NDIS Price Guide 2026-27: Every Official Rate Explained

The NDIS price guide (also commonly called the NDIS pricing guide) is the official document that sets the maximum prices registered NDIS providers can charge participants for supports and services. From 1 July 2026 the current version is the NDIS Pricing Schedule 2026-27, a 99 page document published by the National Disability Insurance Agency. It replaced the older NDIS Pricing Arrangements and Price Limits, usually shortened to PAPL.

If you have searched for “NDIS price guide 2026”, “NDIS pricing guide”, “NDIS pricing arrangements and price limits”, or “NDIS price guide 2026-27” and ended up confused by overlapping terms, you are in the right place. The terminology is messy because the NDIA has changed the document name more than once. This guide explains how the naming works and walks through every rate that matters.

Most participants just want to know three things: how much do my supports cost, what changed on 1 July 2026, and am I being overcharged? Every figure in this guide is read directly from the official 2026-27 pricing schedule, not from summaries.

NDIS Price Guide vs Pricing Guide vs PAPL: What Are They Actually Called?

If you have tried to find the official rates and come away confused by the terminology, you are not alone. The same document is referred to by several different names across the NDIA, providers, and search engines. Here is what each one means.

• NDIS Pricing Arrangements and Price Limits (PAPL). This is the official document name used on ndis.gov.au. From 1 July 2026 this document is called the “NDIS Pricing Schedule 2026-27”. The PAPL name applied to earlier versions.
• NDIS price guide. The most common everyday name. The NDIA used to publish a separate document called the “NDIS Price Guide” alongside the PAPL, but the two were consolidated. The term has stuck in everyday use, and most participants, providers, and search results still call it the price guide.
• NDIS pricing guide. A common search variant. Means the same thing. The wording difference matters for Google search but not for the content.
• NDIS Support Catalogue. A separate Excel file maintained alongside the PAPL. The catalogue lists every line item code (for example, 01_011_0107_1_1) and the price limit attached to it. Providers use it for billing.
• Addenda to the PAPL. The NDIA publishes additional documents that sit alongside the PAPL: the Bereavement Addendum, the Assistive Technology Home Modifications and Consumables Code Guide, the Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) pricing arrangements, and the Disability Support Worker Cost Model. These explain or update the main PAPL without changing it. They must be read together with the PAPL.

So when you search “NDIS pricing arrangements and price limits 2025-26”, you are looking for the same document as someone searching “NDIS price guide 2025-26” or “NDIS pricing guide”. They all refer to the rates and rules published on the official NDIA pricing page.

How the NDIS Price Guide Works

Before we get into the numbers, here’s what you need to understand:

• Price limits are maximums. Providers can charge up to these rates, but not above them (for registered providers)
• Plan-managed participants can use unregistered providers and may negotiate rates below the price limit
• Self-managed participants can choose any provider, including those charging above the limit, but you pay the difference
• NDIA-managed participants must use registered providers who charge within the price limits
• Rates are reviewed annually through the Annual Pricing Review

The NDIS price guide covers hundreds of support items across multiple categories. Below, we’ve focused on the rates participants ask about most.

Support Worker Rates 2026-27

Support worker rates are the ones most participants deal with daily. All support worker rates increased on 1 July 2026 following the Fair Work Commission’s Annual Wage Review, which flows through to the SCHADS Award and then into the NDIS price limits.

Standard Support Worker Rates (Disability Support Worker Level 1)

Source: NDIS Pricing Schedule 2026-27, Schedule 1, Table 1 (Disability Support Worker Level 1), effective 1 July 2026. Remote loading applies at approximately 1.4x and very remote at approximately 1.5x the national rate.

Important: These are maximum provider charge rates, not what the support worker takes home. Workers are paid under the SCHADS Award, which ranges from $31.18-$43.66/hr depending on qualifications and role level.

What Workers Actually Earn vs What Providers Charge

The difference between the provider charge and the worker pay covers the provider’s overhead: insurance, admin, superannuation contributions, training, and operational costs.

