NDIS personal care rates: what families can expect.

What are NDIS personal care rates?

They're the most a provider can charge for each hour of help. They aren't set prices, and they aren't what a worker earns.

This guide explains NDIS personal care rates for families and carers arranging care. It isn't for people looking for support work. These figures are not worker pay rates. On the NDIS price list, personal care appears as "assistance with self-care activities". If you're new to this, start with what NDIS personal care is.

Looking for the NDIS price guide for personal care? The document you want is now the NDIS Pricing Schedule 2026-27. It took effect on 24 September 2026, when the Minister made the first pricing determination under the new NDIS laws. The self-care prices in it match the NDIA's guidance from 1 July 2026, so they haven't moved.

How much does a support worker cost per hour?

NDIS care rates change with the day and time. These are the NDIS personal care hourly rates for standard self-care in Victoria. Each one is a maximum and already includes any GST.

There's no separate Victorian price. The schedule has national, remote and very remote prices, set by where the support happens, not where the person usually lives. Melbourne counts as a major city, so the national price above applies, as it does in regional centres and rural towns. Places classed as remote or very remote have higher limits. Public holiday prices apply on days declared in Victoria, such as the Friday before the AFL Grand Final, and Melbourne Cup Day in metro Melbourne.

Three rules that change the bill

• A visit that crosses a time band. If one worker's visit crosses into a higher-priced time or day, the higher price can apply to the whole visit. A visit from 7pm to 9pm could cost up to $162.14, because both hours can be charged at the evening price.
• A visit shorter than an hour. Hourly prices are worked out on the exact minutes, so half an hour is half the hourly limit.
• A sleepover. A night-time sleepover has its own maximum of $311.79, not an hourly price. It runs for eight hours or more across midnight, and the worker can sleep when not needed. Active support beyond two hours can be charged on top.

Is the maximum what you'll be charged?

Not always. It's a ceiling. The price is what you and the provider agree on.

The NDIA says providers can't charge more than the maximum price, and that people and their providers can negotiate a reasonable price up to it. The NDIA doesn't set the price a provider charges. So a provider may charge the maximum or less, and prices can differ. Compare what each provider puts in writing.

How the funding is managed matters too.

How do high-intensity rates differ?

There's a separate, higher price list for support that needs a worker with specific skills.

The schedule calls a support high intensity when it needs a worker with one or more of the high-intensity skills in the NDIS practice standards. High-intensity supports on the NDIS explains what those are. The 2026-27 schedule has one set of high-intensity prices for self-care, not several tiers. Standard self-care is priced on Disability Support Worker Level 1, and high intensity on Level 2. These are pricing levels, not pay grades.

The higher price is for support that needs those skills, so ask any provider which price applies to each part of the routine, and why. For a health question, ask the person's GP or health practitioner. In an emergency, call 000.

What can be added to the hourly rate?

Some extra charges are allowed, under set rules. Get each one in writing before support starts.

The 2026-27 support catalogue shows travel and short-notice cancellations can be claimed on self-care. The detail below comes from the NDIA's last published rules, the 2025-26 pricing arrangements. New claiming guidance is due on 1 December 2026, so check these then.

• Travel time. In Melbourne, a provider can claim up to 30 minutes of a worker's travel to and from each visit, at the agreed hourly rate or lower. Smaller rural towns have a longer limit. It must be agreed in advance, and the worker must be paid for that time.
• Travel costs. With your agreement, a provider can also ask for a reasonable share of tolls, parking and vehicle costs. The NDIA treats up to $0.99 a kilometre as reasonable for a worker's or provider's vehicle.
• Short-notice cancellations. If you give less than seven days' notice, or the person isn't there when the worker arrives, a provider can claim up to 100% of the agreed fee. This applies if the provider can't find other paid work for the worker, and the worker still has to be paid. A provider can waive the fee, and the terms should be in the service agreement.
• Two workers. If your family member needs two workers at the same time, the provider can bill for both workers' time. One weekday daytime hour with two workers could use up to $147.16 of the funding. Ask why two are needed, and check the plan allows for it.
• A set-up fee. A provider can claim an establishment fee of up to $735.80 if it agrees to provide at least 20 hours a month for three or more months in a row. Each provider can claim it once for each person.

How far will the plan's funding go?

Personal care can be paid from NDIS funding if it's included in the plan. The NDIA decides what goes in a plan.

Work it out for your family member

1. Find the budgetLook in core supports, under assistance with daily life. The funding table in the plan shows the amount.
2. List a normal weekWrite down each visit: the day, the start and finish time, and how many workers.
3. Use the agreed pricesMultiply each visit by the agreed price for that time band. Add travel and any other agreed charges.
4. Compare it with what's leftThe NDIS website has a budget calculator and a supports organiser. Funds shown in the portal can be more than what's really available, because payments can be delayed.
5. Ask for help if it doesn't fitA my NDIS contact or support coordinator can help you understand the pricing and what to do next.

Questions to ask any provider about price

• What's your hourly price for each time we need?
• Do you charge travel time and kilometres, and what would a typical visit add?
• How much notice do you need to cancel, and what's the charge?
• Is there an establishment fee or a minimum visit length?
• Do you charge for anything else, such as time spent away from the person?
• Are you registered for high-intensity daily personal activities, if we need them?

The NDIA says a good service agreement includes how much the supports cost. One isn't required for every support, but the NDIA recommends one when you start with a new provider. If you decide to move, the guide to changing NDIS providers explains the steps.

Could these rates change from 1 December 2026?

They may. The NDIA will publish a new schedule that day, so check these prices again.

The NDIA says a Fair Work decision on wages under the Social, Community, Home Care and Disability Services Award takes effect on 1 December 2026. It has announced higher maximum prices for four items, at the national rate, for support delivered from that date:

• House or yard maintenance: $59.01 to $63.42 an hour
• House cleaning and other household activities: $60.10 to $64.59 an hour
• Assistance with personal domestic activities: $61.16 to $65.73 an hour
• Specialised home-based assistance for a child: $61.16 to $65.73 an hour

Self-care isn't one of those four, so the announced rises don't include the prices in this guide. Check the new schedule to be sure. If you also use help with household tasks, those prices may be the ones that change. A provider must talk to you about any change to an existing service agreement, and you must agree before it's made.

This guide is general information, not advice about a particular plan.