What the NDIS supports lists say about robotic pets
The NDIS supports lists in force since 3 October 2024 exclude pets, toys and animal therapy. Where a robotic pet can still fit as assistive technology.
The NDIS supports lists do not mention robotic pets by name. They do list pets and companion animals, toys, standard household items and animal therapy as things the NDIS generally does not fund, so a robotic pet only fits when it is bought as assistive technology to meet a disability-related need. The lists have applied since 3 October 2024 and were still in force, with no amendments, when we checked in October 2026.
What are the NDIS supports lists, and when did they start?
The lists are a legislative instrument with a long name: the National Disability Insurance Scheme (Getting the NDIS Back on Track No. 1) (NDIS Supports) Transitional Rules 2024. The Minister signed the rules on 30 September 2024 and they commenced on 3 October 2024. The full text is on the Federal Register of Legislation.
The rules have three working parts:
- Schedule 1 sets out supports that are NDIS supports unless the rules provide otherwise.
- Schedule 2 sets out supports that generally are not NDIS supports.
- Part 3 covers replacement support determinations, a narrow route for one participant to have a Schedule 2 item funded.
An item appearing in Schedule 1 does not mean it will be funded for you. It means the item is the kind of support the NDIS can fund, and the other tests in your plan still apply.
The exclusions that matter: pets, toys, animal therapy and household items
Four rows in Schedule 2 come up whenever someone asks about a robotic pet.
| Schedule 2 row | What the rules list | What it means for a robotic pet |
|---|---|---|
| Item 7 (pets) | Animals, including pets and companion animals, other than eligible assistance animals, plus pet food, vet costs, boarding, grooming and pet insurance | A live companion animal is out, so avoid describing a robotic pet as a pet purchase |
| Item 4(g) (lifestyle) | Standard recreational equipment and tools, including toys, balls and racquets | A robotic cat bought for amusement reads as a toy |
| Item 1(i) (household) | Standard household (including garden) items, appliances, tools and products | An everyday product bought for general use sits here |
| Item 9(i) (therapies) | Animal therapy, including puppy therapy and goat therapy, in a group of therapies the rules class as not evidence based | A robotic pet is not a live animal, but do not call the purchase animal therapy |
Live animals are a separate subject. The only animal support the rules treat as an NDIS support is an eligible assistance animal that is stated in the participant’s plan. If you are weighing a robotic pet against a dog or a visiting animal program, our comparison of a robotic pet, an assistance dog and a therapy animal covers that choice.
Where can a robotic pet fit? The assistive product categories
Schedule 1 includes assistive product categories that apply to participants generally. Three are close to how a robotic pet is used:
- Item 7, assistive equipment for recreation: assistive products used in sports or other recreational activities.
- Item 8, assistive products for household tasks: products that help a participant carry out domestic and everyday tasks within their home.
- Item 9, assistive products for personal care and safety: products for self-care and participation in self-care, including visual and tactile alerting systems.
Each of these rows also covers services to assess, prescribe, deliver, adjust and train the person in using the product, and maintenance, spare parts and consumables specific to that product. Whether ordinary C cell batteries count as specific to a robotic cat is a fair question to put to your plan manager.
The rules do not say which category a robotic pet belongs to. The NDIS sets the practical tests on its low-cost assistive technology page: the item must be directly related to your disability, help you work towards your goals, be something NDIS rules say can be funded, be safe for you to use, and be supported by evidence such as a recommendation from your allied health professional. The third test is where the supports lists come in. Our guide on whether the NDIS can fund a robotic pet covers the other four.
Replacement support determinations: what do they cover?
A replacement support determination lets the NDIA fund a Schedule 2 item for one participant because it replaces other NDIS supports. The participant applies, and the NDIA CEO must be satisfied that the conditions are met. Rule 7 of the transitional rules allows only two kinds of item:
| Item | Conditions |
|---|---|
| Standard commercially available household items | Needed because of the impairment the person’s NDIS access rests on, increases whole task independence, and reduces or removes the need for a support worker or disability specific assistive technology |
| Smart watches, tablets, smartphones, and apps used for accessibility or communication | Needed for communication or accessibility needs that arise from that impairment |
A participant can apply only once for the same support in any 12-month period, or once during a plan whose reassessment date falls less than 12 months after it started. Robotic pets are not named in either row. If you think this route applies to you, ask the NDIA before you buy.
