By Chaice Paterson, CEO & Founder, Low Deposit Homes | Updated June 2026

If you work in disability support in Victoria — usually across several concurrent employers, mostly casual — you have probably had a bank tell you it can “only count your main job.” Here is the truth most NDIS workers never hear: the problem isn’t your income, it’s the lender. Bank policies on casual, multi-employer income vary enormously, and there are lenders whose policy aggregates all your casual income streams so your real combined earnings are assessed. Match that to Victoria’s first home buyer stack — the federal 5% Deposit Scheme (5% deposit, zero LMI), the $10,000 First Home Owner Grant, and the stamp duty exemption — and an NDIS worker buying a sub-$750,000 new build in one of Melbourne’s more affordable growth corridors can walk in with net cash of roughly $26,000–$29,000. That is the strongest entry point in the country, and this guide is Victoria-specific.

Why do banks struggle with NDIS income — and which ones don’t?

Standard lender policy was built for one salaried job. NDIS work breaks that template three ways: casual employment (some lenders discount it or demand long history), multiple employers (some count only the primary job, or apply harsh casual rules to each), and variable hours (rosters move with participant needs). A rigid lender might assess a worker earning $95,000 across three providers as if they earn $55,000 — and decline a loan their real income services comfortably.

The lenders that work for NDIS clients add the casual streams together, assess the combined figure, and apply workable per-employer history requirements. We won’t name banks in an article — policies shift and the right match depends on your exact pattern — but this lender-selection work is exactly what our broker partners do for NDIS clients every week. The gap between the wrong lender and the right one is routinely six figures of borrowing capacity.

How do you make multi-employer income bank-ready in Victoria?

1. Stability is currency. The longer and steadier your hours with each employer, the more of that stream a lender counts. If you are 6–12 months out, hold your current mix of employers steady.
2. Keep every payslip, from every employer. A clean payslip trail across all employers plus your tax return showing the combined total is your strongest asset.
3. Don’t quit a job right before applying. Dropping a stream mid-application changes the assessment. Make changes after settlement.
4. ABN/contractor work is a different category. If part of your support work is invoiced through an ABN, tell us upfront — self-employed income has its own rules and timeline.
5. Declare every stream, including the small one. A fourth employer paying $150 a week still helps when policy allows aggregation — and undisclosed income found on bank statements raises questions you don’t want.

Which schemes can a Victorian NDIS worker use?

The Victorian combination is unusually generous for new builds under $750,000, because all three of the FHOG, the stamp duty exemption and the 5% Scheme can apply at once.

Popular Victorian corridors — and the value they offer

Low Deposit Homes builds right across Victoria, so these are examples of where the value is strong, not the only places you can buy — we match you to the corridor that suits your work, family and budget. Popular options include Melbourne’s western, northern and south-eastern growth corridors (and Geelong) — Melton is one example among them. New-build packages in these corridors frequently sit between $650,000 and $850,000, and the under-$750,000 ones unlock the full Victorian stack — with similar value in other Victorian growth corridors. When your package is under $750,000:

• The $10,000 First Home Owner Grant applies.
• The stamp duty exemption applies. At construction-stage signing, only the land portion is dutiable — and the land value alone is often under the $600,000 threshold, which can mean little or no duty.
• The 5% Deposit Scheme applies (Melbourne metro cap $950,000), so you put down 5% and pay no LMI.

On an illustrative $700,000 package: 5% deposit $35,000 + about $4,000 in fees − $10,000 VIC FHOG − roughly $0 stamp duty − $0 LMI = approximately $29,000 net cash in. That full-stack value is the Melbourne lead for NDIS workers.

What can a Victorian NDIS worker actually afford?

Honest numbers, governed by one rule: the 5% Scheme reduces your deposit, not your loan. Borrowing capacity is set by income, and no responsible application stretches the loan past roughly 6.5 times a single income, or 6 times where you support dependants.

An NDIS support-worker couple — combined $110,000–$150,000 across multiple casual roles: with the right lender aggregating both partners’ streams, a $650,000–$750,000 new build in one of Melbourne’s western, northern and south-eastern growth corridors (and Geelong) is comfortably serviceable and lands you near $29,000 cash in with the full stack. This is the single best-value position for an NDIS household in Australia.

A single NDIS worker — $70,000–$90,000 combined streams: the sub-$750,000 pricing in Victoria’s more affordable growth corridors makes a single income more workable here than in Brisbane, but it is still tight — a $650,000 loan against a $80,000 income is near the serviceability ceiling. The honest levers are a joint application (even a modest second income changes everything) or a larger deposit via the First Home Super Saver Scheme so you borrow less. We will run your real figures and tell you straight which side of the line you fall on.

Two factors specific to many of our clients: if you support parents living in your household, they count as dependants and reduce borrowing capacity, and a parent’s pension is never used in an application. And remittances sent overseas are treated as committed outgoings — they lower assessed capacity but never disqualify you.

How does Low Deposit Homes help NDIS workers specifically?

Three things. First, our finance partners (licensed brokers) review your borrowing capacity and you get a full bank approval before you are placed on any package. Second, our finance partners match your income pattern to a lender that aggregates multiple casual NDIS streams instead of writing off two of your three jobs. Third, we find the right new-build package — our standard is a 4-bed, 2-bath, 2-car home with a multi-purpose room, the best layout for your family within budget, with no upselling.

We build right across Victoria — Melbourne’s western, northern and south-eastern growth corridors (and Geelong) — and match you to the area that fits your life, not the other way around.

Worth knowing early: settlement is not handover. Settlement is when the land title transfers; handover is when you collect the keys, often months later. A deal sitting “conditional, awaiting registration” is normal in a new build.

Frequently asked questions

Will a bank count all my casual NDIS jobs?
The right lender will. Many won’t, or will count only your main job. Our finance partners match you to a lender whose policy aggregates multiple casual streams.

How much deposit do I need for a Melbourne new build?
On a sub-$750,000 growth-corridor package with the full VIC stack, net cash in is often around $26,000–$29,000 — well below a 20% deposit plus LMI.

Do I get the $10,000 grant and the stamp duty exemption?
On a new build valued up to $750,000, yes to the grant. Stamp duty is nil under $600,000 dutiable value and sliding to $750,000 — and at construction-stage signing only the land is dutiable, which often keeps you in or near the nil band.

I’m casual — do I need to become permanent first?
No. The right lender assesses casual income on a workable history. Don’t change your employment right before applying.

Can I buy on a single NDIS income?
It’s more workable in Victoria’s affordable growth corridors than in Brisbane because of lower pricing, but still tight. A joint application or a larger FHSSS deposit are the honest routes. Book a call and we’ll run your real numbers.

Do I have to buy in a particular suburb?
No. The corridors mentioned are examples of where we build and where the value is strong — we build right across Victoria and match you to the area that suits your work, family and budget.

Your next step

Book a free 15-minute consultation and we’ll tell you exactly which lenders suit your income pattern and what a real Melbourne package would cost you.

Book your free call → Book your free call | 1800 920 172

Related reading: NDIS Worker Home Loans in Queensland · South African First Home Buyer Guide · Zimbabwean First Home Buyer Guide · How Low Deposit Homes Works.

Related guides: Queensland first home buyer guide · Victoria first home buyer guide · Grant Eligibility Calculator · Borrowing Power Calculator

Low Deposit Homes operates under Winning Homes Australia Pty Ltd (ACN 633 321 758). All calculations indicative. Not financial advice.