Does the NDIS pay for meal preparation?
The NDIS can pay for a worker's time to help with meal preparation, usually from the Assistance with Daily Life category of your Core budget.
This covers the support itself: planning, shopping, cooking and cleaning up with or for you. Food costs are a normal living expense, so groceries are generally paid by you rather than your NDIS plan.
Some plans also include funding for meal delivery or specialised nutrition products in specific situations. These depend on your plan and circumstances, so check with the NDIA or your support coordinator. Nutrition supplements prescribed for your disability may come under consumables, explained in our guide to NDIS consumables.
Your worker's time is charged at or below the relevant NDIS price limit, which depends on the time and day.
What does a meal preparation session look like?
A meal preparation session usually includes planning or shopping, cooking a meal, then cleaning up and storing leftovers.
For example, someone might have a three-hour weekly session. They sit down with their worker to choose three meals, head to the local shop, then come home and cook a big pot of soup and a tray of roast vegetables. The worker labels containers for the fridge and freezer and washes up before leaving.
Another person might prefer short daily visits where the worker helps cook dinner and supports them at mealtime.
You choose how involved you want to be. Some people like to stir, chop and season with guidance, which builds confidence in the kitchen. Others prefer the worker to handle the cooking.
Can a worker follow a mealtime plan or special diet?
Yes. Your worker can follow a mealtime plan or dietary guidance written by your health team.
A mealtime plan might set out food textures, drink thickness, positioning or how quickly to eat. Dietary guidance might cover allergies, portion sizes or foods to avoid. Your worker reads and follows these instructions each time they prepare food.
Your health team writes and updates these plans. Workers do not change them or give dietary advice. If something seems hard to follow, or your needs change, your worker can let you or your family know so you can check in with your health team.
Share a copy of any plan with us at the start, so we can match you with a worker who is confident following it.
How does Enrichment Care match workers who cook?
We match cooking support on language, culture, food knowledge, personality and care needs, and you choose from the profiles we send.
Food is personal. If you want a worker who knows how to cook Burmese, Chinese or Korean dishes, understands halal or kosher requirements, or keeps a vegetarian kitchen, tell us. Our carers come from more than 30 cultural and minority backgrounds.
You meet your preferred worker at a meet and greet before supports begin. It is a good time to talk about favourite meals and how you like your kitchen run.
If you have recipes passed down in your family, share them. Your worker can learn your way of cooking so meals taste like home. Learn more about our approach to culturally diverse disability support.