If your claims team is still thinking in “line items” and older budget structures, it is easy to misread a participant’s funding under PACE. In the current system, the NDIS support catalogue is what helps claims map to the right part of a participant’s budget, because funding is displayed at the support category level rather than as line-by-line allocations.
The good news is you do not need to relearn every support item. The challenge is learning how support types, support categories, flexible vs stated budgets, and funding periods change what you should check before you submit.
This guide breaks down the key support catalogue changes that affect claiming, and the provider checks that prevent avoidable claim errors.
NDIS Support Catalogue and PACE: What Changed for Claims
In PACE, participant funding is shown at the support category level as whole dollar amounts. That changes how providers interpret budgets and how you validate whether there is enough funding for a service, especially if the participant has funding periods.
The support catalogue sits behind the scenes helping claims align to the right support category, even when the support item code you use has not changed.
What has NOT changed for NDIS claiming
Support item descriptions and the item numbers providers use for claiming have not changed. Providers continue to use the same support item numbers when submitting claims.
NDIS Support Types in PACE: From 3 to 4 Support Types
PACE uses four support types:
- Core
- Capacity Building
- Capital
- Recurring
This matters because budgets are organised and displayed according to this structure, and you will see categories grouped under these support types in a participant’s plan.
Recurring support type for NDIS claims
The Recurring support type includes specific support categories such as Recurring Transport. This category is displayed separately within the plan structure, so it is important not to assume it sits inside Core.
NDIS Support Categories in PACE: From 15 to 21 Categories
Under PACE, the NDIA moved from 15 to 21 support categories. While your support item codes remain the same, some supports now draw from renamed or split categories.
This is where providers get caught. A participant may have funding, but it is displayed differently and sits in a different category than you expect.
Support category changes providers must recognise
Your attached summary highlights several category changes providers should be aware of when reviewing plan budgets and when troubleshooting claim issues:
- Home and Living: SIL, ILO and MTA items are split from Assistance with Daily Life
- Behaviour Support: Behaviour Support items are split from Relationships
- Support Coordination and Psychosocial Recovery Coaches: category renamed to include Psychosocial Recovery Coaching items
- Specialist Disability Accommodation: SDA items split from Home Modifications
- Assistive Technology Maintenance, Repair and Rental: AT maintenance, repair, rental and trials sit in a separate category
- Recurring Transport: moved into its own support category under Recurring
- Young People in Residential Aged Care: Cross Billing support category added
The practical provider takeaway is that claim mapping is not only about using the correct item code. It is also about understanding where the budget sits and how the plan displays it.
Support Category Budgets: Flexible vs Stated Support Categories
Under PACE, support category budgets may be shown as either flexible or stated. Flexible categories provide more flexibility in how the participant uses the total within that category, while stated categories are more restricted and must be used as specified in the plan.
Provider check for flexible vs stated categories before claiming
Before you schedule high-volume supports or approve ongoing service delivery, confirm whether the relevant budget is flexible or stated. This helps prevent disputes and avoids claim issues when the budget cannot be used the way the participant expects.
Funding Periods in PACE: Why Timing Affects NDIS Claims
Funding periods are another key change that affects claiming decisions. A funding period controls how often a participant can access portions of their total funding amount.
Funds from future periods cannot be brought forward. Unused funds roll over into the next funding period within the plan, but do not roll into a new plan.
Provider check for funding period availability
Before delivering high-volume or ongoing supports, confirm there are funds available in the current funding period. This is one of the simplest ways to prevent avoidable claiming surprises and payment delays.
Key Claiming Areas Providers Get Caught On
These are the areas where providers most often misread budgets because of category changes and plan structure.
Assistive Technology maintenance, repairs and rental claims
PACE includes a separate category for Assistive Technology Maintenance, Repair and Rental. This category covers funding for minor repairs and maintenance, major repairs where quotes may be required, equipment rental and equipment trials.
If your claim aligns to the right item code but the participant’s budget is being checked in the wrong place, claims and service planning decisions can quickly become inconsistent.
SDA, Home and Living, and Behaviour Support: additional controls
Some support categories require extra attention because they relate to higher-risk or higher-scrutiny support environments and arrangements. Providers should ensure the right provider-participant relationships are in place and that claiming pathways are aligned to current system requirements.
If your team is working with relationship setup requirements under PACE, it is worth revisiting how “My Providers” affects access and claiming flows.
Recurring Transport claims
Recurring Transport sits under the Recurring support type and appears as its own support category. Avoid treating it as a Core budget pool.
Provider Checklist: Prevent Claim Errors Linked to the Support Catalogue
Use this checklist to reduce the most common support catalogue-related claiming errors:
- Keep using existing support item numbers and descriptions
- Check the participant budget at the support category level, not by old line-item assumptions
- Confirm flexible vs stated categories before planning supports
- Check funding periods and available funding for the current period
- Recognise category splits such as Home and Living, Behaviour Support, and AT maintenance categories
- Validate your admin workflow for claims submission, especially where bulk upload is required for claims processing under current rules
- Keep clear evidence that supports what you deliver and claim, including service notes and participant agreement on what will be delivered
Conclusion
The biggest change is not the support item codes you use. The biggest change is how funding is grouped and displayed through support types, support categories, flexible vs stated budgets, and funding periods. When providers understand the NDIS support catalogue structure, claims are easier to validate and claim errors are easier to prevent.
If you want to reduce claim rejections and payment delays, align your internal claiming checks to the PACE plan structure, keep relationship records clean, and treat documentation as the evidence base that supports every claim. Book a free consultation with Labour Care today for ongoing support with your needs.
FAQs about NDIS Support Catalogue:
1. How is the NDIS Support Catalogue used under PACE?
Under PACE, providers still use the same support item numbers, but claims are mapped to the participant’s support category budget, not old line-by-line funding assumptions.
2. What is the difference between NDIS support types and NDIS support categories?
Support types are the broader funding groups, such as Core, Capacity Building, Capital and Recurring. Support categories sit underneath these and show where specific budgets are allocated.
3. How can providers avoid NDIS Support Catalogue claim errors?
Providers should check the item code, support category, funding period, flexible or stated status, and participant-provider relationship before submitting claims.
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