How much does an NDIS Support Worker get paid?

Your NDIS support worker is paid hourly. The NDIS support worker rates can depend on:

1. The time of the day - daytime, evening and night (See time of day and day of week definitions)
    
2. Day of week or whether it's a holiday - Weekday, Saturday, Sunday, Public Holiday
    
3. Location of the support provided - Non-Remote, Remote or Very Remote (how to work out your MMM location rating)
    
4. How the participant manages their NDIS Plan - Agency, Plan or Self Managed
    

The table below shows the most current NDIS support worker rates at 1 JULY 2021

The NDIA does not set the prices that providers charge participants. Each provider must agree the price for each support with each participant.

• If a participant is self-managed, they do not need to observe these price limits and can pay their support workers whatever they negotiate with them. They can use any providers.
• If a participant is plan managed, they cannot pay more than the price guide rates and can use any providers.
• If a participant is agency managed, they cannot pay more than the price guide rates and can only use NDIS Registered Providers.

*Charging Remote and Very Remote Rates

Here's what you need to know:

• What qualifies as remote and very remote? MMM6 => remote and MMM7 =>very remote
• The NDIS uses the MMM model to determine which MMM zone the service address falls into
• You can find out if you are providing remote (MMM6) or very remote (MMM7) services using this resource: Understanding the NDIS MMM Pricing Model

How much travel/transport costs can a support worker charge?

• If a support worker incurs extra 'non labour' costs (parking, tolls etc), you can claim these as part of the community participation support funding in your plan (from your CORE). They may also charge for vehicle depreciation.
• Do you need to know when an NDIS support provider can charge you for travel? Or how much they can charge for travel?
• See this resource: NDIS Travel & Transport funding - a participants guide 

Providing support for more than 1 participant at a time

• When a support item is delivered to more than one participant at the same time (a group of participants) then the price limit for each participant is the applicable price limit divided by the number of participants in the group (unless the NDIS Price Guide).
• Providers should make a claim for each participant using the relevant support item.
• Each claim should be for the total time of the support but at the lower, divisible price limit as set out above.
• NOTE: There are other prices for group-based supports in the Assistance with Social, Economic and Community Participation Support Category - see page 69 of the Price Guide.

Personal Care Rates

Accessing the Community Rates

What are the NDIS support time of the day definitions

Since support rates are different according to the time of the day. Here are the time of day and day of week definitions:

For NDIS claiming purposes, the provider must first determine the day of the week on which the support was provided on and then the time of the day during which the support was delivered. (Note: weekday means Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday).

• A Weekday Support is either:
  • A Weekday Daytime Support - any support to an individual participant that starts at or after 6:00 am and ends before or at 8:00 pm on a single weekday (unless that support is a Public Holiday Support or a Night-time Sleepover Support).
     
  • A Weekday Evening Support - any support to an individual participant that starts after 8:00 pm and finishes at or before midnight on a single weekday (unless that support is a Public Holiday Support or a Night-time Sleepover Support).
     
• A Weekday Night Support is any support to an individual participant that
  • starts at or before midnight on a weekday and finishes after midnight on that weekday, or
     
  • commences before 6:00 am on a weekday and finishes on that weekday (unless that support is a Public Holiday Support, Saturday Support, Sunday Support or a Night-time Sleepover Support).
     
• A Night-time Sleepover Support is any support to an individual participant delivered on a weekday, a Saturday, a Sunday or a Public Holiday that:
  • commences before midnight on a given day and finishes after midnight on that day; and
     
  • is for a continuous period of eight (8) hours or more; and
     
  • the worker is allowed to sleep when they are not providing support.
     
  • includes up to two hours of active supports provided to the participant for the duration of the period. Providers may claim for the third or additional hour at Saturday rates on weekdays, or at applicable rates on other days (Saturday, Sunday or Public Holidays).
     
• A Public Holiday Support is any support to an individual participant that
  • starts at or after midnight on the night prior to a Public Holiday and
     
  • ends before or at midnight of that Public Holiday (unless that support is a Night-time Sleepover Support).
     
• A Saturday Support is any support to an individual participant that
  • starts at or after midnight on the night prior to a Saturday and
     
  • ends before or at midnight of that Saturday (unless that support is a Public Holiday Support or a Night-time Sleepover Support).
     
• A Sunday Support is any support to an individual participant that
  • starts at or after midnight on the night prior to a Sunday and
     
  • ends before or at midnight of that Sunday (unless that support is a Public Holiday Support or a Night-time Sleepover Support).
     

What if a support to an individual participant does not meet one of the above criteria?

• It needs to be billed as two or more separate supports.

• EXCEPTION: when a support period crosses a shift boundary and the same worker delivers the entire support.
  The rules are:

  • The higher of the relevant price limits applies to the entire support

  • The provider should make the claim against the relevant support item

  • Providers are required to discuss this billing arrangement with the participant.