2025/26 NDIS Price Guide: What’s Changed

Written by: Zachary Henderson | Marketing + Business Development Team

The 2025-2026 NDIS Pricing Arrangement and Pricing Limits (PAPL), formerly known as the NDIS Price Guide, introduces many changes that have pleased some and upset others.

The changes affect everyone within the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) space, from NDIS Participants to Service Providers, be they an independent provider or employer.  The changes came into effect on 1 July, and it hasn’t taken long for NDIS Participants and Service Providers to uproar and voice their distaste for some of the changes.

The PAPL is an official priority document published by the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) that sets out the maximum rates NDIS providers can charge for Plan Managed or Agency Managed supports.  This is great for a multitude of reasons, but most notably, it means there’s a concrete limit to what the NDIA will pay.  It is important to note that the rates are maximum rates, not mandatory rates.  NDIS Participants who have plan-managed funding have the right to negotiate lower rates.

Let’s take a holistic look at what the PAPL is and why it’s important for you to know: the good, the bad, and the ugly…

The NDIS Pricing Arrangements + Price Limits This Time Around

The 2025-2026 PAPL outlines the changes that have taken effect as of July 1 2025.

These range from rate increases for some supports and drastic cuts for others, and some too small adjustments, but every one of them could have an effect on a participant’s NDIS plan, so it’s best to stay with us for the whole ride!

Here’s an overview of what’s in this year’s PAPL to help you understand what can be claimed (and what it can’t):

• General claiming and pricing rules for support, to help maintain fair and consistent pricing that reflects the current market;
• Overview of support purposes, support categories and support items;
• Maximum rates and pricing for Core, Capacity Building, and Capital Supports;
• Additional claim types, such as travel, non-face-to-face, and cancellation terms;
• These updates and rate changes are a result of the recommendations that came out of the recent NDIA Annual Pricing Review, taking into account inflation, market values, updated support models and feedback from various sectors in the NDIS space, and value for money for NDIS Participants.

We won’t keep you from the truth any longer, let’s break down exactly what’s new…

Woah, one more thing!  There’s a lot to know when it comes to the NDIS and NDIA.  Here’s a quick list of some supporting documents that you can refer to while reading this article, which will help you understand what the jargon means!

• NDIS Support Catalogue: a list of all the specific support item numbers, the maximum rate claimable or the normal rate basis and their applicable support category and registration group;
• Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) Pricing Arrangements: outlines specific SDA provider requirements and obligations, and pricing for SDA;
• Assistive Technology & Home Modifications Code Guide: the rules and item numbers for assistive technology equipment, home modifications, and consumables; and
• Disability Support Worker Cost Model: how the NDIA calculates pricing for worker-provided supports, based on market costs in relation to base salaries, on-costs, overheads and margins, and the financial sustainability of the NIDS.

Did you know that it’s not just the NDIS Pricing Arrangements and Price Limits that has changed but also Legislation?  Check out this previous blog we put together: Have The NDIS Plan Legislation Changes Held Up?

NDIS Pricing Arrangements + Price Limits 2025-2026 Adjustments

As you could imagine, when there’s been an increase in price limits, it’s always good news for those who will benefit.

Several support categories have had a 3.2% increase in their prime limit in the new PAPL.  Here’s what’s had a bump up or decrease:

Core Support Changes

Maximum rate payable increases for:

• Assistance with Daily Life supports, including:
  • Assistance with Daily Personal Activities;
  • Assistance with personal domestic activities;
  • Specialised home-based assistance for a child;
  • House cleaning and other household activities;
  • House or yard maintenance; and
  • Health supports delivered by registered or enrolled nurses.

• Assistance with Social, Economic and Community participation, including:
  • Assistance to Access Community, Social and Recreational Activities; and
  • Supports in Employment.

Therapy Support Changes

One of the larger and more impactful changes in this year’s PAPL has been target at allied health therapies, increasing some maximum rates, whilst decreasing others.

These changes are now national too.  Where previously some rates differed between states, they are now uniform nationally for therapies.  The Remote and Very Remote rates continue to apply if a support is delivered in an area the NDIA has deemed to be remote or very remote.

The main changes:

• Physiotherapy: now capped at $183.99 per hour, which is a decrease of $10;
• Dietetics & Podiatry: decreased by $5 per hour, now at $188.99;
• Psychology: has seen an increase and now at a cap of $232.99 per hour, a 2.6% increase;
• Provider Travel (Time): the rate is now capped at 50% of the maximum price limit for the applicable therapy.

The NDIA’s intention and goal of these pricing adjustments are a realignment to reflect the current market, value for money and ensure sustainability and accessibility for NDIS Participants.

Support Workers Changes

To keep in line with the national increases to the minimum wage, superannuation guarantee and increases to the minimum Social, Community, Home Care and Disability Services (SCHADS) Industry Award rates, the NDIS has increased the maximum rate for disability support worker supports.

This means the maximum rate for many Core Supports has also increased, which includes:

• Assistance with Daily Living;
• Community Participation;
• In-Home Care;
• Assistance when out in the community or attending social activities;
• To accommodate the increases to the maximum rate for Core Supports, the NDIA generally indexes NDIS Participants’ core funding balances as of 01 July to ‘top up’ the remaining funds in order to cover the rate increase.

Changes To Early Childhood Support

This next change is coming directly to families with young children and providers of early childhood intervention supports.  The early childhood approach now supports children up to the age of 9, an extension to the previous cut of the age of 7.  This is a wonderful change that allows families more time to access early intervention through the NDIS early childhood services.

What The Pricing Arrangements + Pricing Limits Mean & Why It Matters

The PAPL is important to understand as it directly impacts how NDIS Participants use their funding through their NDIS Plan, and how providers can claim for the supports they have delivered.

If you are an NDIS Participant and have an NDIS Plan Manager, it’s worth reviewing your NDIS plan and funding balances with your NDIS Plan Manager too!  Even if you don’t have a NDIS Plan Manager, it is a good idea to review the status of your funds and how the changes may impact them.  This is why it is important to know and understand these changes.  As the PAPL is updated each year, you don’t want to be caught out because of a change you weren’t aware of, if you are a participant or a provider.

Every year, the NDIS Pricing Arrangements and Pricing Limits change with the aim of providing sustainability for the NDIS and the market sectors.  More than that, though, these changes have real impacts on real lives.

All of this can get a bit complicated, but that’s why people turn to us.  Want to know how we can help you assess and monitor your budget?  Check out this blog we previously put together: How NDIS Plan Managers Help Budget

Canny Plan Management + Understanding Your NDIS Plan

Here at Canny Plan Management, we live and breathe our ethos of being client-centred, which represents working in real ways, communicating with real talk and helping real people.  Our team is hard-working and puts our clients first.

To be the best, we stay up-to-date on the latest and greatest from the NDIS and NDIA, to ensure we’re always providing the right support to our clients and their providers.

Get in touch to find out how much our team can help you understand your NDIS Plan!