Booking a support worker on a Saturday morning? Wondering why a Sunday support seems to cost twice what the same shift cost on Wednesday? The NDIS pay rates change with the day of the week, the time of day, the type of support, and where in Australia the support is delivered. For participants trying to budget a plan, and for support workers trying to understand their payslip, the differences matter.
This guide breaks down every NDIS pay rate for 2026-27, from weekday daytime through public holidays, for both the rate participants are charged and the wage support workers receive under the SCHADS Award. Every figure is verified directly from the official NDIS Pricing Schedule 2026-27, effective from 1 July 2026, and the Fair Work Ombudsman’s SCHADS Award MA000100 pay guide.
NDIS Pay Rates: Two Sides of the Same Number
When most people search for “NDIS pay rates“, they actually mean one of two different things:
- What the NDIS allows a provider to charge a participant: set by the NDIA in the annual NDIS Pricing Schedule document. These are maximum hourly rates.
- What a support worker is paid by their employer: set by the Social, Community, Home Care and Disability Services Industry Award (SCHADS Award MA000100), or by a registered enterprise agreement that pays at or above SCHADS minimums.
Both rates increase on weekends, evenings, nights, and public holidays, but they are not the same number. The NDIS rate must cover the worker’s wage plus on-costs (superannuation, workers compensation, leave entitlements), supervision, training, insurance, transport, and a small operating margin. That is why a participant might be charged $103.54 per hour on a Saturday while the support worker earns $54.33 per hour for the same shift.
NDIS Pay Rates by Day: Standard Support (2026-27)
The most common NDIS support line items are Assistance with Self-Care Activities (item 01_011_0107_1_1 and related) and Assistance with Social, Economic and Community Participation. These cover personal care, community access, household tasks, and one-to-one support, the day-to-day supports most participants use. Here are the official 2026-27 hourly rates for these standard supports in NSW (national/MMM 1-5 zones):
| Day & Time | NDIS Rate (Standard) | NDIS Rate (High Intensity) | Multiplier |
|---|---|---|---|
| Weekday Daytime (6am – 8pm) | $73.58 | $79.60 | 1.00× (base) |
| Weekday Evening (8pm – midnight) | $81.07 | $87.70 | 1.10× |
| Weekday Night (midnight – 6am) | $82.57 | $89.32 | 1.12× |
| Saturday | $103.54 | $112.01 | 1.41× |
| Sunday | $133.50 | $144.42 | 1.81× |
| Public Holiday | $163.46 | $176.84 | 2.22× |
Source: NDIS Pricing Schedule 2026-27, effective 1 July 2026. Rates shown are for Standard Support and High Intensity Support. Assistance with Self-Care Activities, NSW Metropolitan and Regional MMM 1-5. Remote (MMM 6) and Very Remote (MMM 7) rates are 40% and 50% higher respectively.
SCHADS Award Pay Rates: What the Support Worker Actually Earns
On the other side of the same shift, the support worker is paid under the SCHADS Award. The base rate depends on their level (1 to 8) and pay point. Most NDIS support workers in disability sit in Level 2 or Level 3. Casual employees receive a 25% loading on top of the base rate.
Here are the FT/PT minimum hourly rates for a Level 2 Pay Point 1 SACS worker, the most common classification for NDIS day-to-day support, under the same penalty structure:
| When You Work | Penalty | FT/PT Rate | Casual Rate (+25% loading) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard weekday (6am – 8pm) | 100% | $36.22/hr | $45.27/hr |
| Afternoon (8pm – midnight) | 112.5% | $40.75/hr | $49.80/hr |
| Night (midnight – 6am) | 115% | $41.65/hr | $50.70/hr |
| Saturday | 150% | $54.33/hr | $63.38/hr |
| Sunday | 200% | $72.44/hr | $81.49/hr |
| Public holiday | 250% | $90.55/hr | $99.60/hr |
Source: SCHADS Award MA000100, Social and Community Services stream, Level 2 Pay Point 1, incorporating the 4.75 per cent increase from the Annual Wage Review 2026, effective from the first full pay period on or after 1 July 2026. Rates increase with each pay point and level. Employees under Schedule E receive a further 15 per cent increase from 1 October 2026 under decision [2026] FWCFB 137.
