The NDIS, explained in plain English.

What changed in NDIS pricing for 2026–27

Every year on 1 July, the NDIA updates the rules on what providers can charge. For 2026–27 there were two changes worth knowing about.

The documents changed names. The old "NDIS Pricing Arrangements and Price Limits" (the PAPL) has been replaced. Pricing now comes as separate publications, including the NDIS Pricing Schedule 2026–27 (which lists the maximum prices) and the NDIS Support Catalogue (which lists every claimable support item). If you've been searching for the "price guide," these are what you're looking for now.

Most price limits went up. Following the Fair Work Commission's annual wage decision, support worker rates rose — for example, the maximum for standard weekday daytime support moved from $70.23 to $73.58 per hour, with rises across evenings, nights, weekends and public holidays too.

The key thing to understand: these are maximum price limits, not set prices. A provider can charge less than the maximum, and you can discuss pricing before agreeing to a service. Different days, times and supports have different limits, and things like provider travel can also be charged under the rules.

Support Coordination: what it is and who can get it

A support coordinator helps you understand your NDIS plan and put it into action — finding providers, setting up service agreements, and making sure your supports work together instead of against each other.

It's funded under Capacity Building in your plan, and not every plan includes it. It's generally funded where someone's situation is more complex, or where extra help is needed to get a plan working. If you don't have it and think you need it, it's something you can raise at your plan reassessment — explain why coordinating your supports is difficult without help.

Three levels exist: support connection (lighter help), support coordination (the common middle level), and specialist support coordination (for high-complexity situations, delivered by a specialist practitioner).

One thing many people don't realise: your support coordinator works for you. You can ask them to explain your plan in plain language, to find you provider options rather than a single suggestion, and to tell you honestly how your budget is tracking.

How to prepare for your plan reassessment

Your plan reassessment (many people still say "plan review") is where your next plan gets shaped. The people who walk out with plans that fit are almost always the people who walked in prepared. Here's what preparation looks like:

• Book early. If you'll need reports from therapists or doctors, book those appointments well ahead — good reports take weeks, and waiting lists are real.
• Gather your evidence. Current reports from your providers about what support you need and why it works. Recent is better than old.
• Know your spending story. Be ready to talk about how your current budget was used. If something wasn't used, be ready to explain the barrier — that context matters.
• Write your goals down. What do you want the next year or two to look like? Goals drive plans. Specific beats vague.
• Bring backup. You're allowed to have a family member, friend, advocate, or your support coordinator with you.

And a note for 2026: the NDIS is progressively rolling out a new planning framework, so the process may look different from your last reassessment. The preparation above holds regardless — evidence, spending story, and clear goals never go out of style.

Self-managed vs plan-managed vs NDIA-managed — the plain-English difference

Every NDIS plan's funding is managed one of three ways (or a mix). The choice changes who pays the bills, which providers you can use, and how much admin you carry:

• Self-managed: you (or your nominee) hold the money, pay providers, and claim reimbursement. Most flexibility — you can use registered and unregistered providers — but most admin, and you need to keep records.
• Plan-managed: a plan manager (funded by the NDIS, at no cost from your other budgets) pays the bills and tracks your spending. You can still use registered and unregistered providers. The popular middle ground.
• NDIA-managed (agency-managed): the NDIA pays providers directly. Least admin, but you can only use registered NDIS providers, and price limits always apply.

You can ask for a different management type at your plan reassessment, and you can mix types across different parts of your plan. If your current setup makes life harder than it should be, that's a legitimate thing to raise.