There are three NDIS support coordination levels, and understanding the difference between them can make or break how well your plan works for you. Each level offers different types of help, different intensity, and different costs. Picking the right one (or knowing what you’re entitled to) is essential.
In this guide, we’ll explain each of the three NDIS support coordination levels in plain language, what they do, who they’re for, what they cost, and how to get the right level in your plan.
The Three NDIS Support Coordination Levels at a Glance
| Feature | Level 1: Support Connection | Level 2: Coordination of Supports | Level 3: Specialist SC |
|---|---|---|---|
| Purpose | Build your ability to connect with supports independently | Design, build, and maintain your support network | Manage complex barriers and high-risk situations |
| Best for | First-time participants with straightforward needs | Most NDIS participants, the standard level | Justice involvement, homelessness, mental health crises, multi-system |
| Hourly rate (2025-26) | $80.06/hr | $100.14/hr | $190.54/hr |
| NDIS code | 07_001_0106_8_3 | 07_002_0106_8_3 | 07_004_0132_8_3 |
| Duration | Short-term | Ongoing (plan duration) | Usually time-limited (crisis-focused) |
| Crisis support | No | Yes | Yes, intensive |
| Typical funding | ~$960-$1,920/yr | ~$3,600-$7,200/yr | ~$16,000-$20,500/yr |
All rates from the official NDIS Pricing Arrangements and Price Limits 2025-26 (v1.0, pages 71-74). Level 2 and Level 3 rates have been frozen for six consecutive years. See every NDIS rate in our Price Guide.
Level 1: Support Connection
What It Is
Level 1 is the entry-level support coordination. It’s designed to build your ability to connect with informal, community, and funded supports, enabling you to get the most out of your plan independently.
Who It’s For
- First-time NDIS participants with relatively straightforward needs
- People who mainly need help understanding their plan and connecting to providers
- Participants who have some informal support (family, friends) but need initial guidance
What Your Coordinator Does
- Helps you understand your plan and what each budget category covers
- Connects you with NDIS providers, community services, and mainstream supports
- Helps you establish initial support arrangements
- Coaches you to build confidence managing your plan yourself
What It Doesn’t Include
- Designing tailored support approaches
- Crisis planning or crisis response
- Building long-term capacity and resilience
- Addressing complex barriers across multiple systems
Cost
$80.06/hr (standard metro rate). At 1-2 hours per month, this works out to roughly $960-$1,920 per year.
Note: If you’re under 9 and receiving assistance from Partners in the Community, an early childhood partner provides the equivalent of Level 1 support. For participants 9 and older, the Local Area Coordinator (LAC) may provide this function.
Level 2: Coordination of Supports
What It Is
Level 2 is the standard level of support coordination, and the one most participants receive. It goes beyond basic connection to actively design, build, and maintain your support network. The focus is on helping you direct your life, not just your services.
Who It’s For
- Most NDIS participants who need ongoing coordination
- People managing multiple providers (therapists, support workers, plan managers)
- Participants going through life transitions (new living arrangements, starting work, changing services)
- Anyone who needs help building skills and resilience to manage their supports
What Your Coordinator Does
Everything Level 1 does, plus:
- Designs support approaches, creating a tailored plan for how your supports work together
- Builds capacity and resilience, helping you grow your ability to manage things independently
- Crisis planning, preparing for unexpected situations before they happen
- Monitors your budget, tracking spending against your plan to prevent blowouts
- Coordinates between providers, making sure your OT, support workers, and therapists aren’t working in silos
- Brokers services, negotiating with providers on your behalf
Real-World Example
Sarah just received her first NDIS plan with funding for OT, speech therapy, a support worker, and community access. Her Level 2 coordinator helps her find an OT who specialises in her condition, sets up service agreements with each provider, creates a weekly schedule that balances therapy and community participation, monitors her budget monthly, and prepares her for her plan reassessment 10 months later.
Cost
$100.14/hr (standard metro rate). At 3-6 hours per month, this works out to roughly $3,600-$7,200 per year. The average across all participants is approximately 4 hours per month.
Level 3: Specialist Support Coordination
What It Is
Level 3 is the highest tier of support coordination. It’s delivered by a specialist, typically someone with a degree in social work, psychology, OT, or mental health nursing, and is designed for participants whose situations are so complex that standard coordination isn’t enough.
The focus is on reducing complexity, overcoming immediate and significant barriers, and ensuring consistent service delivery even during crisis situations.
Who It’s For
- Justice system involvement, leaving prison, on parole, court orders alongside NDIS
- Homelessness or housing crisis, at risk of losing accommodation
- Complex mental health, frequent hospitalisations, psychosocial disability with crisis episodes
- Multi-system involvement, NDIS + health + housing + justice + child protection simultaneously
- Complex behavioural needs, requiring intensive intervention planning
- Rural/remote barriers, significant difficulty accessing providers
What Your Specialist Coordinator Does
Everything Level 2 does, plus:
- Addresses complex barriers, identifies and resolves the root causes preventing you from accessing supports
- Designs a complex service plan, a detailed plan for how all stakeholders (providers, government agencies, family, community) interact to support you
- Navigates multiple systems simultaneously, coordinating across NDIS, justice, health, housing, and other agencies
- Intensive crisis response, daily check-ins during critical periods, immediate action during emergencies
- Negotiates with stakeholders, advocating across systems to achieve coordinated plan implementation
Cost
$190.54/hr (standard metro rate). At 7-9 hours per month, this works out to roughly $16,000-$20,500 per year. Level 3 is generally time-limited, funded for a specific crisis or complex period, then participants may transition back to Level 2.
