Meal Preparation and Delivery: What Providers Need to Know

Meal preparation and delivery is an important support under the NDIS, available to participants who have it listed as a reasonable and necessary support in their plan. This falls under the Assistance with Household Tasks category, covering supports that help participants manage daily living tasks they cannot complete themselves due to their disability. 

As a provider, understanding how this support is funded and delivered is key to ensuring compliance and smooth service provision. Participants may access meal prep services if they have core funding allocated for meal preparation and delivery in their plan. Additionally, participants who typically receive support worker assistance for shopping and cooking may require meal delivery as a short-term solution during periods of illness or when regular support is temporarily unavailable. 

What does the NDIS tell us?

The NDIS can fund the cost of meal preparation and delivery, but not the cost of food or ingredients.

Meal preparation and delivery services must provide itemised invoices separating the cost of food from preparation and delivery costs. Services like Uber Eats or fast-food platforms typically don’t meet these requirements as they do not provide the necessary separation.

What is the effect of the new legislation?

Fast food services, takeaway food and food delivery platforms (excluding meal delivery platforms where the food and ingredient component can be separately identified from the meal preparation and delivery component) is now specifically excluded and is NOT an NDIS Support.

With the changes there is also options given to participants to apply for Replacement Supports for standard household items.

For detailed guidance, you can refer to NDIS Guidelines – Nutrition Supports including meal preparation .

What is Covered Under NDIS Meal Preparation? 

The NDIS only funds the preparation and delivery of meals—not the cost of the food itself. This means that: 

• The cost of support workers preparing and delivering meals can be claimed. 

• Food costs and commercial food delivery service fees (e.g., Uber Eats, Menulog) are not covered, as food is considered an everyday living expense. 

• Invoices must be itemised to separate preparation and delivery costs from food costs. Unclear invoices may be flagged for review, delaying payments. 

At First2Care, we work closely with meal preparation providers to ensure seamless invoicing and payment processing. In some cases, providers can invoice us directly for the preparation costs while participants handle food payments separately. Ensuring clear invoicing practices helps avoid delays and disputes. 

If you provide meal preparation and delivery, you can claim:

• 100% of the invoice if food costs are removed.

• 70% of the invoice food costs are included.

Kitchen Aids and Adaptive Devices 

Participants who require adaptive kitchen equipment or cutlery may be able to access funding under personal care and safety supports, provided the items are deemed reasonable and necessary. However, general household appliances, such as a Thermomix, are not typically funded unless specifically approved under Replacement Supports by the NDIA. 

For providers, ensuring compliance with these guidelines and supporting participants in understanding their funding options will help streamline service delivery. If you have any questions about invoicing, eligibility, or funding categories, reach out to us for guidance!