileting support during the day), this can be funded as ongoing support, though there are nuances about how it's claimed.

What NDIS doesn't cover for employment

NDIS isn't a generic jobs program. It funds disability-related supports to enable employment, not the broader employment system itself.

Things NDIS doesn't fund:

Generic job-seeking services. Employment Services for people without disability are funded through Workforce Australia (formerly Jobactive). Disability-specific job-seeking is funded through Disability Employment Services (DES), not NDIS.

Wages for jobs in the open labour market. NDIS supports the disability-related needs around work; it doesn't pay the participant's salary.

Tertiary education that's not specifically related to a Capacity Building goal. Some tertiary education-related supports may be funded if they're tied to disability needs (like note-takers or accommodation in classrooms), but tuition isn't.

Most generic workplace adjustments. The Disability Employment Service Workplace Modifications Scheme funds workplace-specific adjustments — desks, software, equipment for the job. NDIS sometimes co-funds, sometimes not.

Disability Employment Services

DES is a separate Australian Government program from NDIS. It's run by contracted providers who help people with disability find and keep jobs.

DES is free for participants. Providers are paid by the government when they place participants in jobs and when those jobs are sustained.

DES supports can include:

Help with job searching, resume writing, interview prep.

Connection to employers known to be inclusive.

Workplace adjustments and modifications.

Ongoing in-work support.

Skills training related to a specific job goal.

NDIS and DES often work together. Your DES provider may help you find a job; your NDIS supports may include the assistance that makes that job possible. Coordination between the two systems is part of what an NDIS support coordinator can help with.

Open employment vs supported employment

There are two main pathways for NDIS participants who want to work.

Open employment. Working in regular workplaces alongside non-disabled colleagues. Often supported by DES providers and sometimes by NDIS-funded ongoing support.

Supported employment. Working in environments specifically set up for people with disability — typically ADEs (Australian Disability Enterprises). These are workplaces that employ workers with disability, often with significantly different work patterns and support intensity from open employment. ADEs pay a different award structure (often lower than minimum wage, calibrated to productivity).

ADEs are controversial. Some participants and advocates argue they offer meaningful work and community for people who might not thrive in open employment. Others argue they pay below-award wages and segregate disabled workers from the broader economy.

NDIS funds supported employment for participants in ADEs, recognising the additional disability-specific support those settings provide.

School Leaver Employment Supports (SLES)

SLES is a 1–2 year program for young participants in their final year of school or just after. It's designed to support the transition from school to work.

SLES can include:

Workplace tours and exposure.

Internship-style work experience.

Skills training oriented to work.

1:1 support to identify suitable career options.

Help finding initial employment.

Funding is allocated specifically for SLES at planning meetings for school-leaving participants. It comes out of Capacity Building funding.

SLES provides intensive support during a critical transition — not enough participants use it well, often because they don't know it exists. If you have a child who's about to leave school and might benefit, ask about SLES at their next plan review.

How to ask for employment supports at planning

Bring your goals. If your goal is work — or if work is something you'd want to consider — name it.

Specifics that help:

If you have a job goal, describe it. "I want to work in retail or hospitality, part-time, around 15-20 hours per week."

If you've had previous employment, describe what worked and what didn't.

Identify what you'd need to make work possible — skills training, support during work, transport, mental health support, or whatever applies.

Mention DES if you're already using it, and how NDIS supports would complement DES.

Ask for Finding and Keeping a Job funding specifically. Be clear about what you want it to fund.

Frequently asked questions

Can I work while on NDIS?

Yes. NDIS isn't means-tested and doesn't reduce based on your earnings. You can work full-time, part-time, casual, or self-employed.

Will my NDIS funding be reduced if I get a job?

Not directly. Your NDIS funding is based on assessed disability-related needs, not on income or employment status. However, if you have less time available because you're working, your need for some supports (like community participation hours) may be lower. This can be addressed at plan review.

Can NDIS pay for university or TAFE?

Tuition fees themselves aren't usually funded. Disability-related supports related to study (note-takers, support workers in class, assistive technology) can be funded as Capacity Building or Capital supports.

How does NDIS interact with Disability Employment Services?

NDIS funds disability-specific supports. DES funds employment services. They complement each other, and you can use both.

If you're thinking about work and not sure how NDIS can help, Seareal's coordinators can help you explore options. We work across Queensland and have connections with DES providers in our regions.