High Intensity Support Worker Rates

If you require High Intensity Supports (complex behavioural needs, clinical support needs), the rates are higher:

Source: NDIS Pricing Schedule 2026-27, Schedule 1, Tables 1 and 2. High intensity supports are priced under Disability Support Worker Level 2, which also covers Intensive and Complex Behaviour Supports at the same rates.

Other Common Support Rates 2026-27

• Night-Time Sleepover: $311.79 per shift (includes up to 2 hours active support)
• House or Yard Maintenance: $59.01/hr
• House Cleaning and Other Household Activities: $60.10/hr
• Community Social and Recreational Activities: Same rates as standard support ($73.58/hr weekday daytime)

All rates sourced directly from the NDIS Pricing Schedule 2026-27, the official 99-page document published by the NDIA and effective 1 July 2026.

Therapy and Allied Health Rates

One of the biggest changes in the 2025-26 NDIS price guide was the move to national standardised rates for therapy services, replacing the old state-by-state pricing. Some states saw increases, others saw decreases.

Travel Billing Changes: This Is a Big One

From 2025-26, therapists can only bill their travel time at 50% of the relevant hourly rate. Previously, many therapists charged full hourly rate for travel. This means:

• An OT charging $193.99/hr for therapy can only charge $97.00/hr for travel time
• This significantly impacts participants in regional and remote areas
• Some therapists are reconsidering home and school visits as a result

If your therapist visits you at home or school, ask whether they’ve changed their travel billing. It could affect the cost against your plan. Read more about NDIS health supports.

Support Coordination Rates

Support coordination is how most participants interact with the NDIS system, and the rates haven’t changed for six consecutive years.

The freeze on Level 2 and 3 rates is controversial. While costs have risen across the board, the NDIA has kept support coordination rates flat since 2019-20. This makes it harder for providers to attract and retain experienced coordinators, which ultimately affects participants.

Not sure which level of support coordination you need? Read our guide to support coordination levels. Or if you’re interested in Level 3 specifically, see our complete Level 3 guide.

Psychosocial Recovery Coaching Rates

Psychosocial recovery coaching rates also increased by 3.95% in line with support worker rates:

Recovery coaching is funded from your Capacity Building budget and is specifically designed for participants with psychosocial disabilities (mental health conditions). Learn the difference between a recovery coach and a support coordinator.

Nursing and Clinical Rates

Nursing services received a 3.2% increase. Here are the weekday daytime rates by nurse type:

The NDIS Support Categories Explained

The NDIS price guide organises supports into categories that match the budget sections in your plan. Here’s what each one covers:

Core Supports (Flexible)

• Assistance with Daily Life: support workers, personal care, household tasks
• Transport: travel to activities, appointments
• Consumables: everyday items related to your disability
• Assistance with Social and Community Participation: group activities, outings, community access

Core supports are generally flexible, so you can move funding between the four core sub-categories. Learn what NDIS funding covers and what it doesn’t.

Capacity Building Supports (Fixed)

• Support Coordination: Level 1, 2, and 3
• Improved Living Arrangements
• Increased Social and Community Participation
• Finding and Keeping a Job
• Improved Relationships
• Improved Health and Wellbeing
• Improved Learning
• Improved Life Choices: plan management
• Improved Daily Living: therapies (OT, speech, psychology, physio)

Capacity Building budgets are not flexible. You can’t move money between categories. If you have $5,000 for “Improved Daily Living” (therapy), you can’t use it for support coordination or transport.

Capital Supports (Fixed)

• Assistive Technology: equipment, devices, home modifications
• Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA)

For Reference: What Changed in the 2025-26 Price Guide

This section covers the previous financial year and is kept for reference. For the current rates, see the tables above and the what changed on 1 July 2026 section. The figures in this table are historical and no longer the applicable price limits.

What Changed on 1 July 2026

The NDIS Pricing Schedule 2026-27 took effect on 1 July 2026, following the Annual Pricing Review and the Fair Work Commission’s Annual Wage Review decision. Four changes matter most.

1. The Document Was Renamed and Restructured

What was the “NDIS Pricing Arrangements and Price Limits” is now the “NDIS Pricing Schedule”. It runs to 99 pages across 11 schedules. The purpose is unchanged: it sets the maximum prices providers can charge.