An important note: SCHADS penalties are not cumulative. The highest applicable rate always applies. A worker who does a shift on Saturday evening receives the Saturday rate of 150%, not Saturday + evening combined. The exception is the casual loading, which stacks on top of any penalty.
The Big Question: Why Does a Sunday Shift Cost the Participant Almost Twice as Much?
Looking at the table above, a Sunday shift charges the participant $133.50/hr compared to $73.58/hr on a Tuesday, a $57.20/hr difference. That feels enormous. The answer is straightforward and built into Australia’s wage system:
- The SCHADS Award requires employers to pay 200% of the ordinary base rate on Sundays
- Superannuation, workers compensation, and payroll tax are calculated on that higher wage
- Insurance and supervision costs do not drop on weekends
- The NDIS rate must cover all of that, plus a small margin for the provider to remain viable
The NDIS pay rate for Sunday is not the provider “charging more for the weekend.” It is the cost of paying a worker their lawful Sunday penalty, with everything that wage carries. Saturdays use a 150% penalty; public holidays use 250%; nights and evenings carry smaller loadings. Each NDIS rate maps directly back to the underlying SCHADS structure.
Quick-Reference Chart: Weekday vs Weekend NDIS Pay Rates
For participants doing rough budget math, here is the simplest way to think about it:
| Day | Cost for a 2-hour Standard Support | Cost for a 6-hour Day Program |
|---|---|---|
| Weekday daytime | $147.16 | $441.48 |
| Saturday | $207.08 | $621.24 |
| Sunday | $267.00 | $801.00 |
| Public Holiday | $326.92 | $980.76 |
A 2-hour support on a public holiday costs the same as 4.4 hours on a Tuesday. A 6-hour day program on a Sunday is the equivalent of 10.9 weekday hours. For participants with weekly recurring supports, the difference adds up fast, see our NDIS Public Holiday Rates 2026 guide for a worked annual example covering Sarah’s 14 hours of personal care.
What About Other NDIS Support Types?
Not every NDIS pay rate changes by day. Several common supports have a single flat rate that applies any time of the week:
| Support Type | 2026-27 Hourly Rate | Day Variation? |
|---|---|---|
| Support Coordination. Level 2 | $100.14 | No |
| Specialist Support Coordination. Level 3 | $190.54 | No |
| Psychosocial Recovery Coach | $110.44 | No |
| Plan Management. Monthly Fee | $104.45/mo (setup fee removed in 2026-27) | No |
| Most Therapy Supports (Physio, OT, Speech) | $193.99 – $252.99 | No |
| Specialist Behaviour Intervention Support | $252.99 | No (practitioner work) |
Support coordinators, plan managers, recovery coaches, behaviour practitioners, and most therapists charge the same hourly rate regardless of the day. Day-of-week pricing only applies to standard support work, high intensity support work, and nursing supports: the categories that map directly back to SCHADS hourly penalty rates.
Sleepover, Overnight and Active Night Rates
Overnight supports have their own pricing structure. There are three different overnight support types under NDIS pay rates:
- Sleepover support: the worker sleeps at the participant’s home, with the agreement that they may be called on for limited active support. A flat shift fee applies.
- Inactive overnight: similar to sleepover but classed differently; the worker is on call but not expected to perform active duties
- Active overnight: the worker is awake and providing continuous support through the night (charged at the overnight hourly rate)
The current 2026-27 sleepover rates (NSW national/MMM 1-5) are:
- Standard sleepover, weekday/Saturday: $311.79 per shift (includes the SCHADS sleepover allowance of $62.87 per shift plus the 8-hour overnight inactive period)
- Standard sleepover, Sunday or public holiday: $311.79 per shift, with the active component (if any) charged at the relevant day rate
If a participant needs continuous awake support overnight, the worker is paid the standard night-shift hourly rate ($82.57 standard / $89.32 high intensity), not the sleepover fee.
