NDIS Support Worker Pay Rates in 2025

Key takeaways for Support Workers 

• The NDIS Pricing Arrangements and Price Limits (PAPL) sets guidelines for how support workers can claim, and the amounts they can claim up to, for their services. 
• NDIS pay rates can change depending on time, day and location of support delivery.  
• The 2025-2026 PAPL brings significant changes for some support workers including therapy providers, Disability Support Workers and home-based support workers. 

Understanding NDIS Pricing Arrangements and Price Limits 

Every year on 1 July, the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) publishes an update to their Pricing Arrangements and Price Limits (previously NDIS Price Guide). Any updates are designed to strike a balance between providing “value for money”, and making sure workers are fairly compensated for the support provided. 

 

 

It’s important to stay across these changes so you can submit accurate invoices. We’ve created a helpful guide covering the key factors impacting what you can claim for providing NDIS support – and detailing the latest changes to pay rates from 1 July 2025. 

Here’s what you need to know: 

Differences between working with agency managed, plan managed or self-managed clients 

The NDIA sets support worker rates to keep prices fair and provide ‘good value’ for participants. However, depending on a participant manages their plan, this may not be the price you agree on for your services. 

• Agency managed participants can’t pay more than the PAPL specifies and can only use NDIS registered providers. 
• Plan managed participants also can’t pay more than the current maximum price for services, but they can use any providers (registered or unregistered). 
• Self-managed participants can negotiate rates with their support workers outside of the price limits. They can use any provider as well. 

Related: NDIS Self Managed vs Plan Managed vs Agency Managed Explained 

How provider pay rates can change

The time of day, day of the week, location, and number of participants can affect the NDIS price limits for your services: 

• Services delivered after hours, on weekends, or on public holidays have higher rates than those delivered during standard hours on a weekday. 
• Support work in remote or very remote locations has different rates to those delivered in standard areas. 
• If you’re providing support to more than one participant at a time, the NDIS hourly rate is divided by the number of participants in the group unless otherwise stated in the PAPL. 

Here’s an example of how NDIS support worker rates vary (using Assistance with Self-Care Activities rates to show the difference): 

Scenario	National Hourly Price Limit	Remote	Very Remote	Explanation
Weekday (standard hours)	$70.23	$98.32	$105.35	Standard rate during weekday daytime hours.
Weekday evening	$77.38	$108.33	$116.07	Higher rate for after-hours work (after 8pm).
Weekday night	$78.81	$110.33	$118.22	Overnight support has a slightly higher rate than evening.
Saturday	$98.83	$138.36	$148.25	Weekend loading for work on Saturdays.
Sunday	$127.43	$178.40	$191.15	Higher Sunday rate to reflect increased demand and limited availability.
Public Holiday	$156.03	$218.44	$234.05	Higher rate applies for supports delivered on public holidays.

 

5 Key changes to NDIS pay rates in 2025 

1.     Changes for some Allied Health price limits 

National limits have been introduced for allied health supports, which stops variations in pricing between states and territories. The Government has expressed its intent to bring NDIS pricing in line with broader market rates with this move – for example: 

• Physiotherapy has a new national price limit of $183.99 per hour, which represents a decrease across all states and territories. 
• Dietitians and podiatrists both have a new national limit of $188.99 per hour, which is a decrease of $5 per hour. 
• Psychology has a new national limit of $232.99 per hour, which is a $10 increase in NSW, VIC, QLD and the ACT but an $11.23 decrease for the rest of the country. 

2.     Pay increase for Disability Support Workers 

From 1 July 2025, support workers funded under the Disability Support Worker (DSW) cost model have received a 3.95% pay rise following changes to minimum wages, and an increase in their Superannuation Guarantee. 

This means providers of most core supports, Support Coordination Level 1 and Psychosocial Recovery Coaching have seen a price increase for their services. 

3.     Pay increases for nursing and other domestic supports 

Price limits have also increased for some home-based supports that aren’t funded under the DSW model. There was a 3.2% increase in price limits for: 

• Disability-related nursing supports 
• Assistance with personal domestic activities 
• Cleaning and other everyday household activities
• House or yard maintenance 
• Specialised home-based assistance for children 

4.     Changes to therapy travel costs 

After feedback from participants about therapy travel costs, the NDIS travel claiming rules have been updated.  

These changes apply only to the labour costs associated with travel. That means the cost of your time whilst you’re travelling in your vehicle, not the running costs of the vehicle itself. 

Support workers can only claim up to half the total hourly rate, using the usual time limit caps by location (using the NDIA’s Modified Monash Model). This is to ensures consistency and more transparent pricing. 

For travel in remote and very remote locations where time caps don’t apply, the maximum rate for the time a support worker spends travelling would automatically be 50% of the standard price limit. This makes things fairer for participants in regional areas where access to supports depends on provider travel. 

All other travel rules remain the same at this stage. 

Support workers can still: 

• Claim non-labour travel costs like road tolls, parking fees, fuel and other running costs for their vehicle. 
• Negotiate with participants for them to make a reasonable contribution towards these non-labour travel costs. 
• Claim for travel time in both directions, up to the usual limits (e.g. 30 minutes each way for metro MMM1-3, 60 minutes each way for regional MMM4-5). 

