The NDIS price guide 2026–2027 has just been released. The NDIS price guide 2027 introduces changes to how supports are priced, claimed, and described across the Scheme. The updated NDIS Pricing Schedule takes effect from 1 July 2026.
The changes may affect both participants and providers. Participants may see differences in how plan funds are allocated and how invoices are structured. Providers, including occupational therapy providers, will need to review service agreements, support item codes, travel claims, non-face-to-face activities and documentation requirements.
The update reflects a shift by the NDIA towards more transparent and evidence-based NDIS pricing. The new schedule increases some support prices, keeps others unchanged, and reduces some rates. It also restructures certain supports, including Short Term Accommodation.
Why the NDIS Price Guide 2026-2027 Is Different
Think of the 2026–27 Pricing Schedule as more than just a list of prices. It is the NDIA’s official view of what it considers to be fair and reasonable maximum prices for services. This means the schedule does more than tell providers what they can charge. It also guides how the Scheme should make pricing decisions.
The NDIA released the new schedule together with the 2026 Annual Pricing Review, which explains why it increased, froze or changed certain prices. It also comes at a time when the government is considering new laws that could give the Minister more direct control over setting NDIS prices in the future.
Providers can start using these new prices from 1 July 2026. However, they cannot simply change prices without discussion. If a provider wants to update their rates for an existing participant, they must talk to the participant first and update the service agreement. The participant must agree to the change before it takes effect.
Key Changes in the New NDIS Pricing Guide
The table below summarises the main changes in the ndis price guide 2026-2027.
| Area | What changed in 2026–27 | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Disability Support Worker supports | Prices increased in line with the Fair Work Commission wage decision and the SCHADS Award. | This affects a large number of participants who use daily personal care, community access, SIL or similar supports. |
| Short Term Accommodation | STA has been unbundled into clearer components, including accommodation and actual support worker hours. | Providers need more accurate quoting and claiming. Participants may see more detailed STA invoices. |
| Therapy supports | The NDIA used market benchmarking instead of applying one increase across all therapy supports. | Some therapy rates increased, some reduced, and some stayed the same. |
| Occupational Therapy | OT remains at $193.99 per hour nationally. Provider travel is now listed separately at $97.00 per hour. | OT providers have clearer claiming items, but no increase to the main hourly rate. |
| Support Coordination | Level 1, Level 2 and Level 3 Support Coordination rates remain unchanged. | This gives price stability, but may place pressure on providers as operating costs rise. |
| Plan Management | The monthly Plan Management fee remains $104.45. | Participants may not see major changes, but plan managers still face admin and compliance pressure. |
| Social, Community and Civic Participation | A 10% reduction is recommended from 1 January 2027 for supports delivered by unregistered providers. | This may affect provider choice, especially for participants using smaller or unregistered community access providers. |
1. Disability Support Worker Prices Have Increased
One of the clearest changes is the increase to Disability Support Worker-related supports. These changes follow the Fair Work Commission’s Annual Wage Review and the SCHADS Award.
Some 2026 – 27 national maximum prices for standard supports include:
| Support type | Support Worker 2025 – 26 price | Support Worker 2026 – 27 price |
|---|---|---|
| Weekday daytime | $70.23 | $73.58 per hour |
| Weekday evening | $77.38 | $81.07 per hour |
| Weekday night | $78.81 | $82.57 per hour |
| Saturday | $98.83 | $103.54 per hour |
| Sunday | $127.43 | $133.50 per hour |
| Public holiday | $156.03 | $163.46 per hour |
| Night-time sleepover | $297.60 | $311.79 |
This is a major update because many NDIS participants are using support worker services. The Annual Pricing Review reported that more than 325,000 participants, or 43% of active participants, claimed Disability Support Worker-related supports between July and December 2025. For people searching for ndis support worker pay rates, these figures are NDIS maximum prices for supports. They are not automatically the worker’s take-home pay.
2. Short Term Accommodation Has Been Unbundled
Short Term Accommodation (STA), often called respite, has one of the biggest changes in the new NDIS Price Guide. Previously, providers typically charged a single bundled daily rate that covered accommodation, meals, utilities and support worker time. While simple, this approach made it difficult to understand how much of the cost related to disability support versus everyday living expenses.
The 2026 Annual Pricing Review identified this lack of transparency as a key issue. Under the new model, the NDIA splits STA into separate components. For example, the 2026–27 Pricing Schedule sets participant accommodation at $162.85 per day nationally and lists support worker accommodation separately if needed. Providers no longer include support worker time in a flat rate and must instead claim it based on the actual hours of support delivered.
This change means providers now need to record and claim support more accurately, including how many hours they worked and when the support took place. For participants, this leads to clearer invoicing. Instead of one large daily fee, they can now see exactly how much they pay for accommodation and how much goes toward support.
3. Therapy Prices Have Been Selectively Updated
The NDIA did not apply the same increase to every therapy support. Instead, the Annual Pricing Review used broader market benchmarking, including Medicare, private health insurance and similar schemes. This approach aligns therapy prices more closely with what similar services cost outside the NDIS, rather than adjusting them uniformly across all disciplines.
