Key points
- From 1 July 2026 the single "Pricing Arrangements and Price Limits" document was replaced by an Annual Pricing Review report, an NDIS Pricing Schedule 2026-27 and an NDIS Support Catalogue.
- Support worker price limits rose 4.8 per cent in line with the Fair Work Commission's wage decision. The standard weekday daytime limit is now $73.58 an hour.
- Most therapy price limits were held. Psychology rose to $252.99 an hour. Therapists can now claim travel at 50 per cent of their hourly rate.
- Short Term Accommodation (respite) is no longer a bundled daily rate. Support hours and accommodation are billed separately, with accommodation at a flat $162.85 a day.
- On 24 September 2026 the Minister made the first pricing determination under the new Act, making the Schedule the legal maximum for agency-managed and plan-managed claims.
Every July the NDIA updates its prices. This year the changes to how pricing works were as important as the figures themselves, and some of them affect the invoices participants and plan managers see each week.
A new set of documents
If you have been looking for the familiar "PAPL" PDF, it no longer exists. The NDIA now publishes three things: the Annual Pricing Review report, which explains the reasoning; the Pricing Schedule, which lists price limits; and the Support Catalogue, which lists the support items and their rules. For most participants the Pricing Schedule is the one that matters.
Support worker rates
The 4.8 per cent increase mirrors the 2026 Annual Wage Review. Key weekday and weekend limits for a standard (Level 2) support worker are:
| Time of service | 2026-27 price limit (per hour) |
|---|---|
| Weekday daytime | $73.58 |
| Weekday evening | $81.07 |
| Saturday | $103.54 |
| Sunday | $133.50 |
| Public holiday | $163.46 |
| Sleepover (per night) | $311.79 |
Group community participation (item 04_104_0125_6_1) uses the same $73.58 weekday base. Support coordination and plan management prices were unchanged, with plan management still $104.45 a month.
Therapy and allied health
- Occupational therapy, speech pathology, physiotherapy and podiatry price limits were held. OT remains $193.99 an hour nationally.
- Psychology increased from $232.99 to $252.99 an hour. Nursing rose about 3.6 per cent.
- A dedicated Orientation and Mobility item was introduced at $156.16 an hour.
- Provider travel for therapists is now claimed at 50 per cent of the hourly rate, which for an OT is about $97 an hour of travel. Travel time caps are unchanged at 30 minutes in metropolitan areas and 60 minutes in regional areas.
- Cancellations, non-face-to-face work, travel, NDIA-requested reports and telehealth are now separate line items rather than modifiers on the main therapy item. You should see them listed clearly on invoices.
Cancellation rules did not change: fewer than seven clear days' notice for support worker services, or two clear business days for therapy, may be charged if your service agreement allows it.
Respite and short-term accommodation
The 2026-27 Schedule removed the bundled one-to-one to one-to-four daily STA items. Instead, the support hours delivered during a stay are claimed under standard support worker items, and the accommodation component (bed, meals, utilities) is claimed separately at a flat national rate of $162.85 a day. The NDIA had briefly renamed STA "Short Term Respite" in late 2025; the new Schedule returns to "Short Term Accommodation". If you use our respite and day programs, this is why your statements look different this financial year.
A new legal footing
Under the NDIS Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Act 2026, the Minister now sets prices directly. The first determination was made on 24 September 2026. In practical terms it means price limits are now binding maximums for agency-managed and plan-managed participants, with a separate schedule for Specialist Disability Accommodation.
Possible change for 2027
The Annual Pricing Review recommended that from 1 January 2027 community participation price limits for unregistered providers be reduced by 10 per cent, while registered providers keep the full rate. At the time of writing we could not confirm whether this recommendation was adopted in the September determination. We will update this article when the NDIA confirms.
Sources
- NDIS, Pricing updates and Annual Pricing Review report release (June 2026)
- NDIS, New price limits set for NDIS supports (24 September 2026)
- National Disability Services, NDIA releases Annual Pricing Review outcomes
- Pricing figures cross-checked against sector summaries from Flowlogic, My Care Space and NDSP (July 2026). Confirm individual line items in the official Pricing Schedule before invoicing.
Prices quoted are national price limits for the Pricing Schedule 2026-27 as published. Remote and very remote loadings differ. Always check the current Schedule for the item you are claiming.
