NDIS household tasks support can include help with everyday jobs around the home that involve your pets, such as changing kitty litter, cleaning up the backyard and washing pet bedding, when you need that help because of your disability and it fits the goals in your plan. The NDIS will not pay for your pet’s care itself, but it can fund a Support Worker to help you keep your home clean, hygienic and manageable.
Here is what that means, what the NDIS does and does not fund, and how PetCloud helps self-managed and plan-managed participants who share their home with animals.
What are NDIS household tasks?
Household tasks are the everyday jobs that keep your home safe and liveable. The NDIS explains that funding under Assistance with daily life, part of your Core supports, can be used to hire support workers to help with everyday tasks like cleaning, yard maintenance, cooking and personal care. See the NDIS page What are core supports.
If you live with a pet, some of those everyday tasks are pet-related. A dirty litter tray or a backyard that hasn’t been cleaned up can quickly affect hygiene, smells, allergies and how comfortable you feel at home.
Which pet-related household tasks can a Support Worker help with?
PetCloud offers Assistance with Pet-related Household Tasks, where a Support Worker visits your home to help with tasks you need support with. Examples PetCloud gives include:
- changing kitty litter
- backyard poo patrol
- changing puppy training mats
- washing and drying pet bedding, and vacuuming where pets sleep, to help reduce flea problems and allergens in your home
- helping with feeding and watering your pets
The support is human-centred: it is about helping you maintain the hygiene of your home and your independence, not about paying for your pet’s upkeep.
What the NDIS does not fund for pets
It is important to know where the line is. The NDIS document Supports that are not NDIS supports lists these pet-related costs as things the NDIS cannot fund:
- animals other than NDIS-funded assistance animals, including pets and companion animals
- pet food for animals other than NDIS-funded assistance animals
- veterinarian costs, pet boarding and pet grooming for animals that are not NDIS-funded assistance animals
- pet insurance
- taxidermy and pet cremations, burials or funerals
So, as a general rule, the NDIS will not pay for your cat’s food or your dog’s vet bills, and pet boarding and grooming for non-assistance animals are listed as not NDIS supports. PetCloud’s position is that funding for pet boarding or grooming while you are in hospital depends on written pre-approval from the NDIA or your Local Area Coordinator (LAC). Get that approval in writing before you book. What can be fundable is a Support Worker’s time helping you with household tasks you find difficult, when that support relates to your disability and your plan goals. If you have an NDIS-funded assistance animal, different rules apply. Read our guide to NDIS assistance animals.
How do I know if this support fits my plan?
Every plan is different. These questions can help you prepare:
- Do you have funding for Assistance with daily life in your Core supports?
- Does your plan include a goal about independence, daily living or keeping your home safe and clean?
- Is the task something you find hard to do because of your disability?
- How is your plan managed? PetCloud is not an NDIS Registered Provider, so it can only support participants whose funding is self-managed or plan-managed.
Your plan manager or support coordinator can help you check. If you are preparing for a plan review, our guide to NDIS goal creation for pet-loving participants may help.
Why choose PetCloud for help at home?
PetCloud has Support Workers nationally, Australia-wide. PetCloud says its NDIS Support Workers are government ID checked, trained in NDIS orientation, vet-supported and strongly encouraged to hold a current police check, with optional PetCloud Academy training available. Every arrangement is covered by a written agreement, and PetCloud stays within the NDIS price limits set by the NDIA in the NDIS Pricing Arrangements and Price Limits.
Frequently asked questions
Does the NDIS cover cleaning?
The NDIS says Assistance with daily life funding can be used for support workers to help with everyday tasks like cleaning, depending on your goals. Whether it applies to you depends on your plan.
Will the NDIS pay for my pet’s food or vet bills?
Generally no, unless your animal is an NDIS-funded assistance animal. The NDIS lists pet food, vet costs, pet boarding and pet grooming for other animals as supports it cannot fund.
Can NDIS funding cover pet boarding or grooming while I’m in hospital?
The NDIS lists pet boarding and grooming for non-assistance animals as not NDIS supports. PetCloud’s position is that funding for pet boarding or grooming while you are in hospital depends on written pre-approval from the NDIA or your Local Area Coordinator (LAC). Get that approval in writing before you book.
Can a Support Worker groom my dog?
The NDIS generally does not fund pet grooming for animals that are not NDIS-funded assistance animals, unless you have written pre-approval from the NDIA or your LAC (for example, while you are in hospital). A Support Worker can help with household hygiene tasks, like washing pet bedding, that support you to keep your home clean.
Which NDIS category do pet-related household tasks come under?
Home support with pet-related household tasks usually sits under Assistance with Daily Life in your Core supports. Your plan manager or support coordinator can confirm what your plan allows.
How much does PetCloud charge for NDIS household tasks?
PetCloud stays within the NDIS price limits. Your rate is set out in your quote and written agreement before support starts.
Can I use PetCloud if my plan is agency-managed?
No. PetCloud is not an NDIS Registered Provider, so it supports self-managed and plan-managed participants only. Read more about plan-managed vs self-managed NDIS funding.
Get help at home
To find out whether help with pet-related household tasks suits your plan, talk to PetCloud’s NDIS Bookings Coordinator. Request NDIS Support or visit the PetCloud NDIS Support page.