For the full deep dive, see our complete Level 3 Specialist Support Coordination guide.
Official Activities by Level (NDIA Breakdown)
The NDIA specifies which activities each level of NDIS support coordination is expected to perform:
| Activity | Level 1 | Level 2 | Level 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Understand the plan | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Connect with supports and services | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Design support approaches | No | Yes | Yes |
| Establish supports | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Coach, refine and reflect | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Build capacity and resilience | No | Yes | Yes |
| Crisis: planning, prevention, action | No | Yes | Yes |
| Address complex barriers | No | No | Yes |
| Design complex service plan | No | No | Yes |
| Report to the NDIA | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Source: NDIS Support Coordinators, Official NDIA
A participant can have both Level 2 and Level 3 in the same plan, Level 3 for immediate complex barriers, Level 2 for ongoing coordination once the crisis stabilises.
How to Know Which Level You Need
Ask yourself these three questions:
1. How Complex Is Your Situation?
| Your Situation | Recommended Level |
|---|---|
| Simple needs, first plan, just need help getting started | Level 1 |
| Multiple providers, ongoing coordination, building independence | Level 2 |
| Justice, homelessness, crisis, multiple systems at once | Level 3 |
2. How Confident Are You Managing Your Plan?
- Quite confident, just need a nudge → Level 1
- Need regular help, want someone alongside me → Level 2
- Overwhelmed, in crisis, can’t manage without intensive help → Level 3
3. Are There Risk or Crisis Factors?
- No immediate risks → Level 1 or 2
- Some risk of services breaking down → Level 2
- High risk, housing instability, justice involvement, frequent hospitalisations → Level 3
How to Get the Right Level in Your Plan
- Ask at your planning meeting. The NDIA won’t offer it if you don’t ask. Be specific about which level and why.
- Bring evidence. Reports from therapists, hospital discharge summaries, letters from your current coordinator, anything showing the complexity of your situation.
- If your plan states a specific level, you can only purchase that level. If it doesn’t specify, you can choose whichever level suits your needs.
- If denied, request an internal review within 3 months. Your coordinator can help prepare the review.
Pro tip: Participants who meet with an NDIA Planner (rather than a Local Area Coordinator) are more likely to receive support coordination funding. If your situation is complex enough for Level 3, request a planner. The planning process is changing in 2026.
What’s Changing in 2026
All three NDIS support coordination levels continue as normal in 2026. However, under the Securing the NDIS for Future Generations Bill 2026, support coordination is set to become a newly commissioned function from 1 July 2028. From that date, the NDIA appoints providers directly under the new arrangement, rather than the current open market. If your current provider is selected, nothing changes for you. If not, transition arrangements apply. For the full reform timeline, see our NDIS Reforms 2026 guide.
The Level 2 and Level 3 hourly rates have been frozen since 2019-20, six years without an increase. The Level 1 rate increased by 3.95% in 2025-26.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the three NDIS support coordination levels?
Level 1 (Support Connection) at $80.06/hr for basic plan navigation. Level 2 (Coordination of Supports) at $100.14/hr for ongoing coordination. Level 3 (Specialist SC) at $190.54/hr for complex, high-risk situations. See all rates in our Price Guide.
Can I have more than one level at the same time?
Yes. Your plan can include Level 3 for immediate complex barriers alongside Level 2 for ongoing coordination once the crisis resolves.
Which level do most participants get?
Level 2 (Coordination of Supports) is the most common. About 44% of NDIS participants have some form of support coordination in their plan.
Can I change my level mid-plan?
If your plan doesn’t state a specific level, you can choose whichever is most appropriate. If it does state a level, you’ll need a plan reassessment to change it.
How do I switch from Level 2 to Level 3?
You’ll need to request a plan reassessment and provide evidence that your situation has become complex enough to require specialist coordination. Your current Level 2 coordinator can help you prepare this request. Read our Level 3 guide for details.
Will the levels change when Navigators replace support coordinators?
The Navigator model is still being designed. One proposed navigator type, the Intensive Navigator, is expected to serve a similar function to Level 3. Until the transition happens, all three levels continue as normal. Learn more about Navigators.
How Centre of Hope Can Help
At Centre of Hope, we deliver all three NDIS support coordination levels across Western Sydney and NSW. We’re a mobile service, we come to you.
- Support Coordination (Level 2), our most common service, helping you connect with providers and build independence
- Specialist Support Coordination (Level 3), for justice involvement, homelessness, mental health crises, and multi-system coordination
- Psychosocial Recovery Coaching, for participants living with mental health conditions
- Justice-Involved Support, for participants in or leaving the justice system
Not sure which level you need? Call us for a no-obligation chat, we’ll help you figure it out.
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. Rates are from the NDIS Pricing Arrangements and Price Limits 2025-26 (v1.0). NDIS policies may change. Refer to the official NDIS website for the most current information.
