Household Tasks vs Daily Living Skills
Both terms are heard by families on a daily basis and they assume that they are similar. They do not. The NDIS makes a distinction between day to day assistance at home and training which prepares long term independence. The distinction is essential as it varies the nature of budget that support will be provided by, who will sponsor you and what you will require. In simple terms, this guide describes Household Tasks vs. Daily Living Skills and provides practical examples and demonstrates the way to select the appropriate category of activities depending on the objectives.
Plain English meanings
Household Tasks refer to realistic tasks within and around the house that make the life keeping. Imagine cleaning a bathroom, mopping floors, washing sheets, simple meal preparation, taking rubbish out or mowing a small yard. It is all about doing the job to you or with you to keep your home a safe and viable place.
Daily Living Skills are the lessons and practice, which assist you to learn to do such things on your own or with a lesser amount of assistance with time. This appears as a support worker or therapist in an instruction on meal planning, safe knife handling, laundry sorting, on money handling, bus practice, or time management. Emphasis is put on capacity building, rather than merely to accomplish the task of the day.
Where each sits in a plan
Household Tasks usually sit in Core under Assistance with Daily Life. It is the flexible part of the plan that covers day to day support needs. You can often move Core funds between similar supports if your needs change.
Daily Living Skills usually sit in Capacity Building. This budget is aimed at learning and therapy that improves independence. It is not as flexible as Core, and it is bound to your objectives, reports, and the very particular results you are seeking.
What a typical week can look like
Take an example of a participant who resides in a unit near shops. On Mondays a support worker comes in two hours and cleans up the kitchen, bathroom, and a vacuum and carries down laundry. It is Household Tasks of Core.
Every Wednesday the same participant has a one hour cooking session with a worker, which will include reading a basic recipe, portion planning, and filling up two lunches with the following day. That is Daily Living Skills from Capacity Building.
You can see how the first example keeps life moving while the second builds future capacity.
Who usually provides each support
Household Tasks are provided by domestic assistance workers or support workers with experience in safe cleaning, basic food handling, and simple home maintenance. The provider manages checklists, brings supplies if required, and works within agreed routines.
Daily Living Skills can be delivered by trained support workers or allied health professionals depending on the goal. A speech pathologist may work on social communication. An occupational therapist may work on personal organisation, kitchen safety, or community travel practice. A support worker can reinforce those lessons between therapy sessions.
Evidence and goals that help approval
Planners and local area coordinators will look for a clear link between your goal and the support you request. You do not need long reports for basic cleaning needs. You do need simple evidence for skill development.
- Write two or three goals in plain English. Prepare simple meals independently, catch the bus to TAFE twice a week, reduce falls at home.
- Map each goal to the right budget. Daily Living Skills align with Capacity Building. Household Tasks align with Core.
- Ask your therapist to write a short note that explains current ability, barriers, and what will change with practice.
- Keep brief records. A two line note after a session that says what you practiced and how it went is enough to show progress at review time.
Cost shape and value for money
Core supports for cleaning are charged by the hour and usually delivered in regular blocks. Value comes from consistent routines, safe work practices, and reliable staff who know your home.
Capacity Building supports can be hourly as well, but value is judged by progress. A twelve week program that moves you from full support to partial support for cooking is strong value even if the hourly price is similar. Over a year it can lower your need for Household Tasks and free Core funds for other priorities.
How to decide which box to use
Use a simple test. If the main outcome is a clean room or a completed chore today, it is Household Tasks. If the main outcome is learning how to plan, start, and finish the chore yourself, it is Daily Living Skills.
A second test is who leads the time. If the worker is doing most of the activity while you rest or supervise, that leans toward Household Tasks. If you are doing most of the activity with coaching, that leans toward Daily Living Skills.
Common mix ups and how to avoid them
Some participants ask for Daily Living Skills sessions that turn into general cleaning. That invites knock backs at plan review because the time is not being used to build independence. Keep training sessions focused on one or two skills, document what was practiced, and schedule separate time for cleaning.
Others try to fit all supports into Core because it is flexible. That can work short term but it slows progress. Use Capacity Building for structured learning. Over months you may reduce the Core hours you need.
Real world scenarios
A young adult moving into shared living wants to cook a basic dinner twice a week. An occupational therapist sets a program that starts with knife safety and simple chopping, then moves to one pan meals, then to shopping with a list. After eight weeks the participant cooks on their own while the worker provides only reminders. That is Daily Living Skills.
An older participant with chronic pain needs bathrooms cleaned, beds changed, and floors mopped every fortnight. The worker follows safe manual handling, uses a checklist, and finishes within a two hour window. That is Household Tasks.
A parent wants their teenager to catch the bus to sport. The plan covers community travel training with route planning, reading timetables, and real trips at quiet times. That is Daily Living Skills. Once the teen is confident, the family may not need as much transport assistance from Core.
Simple steps to set it up
- Write three goals that matter this quarter.
- Decide which goals need learning time and which need help at home.
- Ask your therapists and support coordinator to match budgets to goals.
- Book regular sessions and keep them at the same time each week.
- Review after four weeks and adjust the mix if something is not working.
Questions to ask a provider
- Do you offer both Household Tasks and skill development, and how do you separate the two in rosters and invoices
- How do workers record practice and progress during Daily Living Skills
- Can the same worker support both categories on different days to keep rapport strong
- What training do workers receive for safe cleaning and for coaching tasks like cooking or travel
- How do you plan a gentle step down in support when skills improve
The takeaway
The NDIS uses both supports for the same purpose, a safer and more independent life. Household help keeps your home steady right now. Skill building helps you rely less on that help over time. Write goals in simple language, link each goal to the right budget, and keep short notes about progress. When you understand Household Tasks vs. Daily Living Skills, you get the right support at the right time and your plan stretches further.
