NDIS Pricing Schedule 2026-27: Key Changes Explained

Key Information:

• New NDIS prices took effect 1 July 2026.
• Short Term Accommodation is no longer one bundled rate; it's now split into support worker time and accommodation costs, claimed separately.
• Therapy claims now use letter suffixes (e.g. cancellations, travel, telehealth) to show what's being billed.
• Some changes to therapy prices: psychology rose, dietetics and exercise physiology fell, while OT, physio and speech pathology stayed the same.
• Support Coordination and Plan Management prices are unchanged this year.

The 2026-27 NDIS Pricing Schedule went into effect 1 July 2026. Depending on the supports you use, you may have already had conversations with providers about updating service agreements to reflect new rates.

What is the NDIS Pricing Schedule?

You may be used to people referencing the Price Arrangements and Price Limits (PAPL) for NDIS funding guidance. This year, the NDIA has released the Pricing Schedule instead of an updated PAPL. It lists the maximum prices based on recommendations from the Annual Pricing Review (APR).

The PAPL was a combined resource of pricing information and guidance. The Pricing Schedule is a prices-only document, and the APR is a separate recommendations and guidance document.

5 noteworthy items in the 2026-27 Pricing Schedule

Short Term Accommodation is no longer bundled

Previously, Short Term Accommodation (STA) has been claimed as one bundled rate for accommodation, food, utilities, and disability support worker (DSW) costs - mixing disability-related supports with non-disability related living costs. This isn't consistent with the NDIS Act.

The new guidance unbundles this into separate line items, so it's easier to see the hours, timing, and intensity of supports delivered. This also makes it more aligned with how other accommodation supports (like SIL) are priced.

It's now split into two components:

• Labour: The cost of the support worker's time when delivering STA.
• Capital cost: The cost of physical accommodation, for the participant and for the support worker. This is claimed daily.

The NDIA has introduced new support codes for this unbundled approach. The old codes will no longer work, so your provider must follow current guidelines when submitting a claim.

Changes for Therapy Supports

Price movements in some therapy supports

The APR recommended new maximum hourly prices for select therapy supports based on benchmarking from the Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) and private health insurance (PHI) data. This includes:

• Psychologists: $252.99 per hour.
• Dietitians: $178.99 per hour.
• Exercise Physiologists: $161.99 per hour.
• Orientation and Mobility Specialists (OMS): $156.16 per hour.
• "Other Professionals" (not including Early Childhood supports): $156.16 per hour.

Not everything went up; some of these maximum hourly prices for therapy have decreased (dietitians, exercise physiologists). Occupational Therapy ($193.99 per hour), Physiotherapy ($183.99 per hour) and Speech Pathology ($193.99 per hour) remain as they were in the previous schedule.

Additions for therapy-related line items

Following the theme of increased transparency in invoices, the NDIA has added letters to the end of therapy support codes to denote things like non-labour travel and cancellation. This changes how you can read and understand an invoice:

• No suffix - direct support delivery
• CA - cancellations
• NF - non face-to-face support
• PT - provider travel
• RR - NDIS-requested reports
• TH - telehealth

Making it easier for you (and the NDIA) to confirm what services have been delivered, and how.

Disability Support Worker rates updated

DSW make up the largest workforce in the NDIS, and the supports they deliver account for the majority of NDIS spending. These supports include a wide range of things, from assistance with daily living to high intensity support for participants with complex needs.

The maximum rates for DSW have increased in line with changes to the SCHADS Award minimum wage rates, now sitting at $73.58 per hour (previously $70.23 per hour).

Support Coordination and Plan Management update

The APR has recommended that the maximum prices for all three levels of Support Coordination should remain the same:

• Level 1: Support Connection at $80.06
• Level 2: Coordination of Supports at $100.14
• Level 3: Specialist Support Coordination at $190.54

Plan management has a new recommended monthly fee of $104.45 – remember, this is entirely paid by the NDIS and will not pull from other supports in your budget.

Reduced price for some Social, Community and Civic Participation supports

Social, Community and Civic Participation supports are designed to help you engage in community, social, and recreational activities where the functional impact of your disability makes it too hard or unsafe.

For supports delivered by unregistered providers, the APR recommendation is to reduce prices by 10% from 1 January 2027, and to cease indexation for these supports. Supports delivered by NDIS registered providers will remain the same for now.

What do these changes mean for NDIS participants?

The changes recommended in the APR and Pricing Schedule are only concerned with maximum rates. It sets a ceiling for what providers and support workers can charge for service delivery, not a baseline for what you have to pay. The relationship between these rates and your invoices isn't a direct line, though one can impact the other.

If you're working with STA or therapy providers, they will need to update your service agreement to align with the new line item rules. That means invoices from these providers will look different. If you're confused by any line items or suffixes, you can always ask your provider to explain the changes to you.

What to do if your provider increases their rates

If your provider wants to increase their rates, they have to notify you first and come to an agreement before it can be reflected on your invoices. Rate increases over time are common in the NDIS, but they should never be unexplained. Before you commit, you're allowed to:

• Ask questions about the changes
• Shop around with other providers
• Check the latest pricing information yourself

You have the same legal protections under the ACCC as any other Australian consumer, which means providers have to present any changes transparently so you can make the best decision. Find out more about what the ACCC's 2026 NDIS Report means for participants.

NDSP helps participants stay across plan changes

If you're a plan-managed participant, working with a plan manager like NDSP means getting another expert view on your provider invoices before they go to the NDIA portal. When things change (codes, price limits), our internal system of checks catches invoicing errors before they can become bigger problems.

We empower NDIS participants Australia-wide by providing comprehensive plan management services. You've got better things to do with your time and energy than managing your plan's financial admin – you leave that to us. We make plan management easy with our easy-access Nappa portal, free online participant toolbox, and fast, accurate answers to any queries you might have.

If you're new to the Scheme or looking to switch plan managers, why not contact our friendly team today for more information about continuing your NDIS journey with NDSP. We'd love to help.