2. Support Worker Rates Increased

All support worker rates rose following the Fair Work Commission’s Annual Wage Review. The standard weekday daytime rate moved from $70.23 to $73.58 per hour, with proportional increases across evenings, nights, weekends and public holidays. Nursing rates increased across all five levels, and household support rates rose to $59.01 and $60.10 per hour.

3. Therapy Billing Was Restructured Into Six Claim Items

Every therapy discipline is now billed through six separate support items rather than bundled together: direct service, cancellation, non-face-to-face, provider travel, NDIA requested reports, and telehealth.

For participants this means your statement now shows exactly what each claim was for. Provider travel remains capped at 50 per cent of the therapy rate, so an occupational therapist charging $193.99 per hour can claim $97.00 per hour for travel.

Speech pathology increased to $193.99, now level with occupational therapy. Psychology sits at $252.99. Occupational therapy itself was held at $193.99 for an eighth consecutive year. Full detail is in our NDIS therapy guide.

4. Support Coordination Stayed Frozen for a Seventh Year

Support coordination rates were not increased. Level 1 remains $80.06, Level 2 remains $100.14, and Level 3 remains $190.54 per hour. Providers have raised this consistently through the Annual Pricing Review, noting that rates have not moved since 2019-20 while wage costs have.

Also Worth Knowing: The Plan Management Set Up Fee Has Gone

The 2026-27 schedule lists only a monthly plan management fee of $104.45. The separate establishment or set up fee is no longer in the schedule. If you are charged a plan management set up fee in 2026-27, query it.

What Comes Next

The schedule was published against the backdrop of the Securing the NDIS for Future Generations Bill 2026, which proposes giving the Minister for the NDIS power to make binding pricing determinations. If that passes, future pricing may be set by ministerial determination rather than published by the NDIA in this form.

The next SCHADS Award increase is scheduled for 1 August 2026, and the NDIA may issue revised versions of the schedule during the year, as it did with the 2025-26 document. We re-verify this guide against the official schedule each quarter.

How the NDIS Pricing Cycle Works: The 3-Year Pricing Work Plan

For context on where 2026-27 fits, it helps to understand the NDIA’s published 3-year Pricing Work Plan. The NDIA has set out a multi-year approach to pricing reform across financial years 2025-26 through 2027-28:

This matters for participants because the 2026-27 and 2027-28 PAPLs are likely to introduce structural changes, not just rate adjustments. Watch the NDIA pricing arrangements page and our NDIS Planning Changes 2026 guide for updates.

How to Check If Your Provider Is Charging Correctly

Here’s a simple process to make sure you’re not being overcharged:

1. Check the support item code on your invoice. Every NDIS service has a specific line item code (e.g., 01_011_0107_1_1 for standard weekday support).
2. Look up the maximum rate on the official NDIS Pricing Arrangements page or use the NDIS Support Catalogue (downloadable Excel file).
3. Compare your invoice amount to the maximum rate. If the charge exceeds the limit for NDIA-managed or plan-managed participants using registered providers, flag it with your provider.
4. Talk to your support coordinator. They can review invoices, identify overcharging, and help resolve billing disputes. Learn what support coordinators do.

Tips to Make Your NDIS Funding Go Further

• Use plan management. A plan manager can help you access both registered and unregistered providers, often at lower rates.
• Negotiate rates. If you’re plan-managed or self-managed, you can negotiate below the price limit, especially for regular, ongoing services.
• Ask about weekday vs weekend. The same support on a Saturday costs nearly 40% more than a weekday. Schedule non-urgent supports on weekdays when possible.
• Use core budget flexibility. If you have unspent transport funding, you can redirect it to support worker hours (within the core category).
• Review your plan utilisation. Check your NDIS portal regularly to see how much you’ve spent vs what’s left. Your support coordinator can help with plan reviews.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where can I download the official NDIS price guide?

You can download the full NDIS Pricing Arrangements and Price Limits 2025-26 from the official NDIS website. It’s available as a PDF (1.3MB) and the Support Catalogue as an Excel file (549KB).

Why haven’t support coordination rates increased?

