PPE - Personal Protective Equipment

PPE - Personal Protective Equipment - Face masks, Hand Sanitiser

Personal protective equipment includes protective clothing, face masks, helmets, goggles, or other garments and equipment designed to protect the wearer's body from injury or infection.

The hazards addressed by protective equipment include physical, electrical, heat, chemicals, biohazards, and airborne particulate matter.

PPE for coronavirus (COVID-19) includes surgical masks, P2/N95 respirators, gloves, goggles, glasses, face shields, gowns and aprons. 

PPE helps to protect the wearer from infection. Proper use helps keep you safe and stops the spread of COVID-19.

PPE funding for NDIS participants in NSW and Victoria

The NDIS has put in place temporary measures so participants living in Victoria and New South Wales, who have at least one hour a day of face-to-face assisted daily living supports, can flexibly use their existing NDIS core supports funds to cover the cost of the PPE they need to keep themselves safe, including face masks, face shields, and gloves. 

NDIS participants who rely on face-to-face supports and assistance with their daily living will be able to use an existing support item (Low Cost Disability-Related Health Consumables) to claim on the cost of PPE for the times their worker is with them.  If you need to purchase face coverings or masks for use outside the home, this is still an everyday expense, and you cannot use your NDIS funds to pay for them. Hand sanitiser continues to be a personal expense.

Participants are expected to purchase PPE at market rates. As a general guide, the weekly cost of PPE is not expected to exceed $50 per week. This arrangement has been extended until 31 October 2020 for NSW & until 30 November 2020 for Victoria.

From 29 July 2020, NDIS participants who live in Victoria or New South Wales and who receive an average of at least one hour a day of face-to-face daily living supports are temporarily able to use the existing support item 03_040000919_0103_1_1 (Low Cost Disability-Related Health Consumables) to claim the cost of PPE that they use when their disability worker is supporting them.

In Victoria and NSW, the ability to claim for the cost of PPE will be extended to providers allowing workers to continue delivering essential disability supports to NDIS participants. Participants living in their own home who test positive for COVID-19 and are required to self-isolate or quarantine will also now be able to claim for related cleaning costs.

Update on NDIS coronavirus supports in South Australia

On 19 November the Minister for the NDIS announced coronavirus supports for providers and participants in SA.

For further details please visit the NDIS announcement page.

For NDIS Information; see Purchasing personal protective equipment.

For information on claiming using NDIS funding please visit our NDIS Funding Page.