To make it easier to understand the changes, here is a comparison between the previous 2025–26 rates and the new 2026–27 national maximum prices:
| Therapy support | 2025–26 price | 2026–27 price | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Occupational Therapy | $193.99 | $193.99 | No change |
| Psychology | $232.99 | $252.99 | Increase |
| Dietitian | $188.99 | $178.99 | Decrease |
| Exercise Physiology | $166.99 | $161.99 | Decrease |
| Other Professional | $193.99 | $156.16 | Decrease |
Not all therapies moved in the same direction: psychology increased due to higher demand and alignment with external benchmarks, dietetics and exercise physiology decreased because their previous rates sat above comparable market levels, and occupational therapy stayed unchanged, extending its long price freeze; this shift shows that pricing now depends on how each profession compares to external markets rather than standard increases, as the government pushes for consistency and cost control by benchmarking against Medicare and private sector rates, even though those systems may not reflect the true cost of delivering NDIS supports, which often involve more complex participants, extra reporting, travel, and administrative work, raising concerns about whether current rates fully support high-quality, participant-centred care.
4. What Changed for Occupational Therapy?
For Occupational Therapy, the standard national hourly rate did not increase.
The 2026 – 27 NDIS Pricing Schedule keeps Occupational Therapy at $193.99 per hour nationally. This applies to direct service, non-face-to-face work, NDIA requested reports and telehealth, where the item is appropriate and agreed with the participant.
The new schedule separates OT activities into clearer support items, including direct service, non-face-to-face work, telehealth, reports, cancellations and provider travel. The schedule lists provider travel at $97.00 per hour nationally, which is around 50% of the standard OT hourly rate.
| OT item | 2025–26 price | |
|---|---|---|
| OT Direct Service | $193.99 | Face-to-face OT session |
| OT Non-Face-to-Face | $193.99/hr | Report writing, planning, documentation linked to the participant |
| OT Telehealth | $193.99/hr | Online/remote session, where appropriate |
| OT NDIA Requested Reports | $193.99/hr | Reports requested by the NDIA |
| OT Provider Travel | $97.00/hr | Travel labour time, around 50% of OT rate |
For OT providers, this is a mixed result. Clearer claiming may improve transparency, but the standard OT rate remains unchanged despite rising costs, travel demands, documentation and compliance work.
Why Occupational Therapy Australia Is Concerned
Occupational Therapy Australia has criticised the decision to freeze NDIS occupational therapy pricing, arguing that unchanged rates do not reflect the real cost of delivering services. The peak body notes that occupational therapists have absorbed years of rising expenses, including wages, insurance, administration, compliance and travel. It warns that ongoing financial pressure may lead some clinicians to leave the NDIS, reduce their caseloads or limit travel to remain viable.
This has implications for participants, as occupational therapists provide essential supports such as functional capacity assessments, assistive technology, home modifications and daily living assistance. If fewer therapists remain in the Scheme, participants may face longer waitlists, fewer provider options and reduced access to timely support, particularly in regional and remote areas.
5. Support Coordination and Plan Management Remain Stable
Support Coordination prices remain unchanged at $80.06 per hour for Level 1, $100.14 per hour for Level 2, and $190.54 per hour for Level 3. The monthly Plan Management fee also remains $104.45. For participants, this provides some stability. For providers, a flat rate may still create pressure when wages, rent, software, compliance and administration costs continue to rise.
6. A Future Change for Unregistered Community Participation Providers
Another change to watch is planned for 1 January 2027. The Annual Pricing Review recommends a 10% reduction for Social, Community and Civic Participation supports delivered by unregistered providers. Prices for registered providers would not be reduced in the same way.
This could affect participants who use unregistered providers for community access, social participation or daily routines. The practical risk is choice.
What Are Providers and Peak Bodies Saying?
Government and NDIA messaging has focused on value for money, better data and clearer claiming. The provider response has been more cautious. Occupational Therapy Australia called for an 11% uplift to OT hourly rates, full travel funding and a better allied health pricing model. Allied Health Professions Australia has also argued that therapy pricing must support workforce viability and participant access.
What This Means for Participants and Providers
Participants should not assume every provider will charge differently straight away. Any changes to an existing service agreement should be discussed and agreed first. Participants may notice more detailed invoices. Therapy providers may separate direct service, travel, report writing or telehealth. STA quotes may also become more detailed because accommodation and support hours are now treated separately.
Providers should review service agreements, invoice templates and internal billing systems.
Where to Find the NDIS Price Guide 26 27 PDF Download
The official ndis price guide 26 27 PDF download is available on the NDIS pricing updates page. The NDIA has published both the 2026 – 27 Pricing Schedule and the Annual Pricing Review report.
Providers and participants should always check the official NDIS website before making decisions, as pricing guidance can be updated during the year.
NDIS Pricing Reform: What Comes Next?
The NDIS price guide 2027 is more than a routine pricing update. It reflects a shift toward clearer pricing, stronger transparency and closer scrutiny of how supports are claimed. For Occupational Therapists, however, the headline is not growth but another year of pressure. OT remains at $193.99 per hour, with clearer line items for travel, reports, telehealth, cancellations and non-face-to-face work. This may improve transparency for participants, but after an eight-year price freeze, many OTs are still being asked to deliver complex, mobile and report-heavy services while absorbing rising costs. The real test of the new pricing schedule will be whether it improves accountability without making it harder for participants to access high-quality, timely and sustainable OT support.
Written & researched by: Daniel Castrucci (Founder/ Lead Occupational Therapist at Cas Health)
Edited & Uploaded by: Edward Ervin Barbon (Cas Health Support)
Reference:
https://www.ndis.gov.au/providers/pricing-and-payments/pricing/pricing-arrangements
https://www.ndis.gov.au/providers/pricing-and-payments/pricing