How NDIS Pay Rates Are Built: From Award to Price Limit
The NDIA uses a published NDIS Disability Support Worker Cost Model to calculate each price limit. The model adds up:
- The SCHADS Award base wage (or relevant penalty rate)
- Superannuation (12% from 1 July 2025)
- Workers compensation insurance
- Annual leave loading and personal leave accrual
- Public holiday gazetted entitlement
- Payroll tax (where applicable)
- Supervision and training overhead
- Vehicle, equipment, and travel allowances
- Administration and quality systems
- A small operating margin
The published price limit is the sum of all these inputs. When the NDIA increases the price (as it did on 1 July 2026), most of that increase flows straight back to the SCHADS wage rise. Providers do not pocket the increase, it goes to workers.
What Changed on 1 July 2026
Two separate systems changed on 1 July 2026, and they moved in different directions. This matters, because one sets what participants are charged and the other sets what workers are paid.
1. NDIS price limits rose
The NDIA published the NDIS Pricing Schedule 2026-27, which replaced the former Pricing Arrangements and Price Limits document. Standard support rose from $70.23 to $73.58 per hour on a weekday, with proportional rises across evenings, nights, weekends and public holidays.
Therapy billing was also restructured. Each therapy discipline is now claimed through six separate items: direct service, cancellation, non-face-to-face, provider travel, NDIA requested reports, and telehealth. Provider travel remains capped at 50 per cent of the service rate.
2. SCHADS Award wages rose 4.75 per cent
In the Annual Wage Review 2026, handed down on 2 June 2026, the Fair Work Commission determined that “modern award wage rates shall be increased by 4.75 per cent, effective from 1 July 2026”. That applies from the first full pay period on or after 1 July 2026. A SACS Level 2 pay point 1 worker moved from $34.58 to $36.22 per hour.
3. A landmark SCHADS restructure is coming
Separately, on 1 June 2026 the Fair Work Commission handed down decision [2026] FWCFB 137 in its gender-based undervaluation review of the SCHADS Award. The Commission found the existing classification structure was affected by gender-based undervaluation and decided to replace it.
- From 1 October 2026: employees engaged under Schedule E (home care, disability care) receive an initial 15 per cent increase. The Commission expressed this as a provisional view, with 28 days allowed for submissions.
- From 1 October 2027: a new Final Classification Structure commences across the award, and the Equal Remuneration Order is revoked.
- Disability support workers currently at Level B.1 or under Schedule E face the largest movements, with the Commission noting increases of up to 27 per cent for some classifications.
For participants and providers, the significance is the gap this opens. Wage costs are set to rise substantially through 2026 and 2027, while NDIS support coordination price limits have now been frozen for a seventh consecutive year. Providers will be absorbing higher wages against flat price limits.
For a full breakdown of every NDIS line item, see our NDIS Price Guide 2026-27, and for the wage side see our SCHADS Award Increase 2026 guide.
How to Read Your Service Agreement and Invoice
If you are a participant or nominee checking provider invoices, the NDIS pay rates on your bill should match the official NDIS Pricing Schedule line items exactly. Here is what to look for:
- Line item code: every support has a unique code. Weekday daytime, evening, night, Saturday, Sunday, and public holiday each have separate codes. The first three digits indicate the support category (e.g. 01 for Daily Activities).
- Hourly rate: should not exceed the published price limit for that line item
- Hours billed: must match what was actually delivered. Cancellations and no-shows have their own rules.
- Day stamp: confirms whether the rate applied (weekday, Saturday, Sunday, PH) matches the day of service
- Travel charges: should be at the 50% rate, not 100%
If anything looks wrong, ask the provider to explain. A good provider will walk you through their invoice line by line. If they cannot, that is a signal to involve your support coordinator. See our guide on your first support coordination meeting for what a coordinator can do.