The NDIA’s Annual Pricing Review decided to maintain Level 2 ($100.14/hr) and Level 3 ($190.54/hr) rates for the sixth consecutive year. The NDIA says current rates are sufficient, but many providers disagree, arguing the freeze makes it harder to attract qualified coordinators. This may change when navigators replace support coordinators.

Can my provider charge more than the price guide rate?

Registered providers cannot charge above the price limit for NDIA-managed or plan-managed participants. However, unregistered providers (used by plan-managed or self-managed participants) are not bound by price limits. Always check the rate before engaging a new provider.

What’s the difference between what providers charge and what workers earn?

The NDIS price guide sets maximum provider charge rates (e.g., $73.58/hr). Support workers are paid under the SCHADS Award (e.g., $31.18-$43.66/hr). The difference covers the provider’s overheads: insurance, admin, super, training, and operational costs.

How does the travel billing change affect me?

Therapists now charge travel at 50% of their hourly rate instead of 100%. This reduces the cost of home/school visits against your plan, but some therapists may stop offering travel services due to the reduced income. Ask your therapist directly about any changes to their visit arrangements.

Will rates change again in July 2026?

Yes. The NDIA conducts an Annual Pricing Review (APR) every year, with new rates effective from 1 July. The current rates come from the NDIS Pricing Schedule 2026-27, which took effect on 1 July 2026. The next scheduled change is the SCHADS Award increase on 1 August 2026, and the NDIA may issue revised versions during the year. Stay updated on all NDIS changes for 2026.

What is the difference between NDIS price guide and NDIS pricing guide?

No difference. They are two ways of referring to the same document. The current official NDIA name is the “NDIS Pricing Schedule 2026-27”, which replaced the “NDIS Pricing Arrangements and Price Limits” (PAPL). “NDIS price guide” is the most common everyday name and “NDIS pricing guide” is a frequent search variation. All refer to the same rates published on the NDIA pricing arrangements page.

What is the NDIS PAPL?

PAPL stands for “Pricing Arrangements and Price Limits”. It was the official name of the NDIA document that sets the maximum prices registered providers can charge. From 1 July 2026 that document is called the NDIS Pricing Schedule 2026-27. It runs to 99 pages across 11 schedules and is updated annually through the Annual Pricing Review cycle.

Where can I download the NDIS price guide 2026-27 PDF?

The NDIS Pricing Schedule 2026-27 is published on the official NDIA pricing arrangements page as both a PDF and a Word document, effective 1 July 2026. Download it directly from the NDIA rather than from third party sites, so you always have the current version.

How much did NDIS rates go up on 1 July 2026?

Support worker rates increased across every time band, with the standard weekday daytime rate moving from $70.23 to $73.58 per hour. Nursing rates rose across all five levels and psychosocial recovery coaching rose from $105.43 to $110.44 per hour weekday daytime. Speech pathology increased to $193.99. Occupational therapy was held at $193.99 for an eighth year, and support coordination was held for a seventh year.

What if I think I’m being overcharged?

First, check the line item code on your invoice against the NDIS Support Catalogue. If the charge exceeds the maximum, raise it with your provider. If unresolved, speak to your support coordinator or contact the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission.

How Centre of Hope Can Help

Understanding the NDIS price guide shouldn’t require a degree in accounting. At Centre of Hope, we help participants across Western Sydney and NSW make sense of their funding, check provider invoices, and ensure every dollar in their plan is being used effectively.

We can help you:

• Understand your plan budget and how the price guide rates affect your available hours
• Review provider invoices to ensure you’re not being overcharged
• Maximise your funding by using core budget flexibility and negotiating rates
• Connect with providers who offer fair, transparent pricing
• Prepare for plan reviews to ensure your funding matches your actual needs

Your goals. Your plan. Our support.

📞 Call us: 0432 250 900
🌐 Visit: centreofhope.com.au
📝 Refer: Submit a referral

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial or legal advice. Rates shown are maximum price limits as per the NDIS Pricing Schedule 2026-27, effective 1 July 2026. Actual rates may vary. Always refer to the official NDIS pricing page for the most current information.