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The NDIS price guide explained for parents

By The Jay Way team

Published · Checked against official sources

The NDIS “price guide” is now called the NDIS Pricing Schedule. As at 24 October 2026, the current edition is the NDIS Pricing Schedule 2026-27, effective 24 September 2026. It sets the maximum amounts that can be claimed for NDIS supports when your child’s funding is managed by the NDIA or by a registered plan manager.

The short version: a price limit is the most a provider can charge for one unit of a support, usually one hour. Price limits are not your child’s budget. They are the ceiling on each item that comes out of the budget. Whether the limits apply to you depends on how your child’s plan is managed: NDIA-managed and plan-managed funding follow them, while self-managed funding lets you agree a price with the provider. The limits change from time to time, so always check the edition date before you compare an invoice.

What is the NDIS price guide called now?

Many parents still search for the “NDIS price guide”. That is not the name the NDIS uses on its pricing page today.

The NDIS pricing arrangements page, last marked current on 24 September 2026, now lists:

The page says the NDIA will “shortly publish” updated pricing and claiming guidance documents. If you see different names or dates on a provider’s website, go back to the NDIS page and check the edition.

What is an NDIS price limit?

The NDIS says the pricing schedules set out the maximum prices payable for NDIS supports. As the NDIS describes it, for NDIA-managed and plan-managed participants:

Providers can always charge less. The NDIS says that often means more support from the same funding.

The schedule is written in support items. Each item has a number, a name, a unit (such as “Hour”) and three amounts: national, remote and very remote. The amounts already include GST.

Do price limits apply to my child’s plan?

It depends on how the funding is managed. The NDIS describes three options:

The NDIS says self-managing brings extra responsibilities, including keeping records of invoices and receipts. The required period is changing under the new laws, so check the NDIS laws page for the period that applies to you.

What changes the price limit for a support?

The NDIS says the maximum prices vary with factors such as:

The schedule itself says location is based on where the service takes place, not your usual home address. Day and time can also matter for some support items. For group-based supports, the schedule says the amount a provider claims from each participant is the maximum divided by the number of people in the group.

How do price limits relate to core, capacity building and capital?

Price limits and support budgets are two different things. The limit is the most that can be charged for one unit of a support. The budget is the amount of funding in the plan.

The NDIS says plans currently show supports under four support budgets:

The NDIS also says it is moving to a new way of showing budgets, so your child’s next plan may not group supports in the same way. It adds that when the maximum prices change, the funding in a plan may change too.

How do I check a therapy invoice against a price limit?

These steps use only what the schedule shows. If something doesn’t match, you are asking a question, not accusing anyone.

  1. Note what was delivered. Write down the type of professional, the date, how long it ran, where it happened, and whether it was in person, by telehealth, a report, travel or a cancellation.
  2. Find the support item. Ask the provider or your plan manager which support item and number they are claiming.
  3. Open the schedule for the right date. Use the NDIS Pricing Schedule 2026-27 for services after 24 September 2026. For earlier dates, the pricing page links to a pricing archive.
  4. Match the item and the column. Search for the item number, then read the national, remote or very remote amount for where the service took place.
  5. Check the unit. Most therapy items are per hour. Group sessions are divided by the number of people.
  6. Compare. If the rate is above the limit and your funding is plan-managed or NDIA-managed, ask for an explanation.

As an example of how the schedule reads, in the 2026-27 edition (effective 24 September 2026), the item “Therapy - Occupational Therapist - Direct Service” (01_661_0128_1_3) lists $193.99 an hour in the national column. There are separate lines for cancellation, non-face-to-face work, provider travel, NDIA requested reports and telehealth, and separate early childhood items in Appendix 5. This is only an example of how to read the table. It is not what your therapist must charge.

If you think a provider or plan manager has made a mistake with a claim, the NDIS says to contact them as soon as you can. If you can’t resolve it, you can contact the NDIA. From 1 December 2026, the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing says the time to make a claim is being reduced from 2 years to 90 days, so it helps to check invoices promptly.

What is changing with NDIS pricing?

Under the new NDIS laws, the Minister for Disability and the NDIS can make a pricing determination, based on advice from the NDIA. The pricing page says the Minister has made the first such determination, and the 2026-27 schedule sets it out. One NDIS laws page, current as of 1 October 2026, says there are no immediate changes to NDIS pricing, while the pricing page lists the new schedule effective 24 September 2026. Because the pages don’t line up neatly, confirm the current edition on the pricing page and ask your provider which edition they are using.

The NDIS pages also say they are being updated for the new legislation, and that information on some pages may change. Treat any number in a blog, a provider flyer or a social media post as out of date until you check it against the schedule.

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Official sources

This article is general information. It isn’t medical, legal, financial or NDIS eligibility advice. Every child’s circumstances are different, and government programs and requirements can change. Check the official sources above before you apply.