Practical Tips for Participants to Manage NDIS Pay Rates
- Schedule flexible supports on weekdays: if a support is not time-sensitive, weekday daytime is the cheapest hour you can buy
- Map your year against public holidays: NSW has 13 in 2026 (two extra because ANZAC Day and Boxing Day both fell on Saturdays). Each one costs 2.22× a regular weekday.
- Reserve weekend hours for what matters: social, recreation, family activities, religious observance. Supports that genuinely need to happen on Saturday or Sunday.
- Check what your provider is paying: if you are self-managing, you have the option to pay above SCHADS to attract experienced workers; the NDIS rate is a ceiling, not a floor
- Ask your coordinator to model annual cost: a good support coordinator can show you how weekday-vs-weekend scheduling affects your annual plan budget
- Don’t ration essential supports: if you need personal care every morning, you need it every morning. The plan funded it for that reason.
Practical Tips for Support Workers Reading Their Payslip
- Check your classification: Level 2 SACS minimum is $36.22/hr in 2025-26. If your payslip shows less, ask why.
- Verify penalty rates apply: Saturday should be 150%, Sunday 200%, public holiday 250%. Some employers pay a flat all-purpose rate that may or may not include penalties, read your contract carefully.
- Check allowances: broken shift ($21.81 to $28.87 per shift), sleepover ($62.87 per shift), and vehicle ($1.01/km) are frequently missed for casuals
- Understand your casual loading: 25% on top of every base rate and on top of every penalty
- Know your spread of hours: broken shifts attract an allowance; long spreads attract overtime
- Ask before you assume: the Fair Work Ombudsman has a free helpline on 13 13 94
For a full breakdown of the SCHADS Award including all levels, pay points, allowances, and overtime rules, see our SCHADS Award Explained 2025-26 guide.
How to check these rates yourself
NDIS price limits change at least once a year, so any article can fall out of date between updates. It is worth knowing where the numbers come from so you can confirm them at any time.
- The NDIS Pricing Schedule is the authoritative document, published at ndis.gov.au/providers/pricing-arrangements. Every price limit in this article was read from its rate tables. Check the financial year printed on the title page before you rely on a copy, because the NDIA has renamed this document (it was previously called the Pricing Arrangements and Price Limits) and older versions stay in circulation.
- Search by support item number, not by keyword. Standard weekday daytime assistance with self-care is 01_011_0107_1_1, Saturday is 01_013_0107_1_1, Sunday 01_014_0107_1_1, public holiday 01_012_0107_1_1 and weekday evening 01_015_0107_1_1. Item numbers are stable across years, which makes them a far more reliable way to find the right row than searching for a support name.
- For worker pay rather than participant prices, use the Fair Work Pay and Conditions Tool at calculate.fairwork.gov.au. NDIS price limits and SCHADS wages are two different systems on two different timetables, so a change to one does not imply a change to the other.
If a figure here does not match what you find at the source, trust the source and let us know so we can correct it.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the NDIS pay rate for a standard weekday support worker in 2025-26?
The NDIS price limit for a standard weekday support worker (Assistance with Self-Care Activities, 6am to 8pm) is $73.58/hr in NSW for the 2025-26 financial year. The underlying SCHADS Award wage for a Level 2 SACS worker is $36.22/hr, the rest covers super, workers comp, supervision, and overhead.
What is the NDIS Saturday rate?
The NDIS Saturday rate for standard support is $103.54/hr. For high intensity support it is $112.01/hr. The Saturday rate reflects the SCHADS Award 150% penalty on the underlying base wage.
What is the NDIS Sunday rate?
The NDIS Sunday rate for standard support is $133.50/hr. For high intensity support it is $144.42/hr. Sundays carry the SCHADS Award 200% penalty.
How much does NDIS support cost on a public holiday?
