NDIS price limits 2026-27: support worker rates and quote checker
A rates table of common 2026-27 NDIS price limits, a quote checker that tests any quote against the limit, and what changed in the NDIS Pricing Schedule 2026-27.
If the quote
NDIA-managed or plan-managed: at or below the applicable limit and inside the budget
Potentially claimable — compare the inclusions and put the rate in writing.
If the quote
Self-managed: above the published limit
Allowed if you agree, but the higher rate uses more of your plan budget. Compare carefully.
If the quote
Has travel, cancellation, or admin fees that weren't disclosed up front
Not necessarily wrong — but it should be in the written quote before you commit.
Check your quote against the price limit
Choose the support item and enter the quoted rate. The tool reads the published limit from the NDIS support catalogue and checks it against your funding arrangement.
A quote under the limit isn't automatically a bargain and a quote at the limit isn't automatically fair — but a quote that respects both the price limit and your plan budget is one you can say yes to with your eyes open.
Many prices have a published ceiling
The NDIA publishes the NDIS Pricing Schedule 2026-27. It sets maximum prices for many commonly used supports, and those limits only apply when the support is NDIA-managed or plan-managed. Self-managed participants can negotiate their own rate, although their total plan budget stays the same.
Supports are priced in different units: by the hour, by the item, by the day, week or month. Comparing a per-hour quote to a per-session quote is how fair-looking comparisons go wrong, so line up the units before you compare.
Common NDIS price limits for 2026-27
National, remote and very remote limits per unit. Values come from the committed NDIS support catalogue, effective 2026-07-01. Select the matching item, region and support conditions before quoting.
| Support item | Item number | Priced by | National | Remote | Very remote |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assistance With Self-Care Activities - Standard - Weekday Daytime | 01_011_0107_1_1 | Hour | $73.58 | $103.01 | $110.37 |
| Assistance With Self-Care Activities - Standard - Weekday Evening | 01_015_0107_1_1 | Hour | $81.07 | $113.50 | $121.61 |
| Assistance With Self-Care Activities - Standard - Weekday Night | 01_002_0107_1_1 | Hour | $82.57 | $115.60 | $123.86 |
| Assistance With Self-Care Activities - Standard - Saturday | 01_013_0107_1_1 | Hour | $103.54 | $144.96 | $155.31 |
| Assistance With Self-Care Activities - Standard - Sunday | 01_014_0107_1_1 | Hour | $133.50 | $186.90 | $200.25 |
| Assistance With Self-Care Activities - Standard - Public Holiday | 01_012_0107_1_1 | Hour | $163.46 | $228.84 | $245.19 |
| Support Coordination Level 2: Coordination of Supports | 07_002_0106_8_3 | Hour | $100.14 | $140.19 | $150.21 |
| Support Coordination Level 3: Specialist Support Coordination | 07_004_0132_8_3 | Hour | $190.54 | $266.75 | $285.80 |
| Plan Management - Monthly Fee | 14_034_0127_8_3 | Month | $104.45 | $104.45 | $104.45 |
| Therapy - Occupational Therapist - Direct Service | 01_661_0128_1_3 | Hour | $193.99 | $271.59 | $290.99 |
| Therapy - Speech Pathologist - Direct Service | 01_665_0128_1_3 | Hour | $193.99 | $271.59 | $290.99 |
| Therapy - Psychologist - Direct Service | 01_701_0128_1_3 | Hour | $252.99 | $354.19 | $379.49 |
| Therapy - Physiotherapist - Direct Service | 01_721_0128_1_3 | Hour | $183.99 | $257.59 | $275.99 |
The current support catalogue has a plan management monthly fee item but no separate setup fee item. Do not assume a setup fee is claimable.
What changed in 2026-27
The NDIS Pricing Schedule 2026-27 replaced the Pricing Arrangements and Price Limits, the document the NDIA published up to 2025-26. Three changes matter most when you read a therapy quote or invoice.
- Travel, reports and admin are separate line items. Therapy provider travel, NDIA-requested reports and non-face-to-face work such as report writing and admin each have their own support item, instead of being claimed on the same line as the session. Provider travel for a psychologist, for example, is $126.50 an hour against $252.99 for the session.
- The psychology limit rose. The national limit for a psychologist is now $252.99 an hour, up from $232.99 in 2025-26.
- Several allied health limits held. Occupational therapy ($193.99), speech pathology ($193.99), physiotherapy ($183.99) and podiatry ($188.99) stay at their 2025-26 national limits.
Extra costs to ask about upfront
Ask about these before they appear on an invoice
- Travel time when workers come from a distance. From 2026-27, therapy travel is its own line item (Provider Travel), claimed at half the session's hourly limit, so it shows up separately on the quote and invoice
- Cancellation and no-show fees on late cancellations
- Session minimums where support bills in set blocks
- Admin or onboarding fees buried in the first invoice
These charges can be fair. Travelling across town does cost the provider. The problem is finding out about them on an invoice, so ask about them upfront and get the answers in writing.
How to check whether a quote is fair
A five-minute fact check on any quote
01Ask for a breakdown in writing
Hourly rate, travel, reports, admin and any extras, item by item.
02Match it to the Pricing Schedule
Line up the support with its price limit. Ask for the item code if you can't find it.
03Get two or three comparable quotes
Same support, same time of day, same distance — then differences tell the truth.
04Check the budget line in your plan
Make sure the quote fits inside the money your plan actually holds for that support.
05Sign when it's written down
A service agreement with prices beats a verbal deal every time.
Cost versus value: where the real money goes
The cheapest quote isn't the best deal if the workforce is unreliable, and the most expensive isn't necessarily better care. Check whether an applicable price limit is being followed, whether the provider is eligible for your funding arrangement, and whether recent reviews support their reliability. If you're choosing between providers on cost, run them through the same shortlist you'd use for any support decision.
Build your provider shortlist
Choose a service and your suburb, then save two or three providers to ask for quotes on the same support. Your list stays on this device.
Search and save providers without leaving this guide. Your shortlist stays on this device.
Choose a service and enter your suburb or postcode to see providers near you.
Frequently asked questions
Where is the official list of prices?
The NDIA publishes the NDIS Pricing Schedule 2026-27 on its website. It lists maximum prices for many supports and replaced the Pricing Arrangements and Price Limits from 2026-27. Always check the current version before you agree to a rate.
Can providers charge whatever they like?
It depends on how that support is managed. For NDIA-managed and plan-managed supports, providers cannot charge more than the applicable NDIS price limit. A self-managed participant can negotiate a price above or below the published limit, but a higher rate uses more of the available plan budget.
Why was my quote higher than a friend's for the same support?
Different time of day, travel distance, and session length all change the price. Evening, weekend, and public holiday rates run higher, and providers can charge legitimate travel. Compare like-for-like quotes, not bare hourly numbers.
Are cheaper providers automatically worse?
No. Price isn't quality. Weigh a provider's registration, reviews and reliability before letting price decide.
How do I know what my plan will cover?
Your plan sets the available budget for support categories. If the support is NDIA-managed or plan-managed, the quote must also stay within any applicable price limit. Self-managed participants can agree to a higher rate, but the plan budget does not increase to cover it.
Official sources
This guide is checked against these official pages.
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