NDIS Price Guide for Families: How to Read It and What It Means for Your Plan
By FindMyHelp Editorial Team · Reviewed against official sources on
If you've ever looked at an NDIS invoice and wondered whether the rate was right, you've already met the "NDIS price guide". It's the list of the most a provider can charge for each NDIS support. This guide is written for participants, families and carers. It explains whether the price limits apply to your plan, how to read a support item, and how to check what you're being charged.
For the full 2026-27 rates and what's changed this year, see our NDIS Price Guide 2026-27 Explained.
What is the NDIS price guide now?
For years, families and providers called it the "price guide". Officially it was the NDIS Pricing Arrangements and Price Limits. From 24 September 2026, maximum prices are set by the Minister for Disability and the NDIS through a legal instrument called a pricing determination. The prices themselves are listed in the NDIS Pricing Schedule 2026-27 (NDIS – Pricing arrangements).
There are two schedules:
- the NDIS Pricing Schedule 2026-27, which covers most supports
- the NDIS Pricing Schedule for Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) 2026-27.
Both are effective from 24 September 2026, and you can download them from the NDIS pricing arrangements page.
The government says the new price limits line up with the NDIA's pricing guidance published in June 2026. The NDIA also says participants and providers don't need to do anything because of the change (NDIS – Pricing updates; health.gov.au).
Do the price limits apply to me?
It depends on how your plan is managed. According to ndis.gov.au, the maximum prices apply only to:
- NDIA-managed (agency-managed) participants
- plan-managed participants.
For these participants:
- the NDIA can't pay a claim above the maximum price
- providers can't charge more than the maximum price
- participants aren't entitled to a payment above the maximum price.
What if I self-manage?
The ndis.gov.au page says the maximum prices only apply to NDIA-managed and plan-managed participants. If you self-manage, you're not bound by the price limits in the same way. But every dollar above the limit buys fewer hours from your budget. It is still a useful benchmark when you negotiate prices.
How to read the pricing schedule
The schedule is long (96 pages), but each line follows the same pattern (NDIS Pricing Schedule 2026-27):
| Column | What it means |
|---|---|
| Support item number | A code such as 01_011_0107_1_1. Providers use it on invoices |
| Support item name | What the support is, for example "Assistance With Self-Care Activities - Standard - Weekday Daytime" |
| Unit | How it's charged: per hour, each, or per month |
| National / Remote / Very Remote | The maximum price for each location. All prices include GST |
Why the same support has different prices
The schedule sets different maximum prices depending on a few things (NDIS Pricing Schedule 2026-27, Part 1):
- Time and day. Weekday daytime, evening and night, Saturday, Sunday and public holidays each have their own price.
- Location. Remote (MM 6) and very remote (MM 7) areas have higher limits. The price depends on where the support is delivered, not your home address.
- Complexity. "High intensity" supports, for people with complex needs, have higher limits.
- Group supports. When a worker supports a group, the price is shared between the participants.
- Worker level. For 2026-27, support worker prices are grouped into four Disability Support Worker levels (Level 1 to 4), based on the worker's skills and experience under the SCHADS Award.
Tip: If a single worker's shift crosses two time bands, the higher price applies to the whole shift (NDIS Pricing Schedule 2026-27, Part 1, 2.4c).
Time-of-day definitions (non-nursing supports)
From Part 4 of the schedule:
- Weekday daytime: starts at or after 6am and ends by 8pm on a single weekday
- Weekday evening: starts at or after 8pm and finishes by midnight on a single weekday
- Weekday night: crosses midnight into the next weekday, or starts before 6am and finishes that weekday
- Saturday, Sunday and public holiday each have their own rates. Nursing supports use different time bands.
2026-27 example prices
The current maximum price for each support is on its own FindMyHelp price page, taken from the NDIS Pricing Schedule 2026-27 (NDIS Pricing Schedule 2026-27). Prices are national maximums and include GST. Each page also shows the remote and very remote limits. Browse every item in the FindMyHelp NDIS price guide.