NDIS support on a public holiday is charged at $163.46/hr for standard support or $176.84/hr for high intensity. That is roughly 2.22× the regular weekday rate, reflecting the SCHADS 250% public holiday penalty. See our NDIS Public Holiday Rates 2026 guide for the full NSW holiday list.
What is the NDIS hourly rate for support workers?
It depends what you mean. The NDIS price limit the provider can charge is $73.58/hr on a weekday. The worker’s actual wage under SCHADS Level 2 is $36.22/hr base, plus 25% loading for casuals, plus penalty rates for weekends and evenings. The gap covers super, workers comp, supervision, training, vehicle costs, and admin.
Are NDIS pay rates the same in every state?
The price limits are nationally standardised. Remote (MMM 6) supports are 40% higher and very remote (MMM 7) supports are 50% higher than metro rates. The days that count as public holidays vary state by state, so NSW participants see a different public-holiday cost pattern than Victorian participants.
Why are NDIS evening and night rates higher than daytime?
SCHADS pays a 112.5% afternoon-shift loading from 8pm to midnight and a 115% night-shift loading from midnight to 6am. The NDIS price limits include those loadings, plus their corresponding on-costs.
Do NDIS pay rates include GST?
No. Most disability support services delivered to NDIS participants under their plan are GST-free under section 38-38 of the GST Act. The price limits published in the NDIS Pricing Schedule are the GST-free amounts.
Can a provider charge less than the NDIS pay rate?
Yes. The NDIS published rate is a maximum, not a fixed rate. Providers can choose to charge less. In practice, most providers charge at or near the price limit because the cost model is built around real labour costs.
Will NDIS pay rates increase in 2026-27?
Yes. The NDIS Pricing Schedule 2026-27 took effect on 1 July 2026. On the wage side, the Fair Work Commission’s Annual Wage Review 2026 decision of 2 June 2026 increased modern award rates by 4.75 per cent, also from the first full pay period on or after 1 July 2026. A further 15 per cent increase applies to SCHADS Schedule E employees from 1 October 2026 under decision [2026] FWCFB 137.
How Centre of Hope Can Help
Understanding NDIS pay rates is one part of getting the most from your plan. At Centre of Hope, we help participants across NSW:
- Map your annual plan budget: including weekday-vs-weekend scheduling, public holidays, and travel costs
- Compare provider quotes against the official NDIS price limits so you know you are paying a fair rate
- Check provider invoices line by line to spot incorrect rates, wrong day codes, or overcharged travel
- Schedule recurring supports strategically so your funding lasts the full 12 months
- Negotiate service agreements that clearly state the rate applied on each day of the week
- Connect you with the right providers for your specific goals and your specific budget
NDIS budgeting does not need to be a guessing game. With a steady support coordinator on your side, the difference between $70 and $156 per hour becomes a planned choice, not a surprise on your monthly statement.
Your goals. Your plan. Our support.
📞 Call us: 0432 250 900
🌐 Visit: centreofhope.com.au
📝 Refer: Submit a referral
Related Reading
- NDIS Price Guide 2025-26: Every Rate Explained Simply
- SCHADS Award Explained 2025-26
- NDIS Public Holiday Rates 2026: Complete Guide
- NDIS Funding Explained 2026
- NDIS Transport Funding Explained 2026
- NDIS Funding Periods Explained
- NDIS Core Supports Explained 2026
- NDIS Capacity Building Supports 2026
- Understanding NDIS Support Coordination
- Your First Support Coordination Meeting
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial, legal, or workplace relations advice. All NDIS rates are verified directly from the official NDIS Pricing Schedule 2026-27, effective from 1 July 2026 (published by the NDIA at ndis.gov.au). All SCHADS Award rates are verified from the SCHADS Award MA000100 published by the Fair Work Commission, effective 1 July 2026, and the Fair Work Pay and Conditions Tool. Rates change at least annually, for advice specific to your plan, speak with your support coordinator or contact the NDIA on 1800 800 110. For workplace pay rate questions, contact the Fair Work Ombudsman on 13 13 94.