Note: This change only applies to therapy providers, not to other support workers. 

Example scenario: Metro provider travel pricing 

You’re a physiotherapist travelling to your client’s home for a 1-hour appointment. You both live in a metro area (MMM-3). The support itself will be $183.99 for the hour. You can therefore claim up to $91.995 (half the total support cost).  

It takes you 15 minutes (or 0.25 of an hour) to get there; because of this, you can claim $22.99 for travel costs. If it’s your last appointment of the day and you are paid to travel back to the office, you may also be able to claim another $22.99 for the return trip. 

Example scenario: Remote provider travel pricing 

You travel to your client’s home in a remote location (classified as MMM-6) for a physiotherapy session. Because travel in remote areas can take a long time, there is no time cap – you simply claim half the price of the support item.  

For an hour of physiotherapy in a remote area, this would be $128.79 (half of the hourly maximum for remote supports, which is $257.59). 

Reminder on gap fees and other costs 

While you can claim for road tolls and non-labour costs – under NDIS rules, you must not add any other charges on top. This includes ‘gap fees’, credit card surcharges or any additional fees beyond NDIS price limits. 

5.    Changes to how therapy supports can be claimed 

While not specifically a change to maximum prices, this affects how you can claim for your services. 

The NDIS is no longer allowing therapy supports to be claimed from Core Supports budgets. They are now only claimable from Capacity Building – Improved Daily Living. Therapy supports cover a wide range of specialities: 

• Occupational therapists 
• Physiotherapists 
• Speech pathologists 
• Psychologists 
• Dietitians 
• Podiatrists 
• Social workers (when providing therapy services) 

If this list includes you, please be aware you will not be paid for your support services if you claim through Core Supports. You must claim through Capacity Building Supports. 

How to make the most of NDIS provider rate changes 

Every updated PAPL brings changes to the NDIS system – either to pay rates, or to categories, or to how things can be claimed and by whom. The best way to make the most of these changes is to be proactive.  

Here are a few tips for getting ahead of the curve: 

1.     Updating service agreements 

Service agreements set expectations between you and your clients, defining what services will be provided and corresponding payment arrangements. 

If you have a service agreement template (which we recommend), you should double check any relevant hourly rates and travel costs. It’s also also a good idea to ensure your clients are aware of changes in costs – and that they have funding available in the right budgets. 

2.     Cost modelling and re-weighting services 

Make sure you’re building in a healthy buffer for overheads and contingencies, particularly if you have been impacted by any of the rate decreases. 

You might also consider reviewing your service mix and seeing whether you can offer other supports with a better margin, to make up for any extra squeeze from the new PAPL. 

3.     Maximising efficiency & automating where possible 

Many of the PAPL changes are designed to encourage efficiency in providers, so it makes sense to check whether you can streamline any of your process. For example, you may be able to rebalance your roster to cluster appointments for clients who live closer together. 

You should also investigate whether some admin can be automated, which would give you more billable hours to spend with clients and less time stuck on paperwork. 

If your clients are plan managed, you can leverage their plan manager’s resources too. For example, NDSP offers free invoice templates, an invoice tracker for invoices submitted to us, and practical, educational guides for both registers and unregistered providers based on up-to-date NDIS information. 

Related: 

• How We Provide Consistent Support to Participants and Support Coordinators 
• How We Pay Your Providers: Invoices, Timelines & More 

4.     Build trust with transparency 

Client loyalty is built on good service, reliability, and trust from NDIS participant clients. 

As these and other NDIS changes roll out, keep communication open between you and your clients. If you give them a heads up ASAP so they know when to expect changes, they’ll appreciate it! 

5.     Work with other providers 

Networking is underrated! While being a NDIS provider means working in a competitive niche, there’s also strength in numbers when it comes to engaging with the NDIA or collaborating for better client care. 

You might work with other providers in your area to: 

• Align complementary services 
• Benchmark your services 
• Learn more about other service models 

Working with local businesses (and connecting with LACs operating in your area) can be invaluable in creating recognition for your brand – just make sure you keep your initial contact personalised, succinct and specific to their offerings. 

Related:

• A Practical Guide to Finding More NDIS Clients 
• What the new NDIS Needs Assessment Model means for Participants in 2026

How NDSP helps NDIS providers stay compliant with the latest changes 

We help you gain more visibility with our provider finder, and our services make working with NDSP managed participants easy. 

Our team ensures invoices are accurate and compliant before they go to the NDIS for approval and payment. This saves you (and your clients) time and stress – allowing you to focus on your daily life rather than tracking down payments. 

We check invoices are: 

• Compliant with current NDIS guidelines and rules 
• Aligned with the participant’s NDIS plan funding (and that they have enough left in their current funding period) 
• Accurate and containing all the required information like names and NDIS details, ABN, a unique invoice number, and service details 

Our plan management specialists have expert knowledge of the NDIS, including the latest changes to funding, categories, and provider rates. Why not contact us today to find out how we support NDIS providers across Australia.