Understanding the NDIS Pricing Guide

The NDIS says a plan can have funding in 4 support budgets. Each support budget is made up of support categories, and you only get funding in the ones you need:

• Core supports: everyday activities and getting involved in your community. Up to 3 support categories: assistance with daily life, consumables, and assistance with social and community participation. Core supports are flexible: you can use the total core amount across and within these categories, for supports in line with your plan.
• Capacity building supports: supports that build your skills and independence, such as therapy, support coordination, finding and keeping a job, and improved life choices (this is the category that pays for a plan manager, if you have one). Capacity building funding is stated: you can't move funding between its support categories, although you can choose which supports to buy within a category.
• Capital supports: higher-cost assistive technology, equipment, home or vehicle modifications and specialist disability accommodation. Capital funding is stated, and your plan will say what it's for and whether you need a quote.
• Recurring supports: recurring transport is the only category. If you're eligible, it's usually paid to you on a regular basis. More on recurring supports.

In short, only core supports are flexible; capacity building and capital supports are stated. From April 2027 the NDIA begins introducing a new way of planning, with support needs assessments and more flexible budgets, so if you move to a new framework plan your budgets may be set out differently. Always check your own plan.

Here are the national maximum prices for some common supports in the NDIS Pricing Schedule 2026–27 (effective 24 September 2026). The same amounts have been in the NDIA's 2026–27 Support Catalogue since 1 July 2026. The hourly items have higher limits in remote and very remote areas; the plan management fee is the same everywhere.

Plan management: the monthly fee is the only plan management fee item in the 2026–27 Pricing Schedule. There is no longer a separate set-up (establishment) fee: the NDIA removed it, and it is not in the 2025–26 or 2026–27 price limits. The fee is paid from the plan management funding in your plan (Capacity Building – Improved Life Choices), so there's no cost to you.

These are maximum prices. Providers can charge less. If your funding is plan-managed or NDIA-managed, every provider, registered or unregistered, must stay at or below the limit. You can still negotiate a lower price with any provider.

Limits can change during the year. From 1 December 2026, maximum prices rise for four home support items (House or Yard Maintenance, House Cleaning and Other Household Activities, Assistance with Personal Domestic Activities, and Specialised Home-Based Assistance for a Child). The NDIA will publish the updated Pricing Schedule on 1 December. Check the NDIS announcement and the pricing arrangements page for the latest version.

Understanding pricing helps you stretch your budget further:

• Shop around: Not all providers charge the maximum price, so compare quotes before committing
• Consider timing: For support worker items like those above, weekday daytime price limits are lower than evening, Saturday, Sunday and public holiday limits
• Watch for incentives: From 20 November 2026, NDIS providers can't offer you gifts or other benefits to get you to use, or keep using, their services
• Use unregistered providers: If you're plan-managed, you can use unregistered providers too. They can charge below the price limit, but not above it
• Keep your records: For claims made on or after 27 August 2026, providers (including plan managers) must keep records for 7 years, participants who make their own claims for 3 years, and other people who make claims (such as nominees) for 5 years, unless the NDIS rules set a shorter period
• Track your spending: Checking your statements regularly helps you spot where funds are going quickly

A plan manager helps you work within the NDIS price limits in several ways:

• Check invoices against your plan and the current price limits before paying them
• Contact you or the provider if an invoice is above the price limit, since it can't be paid above the limit
• Give you regular statements so you can see your spending patterns
• Let you use both registered and unregistered providers, with the price limits still applying
• Handle the paperwork and payment processing, paid from the plan management funding in your plan, at no cost to you

With Forward Planning Plus, valid, correctly submitted invoices are processed within 1–2 business days, and your portal sends low-funding alerts so you can see when a budget is running low.

Quick Pricing Checklist

Common Questions About NDIS Pricing

Official sources

• NDIS – Pricing arrangements (page current as of 24 September 2026)
• NDIS Pricing Schedule 2026–27 (PDF), effective 24 September 2026: Part 1 cl 1.1; Appendix 1 Table 1; Appendix 6 Table 56; Appendix 7 Table 57
• NDIS – What is the support catalogue (Support Catalogue 2026–27)
• New price limits set for NDIS supports (24 September 2026)
• NDIS – What are NDIS support budgets
• NDIS – What is plan-managed funding
• NDIS – New way of planning
• NDIS – Securing the NDIS for future generations
• NDIS Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Act 2026: s 2 commencement table; Sch 2 Part 4 (new s 45B); Sch 2 Part 8 (inducements)

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