Support workers: Assistance With Self-Care Activities (Standard, DSW Level 1)
- Weekday daytime: 01_011_0107_1_1
- Weekday evening: 01_015_0107_1_1
- Weekday night: 01_002_0107_1_1
- Saturday: 01_013_0107_1_1
- Sunday: 01_014_0107_1_1
- Public holiday: 01_012_0107_1_1
- Night-time sleepover (charged per sleepover, not per hour): 01_010_0107_1_1
Evenings, nights, weekends and public holidays have higher limits than weekday daytime. High-intensity support costs more than standard support: see 01_400_0104_1_1 (high-intensity, weekday daytime).
Therapy (direct service, per hour)
- Occupational therapist: 15_617_0128_1_3
- Physiotherapist: 15_055_0128_1_3
- Psychologist: 15_054_0128_1_3
- Speech pathologist: 15_622_0128_1_3
Support coordination and plan management
- Support Coordination Level 1: Support Connection (per hour): 07_001_0106_8_3
- Support Coordination Level 2: Coordination of Supports (per hour): 07_002_0106_8_3
- Support Coordination Level 3: Specialist Support Coordination (per hour): 07_004_0132_8_3
- Plan Management, monthly fee: 14_034_0127_8_3
These are maximums, not set prices. A provider can charge less, and you can agree a lower price in your service agreement.
What's changing next
Three changes are worth watching:
- Award wage changes on 1 December 2026. On 11 September 2026, the Fair Work Commission made a decision on the SCHADS Award, which covers many disability support workers. The changes take effect on 1 December 2026. The government says the 2026-27 Pricing Schedule "will be updated later this year to reflect any required changes" (health.gov.au).
- Possible different prices for registered and unregistered providers. The government is consulting on "differentiated pricing", which would set different price limits depending on whether a provider is registered. The NDIA's Annual Pricing Review for 2026-27 recommended starting on 1 January 2027. Nothing has been decided yet (health.gov.au).
- Next year's prices. Consultation on the Annual Pricing Review for 2027-28 prices is open until 1 November 2026 (NDIS – Pricing updates).
How families can use the pricing schedule
- Check invoices. Match the item number and time on the invoice to the schedule. If you're NDIA-managed or plan-managed, the price shouldn't be above the limit for that time and location.
- Compare quotes. Ask providers to quote using item numbers. It makes it easier to compare like with like.
- Plan your budget. Use the hourly rates to work out how many hours your funding covers. Remember that weekend and evening rates use up a budget faster.
- Ask questions. If a price looks wrong, ask the provider or your plan manager to explain it. You can also check the NDIS Support Catalogue.
Frequently asked questions
Is there still an "NDIS price guide"?
People still use the name. For 2026-27, maximum prices are set out in the NDIS Pricing Schedule 2026-27, made under the Minister's pricing determination and effective from 24 September 2026 (ndis.gov.au).
What's the NDIS support worker rate for 2026-27?
See the current maximum national price for standard weekday daytime self-care support on its FindMyHelp price page: 01_011_0107_1_1. It includes GST. Evenings, nights, weekends and public holidays are higher (NDIS Pricing Schedule 2026-27). These prices may be updated after the award changes on 1 December 2026.
Can a provider charge more than the price limit?
Not for NDIA-managed or plan-managed participants. Providers can't charge above the maximum price for those participants (ndis.gov.au).
Do price limits apply if I self-manage?
The ndis.gov.au pricing page says the maximum prices only apply to NDIA-managed and plan-managed participants. It's still a useful benchmark when you negotiate prices.
Do I need to do anything because of the new pricing determination?
No. The NDIA says participants and providers don't need to do anything (NDIS – Pricing updates).
Do the prices include GST?
Yes. Maximum amounts in the schedule already include any GST (NDIS Pricing Schedule 2026-27, Part 1, 1.2).
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This guide is general information, not financial advice. Prices are from the NDIS Pricing Schedule 2026-27 (effective 24 September 2026) and may change. Always check the latest schedule on ndis.gov.au.