Can the NDIS fund a robotic pet?
What the NDIS low-cost assistive technology rules mean for a robotic cat or pup in 2026, and the conditions a purchase must meet before you buy.
In some cases it can. Nobody, including this site, a supplier or a therapist, can promise the NDIS will accept a particular purchase. The NDIS does not fund pets or toys. A robotic companion pet only fits when it works as assistive technology for a need that comes from the participant’s disability, and when it supports a goal in their plan.
What counts as low-cost assistive technology?
The NDIS groups assistive technology by cost and risk. Items that cost less than $1,500 and carry low risk are treated as low-cost AT. The NDIS page on low-cost AT, checked on 24 September 2026, says that for these items:
- no quote is needed
- no assessment or written evidence is required
- no prior approval from the NDIA is needed
- the purchase is usually paid from the Consumables budget
A companion cat from an Australian specialist retailer is listed at $259 to $300 and a companion pup at $269 to $315. Both are well under the limit, so cost is rarely the sticking point. The purpose of the purchase is what matters.
What conditions still apply?
Low cost does not remove the rules. The NDIS still expects every purchase to:
- relate to the participant’s disability
- link to a goal in the current plan
- fall within NDIS rules, including the supports lists that took effect on 3 October 2024
- be safe for the person to use
- be backed by some evidence, such as a recommendation from an allied health professional
The supports lists are the reason wording matters. Pet-related purchases are generally outside what the NDIS funds, so the item has to be described and used as assistive technology. A plan note that reads “robotic cat to help the participant settle during evening distress at home, recommended by their OT” is easier to justify than a receipt that says “toy cat”.
Who checks that the purchase fits?
Because low-risk, low-cost items need no prior approval, the checking falls to the participant, their nominee or their plan manager. Keep the therapist recommendation, the tax invoice and a short note of the goal the pet supports. If the claim is ever queried, those three documents answer most questions.
What about Support at Home?
Support at Home is the aged care program that replaced Home Care Packages on 1 November 2025. Its assistive technology list names no robotic or companion pet, and touch-based sensory products appear under its exclusions. Do not plan on Support at Home paying for a robotic pet.
Next steps
- Read how to claim from the Consumables budget.
- Work through the goal link and OT recommendation checklist.
- Compare products under the low-cost AT limit.
- Send an enquiry and a supplier who sells to NDIS participants will quote you directly.