Why does the wording in the plan and on the invoice matter?
Low-risk assistive technology under $1,500 needs no quote, assessment or NDIA approval before you buy it. The judgement therefore happens when the invoice is paid, by you or your nominee if you self-manage, or by your plan manager. The person checking it sees a product name, a price and whatever notes you add.
| Wording that points to an exclusion | Wording that describes the support |
|---|---|
| Toy cat, plush pet, gift | Robotic companion cat used as low-cost assistive technology |
| Pet for Alex | Robotic pup to help Alex settle at bedtime, supporting the plan goal of a calmer evening routine |
| Animal therapy | Tactile comfort device recommended by Alex’s occupational therapist |
The product and the price are identical in both columns. The right-hand column connects the purchase to the disability, the goal and the evidence. Use the participant’s own goal wording and keep the therapist’s note with the invoice. Our goal link and OT recommendation checklist lists what that note should cover.
The 2026 consultation on new NDIS supports rules
The government has said the transitional rules need updating. The Department of Health, Disability and Ageing’s consultation summary report says 1,791 individuals and organisations gave feedback between 16 June and 27 July 2025. Among people who had used the lists, 15% found it easy to understand what can be funded and 68% found it hard. Across all respondents, 77% had experienced or heard about situations where people understood the rules differently.
The department said it had used that feedback to change the rules and was seeking comment on the changes through a public consultation during August to October 2026. Until new rules are made and commence, the transitional rules are the ones that apply.
How to check the current lists yourself
- Open the rules on the Federal Register of Legislation and look at the “All versions” tab. A compilation or a replacement instrument means the lists have changed.
- Read Schedule 2 items 1, 4, 7 and 9, then Schedule 1 items 7 to 9.
- Check the “current as of” date at the foot of the NDIS low-cost assistive technology page.
- Before ordering, ask your plan manager how they will read the invoice description.
If the NDIA has already refused the item, work through our checklist for when the NDIA says no to a robotic pet. If you are ready to buy, request a supplier quote for a robotic pet bought as low-cost AT and tell us how the plan is managed, so the supplier can set out the invoice to suit it.
Frequently asked questions
- Is a robotic pet on the list of things the NDIS will not fund?
Not by name. Schedule 2 of the transitional rules lists pets and companion animals, toys and other standard recreational equipment, standard household items and animal therapy. A robotic pet bought as assistive technology for a disability-related need is none of those, but one bought or described as a toy or a pet can fall into those rows.
- Does the toys exclusion stop me buying a robotic cat with NDIS funds?
It stops a robotic cat bought for general amusement. The row covers standard recreational equipment and tools, including toys, balls and racquets. A robotic cat that a therapist has linked to a disability-related need and a plan goal is assessed as assistive technology instead, so keep that evidence with the invoice.
- What is a replacement support determination?
A decision by the NDIA CEO, made on a participant's application, that lets an item the rules generally exclude be funded because it replaces other NDIS supports. Under the transitional rules it only applies to standard commercially available household items, and to smart watches, tablets, smartphones and accessibility or communication apps, each with conditions.
- Are the NDIS supports lists changing?
Changes have been proposed. The government consulted on the lists in mid 2025 and said it would seek feedback on changed rules in a public consultation running from August to October 2026. When we checked in October 2026, the transitional rules that started on 3 October 2024 were still in force with no amendments. Check the Federal Register of Legislation before relying on any list.
- Who checks whether my purchase fits the lists?
For a low-risk item under the low-cost assistive technology limit, the NDIA does not approve the purchase first. The check happens at payment: by the participant or nominee for a self-managed plan, or by the plan manager for a plan-managed one. For an NDIA-managed plan, the item has to come from a registered NDIS provider, which claims payment from the NDIA.