25/07/2025 NDIS Pricing Arrangements and Price Limits 2025-26: Complete Guide
The National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) has introduced significant changes to its pricing structure for 2025–26, effective from July 1, 2025. These updates, stemming from the comprehensive 2024–25 Annual Pricing Review, are designed to create a more sustainable disability support market while ensuring participants receive exceptional value for their investment.
Whether you’re an NDIS participant, family member, or support provider, understanding these changes is crucial for making informed decisions about your disability support services. Let’s break down everything you need to know about the new pricing arrangements.
What Are the 2025–26 NDIS Pricing Arrangements?
The NDIS Pricing Arrangements and Price Limits (PAPL) serve as the official framework that determines how much disability support services can cost across Australia. Think of it as the “price list” for all NDIS-funded supports, from daily living assistance to specialised therapy services.
The 2025–26 updates represent a major shift towards national consistency, moving away from the previous state-based pricing variations that often created confusion and inequality across different regions.
Key Goals of the New Pricing Structure:
- Create a more sustainable marketplace for disability services
- Ensure fair compensation for quality service providers
- Deliver better value for participants and taxpayers
- Establish consistent national pricing standards
Major Changes That Affect You
1. Core Support Services Get a Boost
Disability Support Worker (DSW) Services have received a 3.95% increase to keep pace with Fair Work Commission wage adjustments and the superannuation increase from 11.5% to 12%.
What this covers:
- Daily living assistance and personal care
- Community participation activities
- Level 1 Support Coordination services
- Psychosocial Recovery Coaching
Nursing and Domestic Supports saw a 3.2% increase, including:
- Health supports delivered by registered nurses
- Assistance with personal domestic activities
- Specialised home-based assistance for children
- House cleaning and household maintenance
Pro Tip: These increases ensure your support workers receive fair wages while maintaining the quality of care you depend on.
2. Revolutionary Therapy Pricing Changes
The most significant transformation involves national standardisation of therapy pricing. No more confusion about different rates in different states.
| Service Type | New National Rate | Change Impact |
| Physiotherapy | $183.99/hour | Decreased by $10 in most states, $40.63 in WA/SA/TAS/NT |
| Psychology | $232.99/hour | Increased by $10 in QLD, $11.23 in other states |
| Dietetics & Podiatry | $188.99/hour | Decreased by $5 across all states |
Important Travel Claim Update: Therapy providers can now only bill travel time at 50% of their hourly rate, with a maximum of 30 minutes (60 minutes in remote areas). This change aims to reduce unnecessary travel costs while ensuring providers are fairly compensated for their time.
3. Plan Management Becomes More Affordable
Great news for plan-managed participants! The NDIA has removed the $232.35 one-off establishment fee that was previously charged when setting up plan management services.
Additional Plan Management Updates:
- Monthly fee remains stable at $104.45
- Remote and very remote loadings eliminated for plan management
- Streamlined billing processes for better transparency
4. Extended Early Childhood Support
Families with young children will benefit from the extension of the early childhood approach from age 7 to 9 years old. This means more children can access developmental interventions during crucial formative years.
Understanding Your NDIS Budget Categories
Your NDIS plan is divided into three main budget categories, each serving specific purposes:
Core Supports
These enable your daily living activities and offer enhanced flexibility between subcategories. You can move funds between different core supports as your needs change.
Examples include:
- Personal care assistance
- Transport to community activities
- Consumables and household tasks
Capacity Building Supports
Focused on developing your skills and independence, this category now includes 23 new intensive behaviour support items for participants with complex needs.
Examples include:
- Therapeutic supports
- Life skills development
- Employment training
Capital Supports
These cover assistive technology and home modifications with updated pricing to reflect current market conditions.
Examples include:
- Wheelchairs and mobility aids
- Home modifications for accessibility
- Communication devices
How Pricing is Calculated
The NDIA uses a sophisticated Disability Support Worker Cost Model that considers:
- Award wage rates and current superannuation requirements
- Regional loading factors (40% for MMM 6 areas, 50% for MMM 7 areas)
- Time-based variations for weekends, evenings, and public holidays
- Service complexity and required qualifications
This model ensures fair pricing that reflects the true cost of delivering quality disability supports across Australia.
New Billing and Compliance Requirements
Updated Billing Standards
- Therapy supports are now billed in precise 10-minute increments for accurate session billing
- Short-notice cancellation period updated to 2 business days for non-DSW support
- Enhanced conflict of interest declarations are required from all providers
Automatic Plan Adjustments
Your NDIS plan was automatically adjusted in mid-July 2025 to reflect the new pricing increases. No action is required from you—the changes were applied seamlessly to ensure continuity of your support.
Impact on Rural and Remote Areas
The NDIA recognises the unique challenges faced by participants in rural and remote areas:
What’s Maintained:
- Remote area loadings for direct support services (40-50% increases)
- Extended travel time billing (up to 60 minutes in remote areas)
- Priority access to telehealth and digital supports
What’s Changed:
- Reduced travel funding (50% of hourly rate) may impact service availability
- Removal of loadings for administrative services like plan management
If you live in a rural or remote area, we recommend discussing service delivery options with your support coordinator to ensure continuity of care.
Looking Ahead: Future NDIS Pricing
Starting with the 2025–26 period, the NDIA is transitioning from annual comprehensive reviews to a 3-year pricing work plan. This approach provides:
- Greater certainty for service providers to plan ahead
- Targeted service-specific reviews rather than across-the-board changes
- More stable pricing for participants over longer periods
- Improved market sustainability through predictable funding
Ready to Maximise Your NDIS Benefits?
Get Your Free NDIS Plan Review. Our expert team can help you understand how the 2025–26 pricing changes affect your specific situation and identify opportunities to optimise your funding.
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