How NDIS Price Limits Can Impact Your Supports?

When you’re working with someone who has NDIS funding, there’s a quiet rulebook behind the payments that often goes unnoticed, the NDIS price limits. These limits, or cap rates, can decide how much a worker earns, how far a participant’s budget goes, and whether an invoice even gets approved.

If you’re supporting someone through Support Network, or you’re a participant trying to understand where your money’s going, it helps to know how these price limits really play out in day-to-day support work. They sound like paperwork, but they can shape everything from the hours you work to the type of help you can book.

What Price Limits Actually Mean

Every NDIS plan is a bit different, but if your plan is NDIA-managed or plan-managed, the rates you pay or charge must sit inside the official limits listed by the NDIA. They’re there to make sure the cost of support stays fair and consistent across the country.

So, say you’re working as a support worker through Support Network and your client is plan-managed. Even if you both agree on an hourly rate, it still has to sit under the price cap the NDIA has set for that type of service. If it’s above that, the plan manager can’t claim it. The invoice might bounce back, or get rejected altogether.

But when you have a self-managed client, that is quite another matter. Participants who are self-managed are more flexible. They are able to talk rates directly with you, and do not necessarily have to remain within the limits of the NDIA, but do have to ensure that the support makes sense and is linked to the objectives of their plan.

The NDIA keeps a big list, called the NDIS Pricing Arrangements and Price Limits, that explains exactly what can be charged and under what conditions. It’s updated every year because wages, cost of living, and the market all shift.

Why the NDIA Puts Caps in Place

It all comes down to the principle that support costs should be reasonable and necessary. Those words show up a lot in the NDIS. Basically, it means that the price for one person’s support shouldn’t be wildly higher than what others are paying for similar help.

The NDIA reviews the rates each financial year. They look at wage trends, weekend penalty rates, inflation, remote loadings, all the economic things that change what it costs to deliver care. That’s why, from one year to the next, you might see the numbers move a little.

They also aim at preventing massive price changes which may affect the budgets of the participants. The costs of the supports become high meaning you can achieve less care with the same amount. The caps are supposed to prevent the occurrence of this.

How Price Limits Can Impact You as a Worker

Let’s say you set your own hourly rate. You’re good at what you do, so you charge a fair amount. But then your client’s plan manager tells you your rate is over the limit for that category. What happens?

It depends on the client’s management type.

• If they’re plan-managed or NDIA-managed, you’ll probably have to adjust your rate or the invoice won’t go through.
• If they’re self-managed, they can pay the full amount directly and claim what fits within their budget.

This is where things get tricky on platforms like Support Network, because there are often small platform service fees, plus any administrative fees charged by plan managers. These add up, and even if your base rate looks fine, those extras can push the total cost above the NDIS cap without you realising it.

That’s why it’s smart to think in total amounts, not just your headline rate.

Let’s Break It Down With an Example

Imagine you’re supporting a client in New South Wales. They receive core supports under “Assistance with self-care activities during weekday daytime.” (That’s reference 01_011_0107_1_1 in the NDIS list, if you ever want to check.)

The old cap for that was around $62.17 per hour, just using that as an example, because rates change often.

You agree on $55/hour for your services. The Support Network platform applies its 7.95% client service fee, which is another $4.37. Then, your client’s plan manager has their own 12% service fee, adding about $6.93.

Now the total that needs to be covered from the client’s NDIS funding is $66.30.

Here’s the problem: the total cost exceeds the $62.17 limit. That means the plan manager can’t process the payment in full. Your invoice might get declined, or the client might need to pay the extra privately.

That occurs more regularly than one may think. It is even on the day that you are paying dispensably less than the rate, but as soon as you start putting your small charges, the price crosses the line.

The moral therefore is, never see what you mean by the real sum, only the amount you have. And when the plan manager of the client tells you that something does not fit it is likely due to that total.

What Happens If You Go Over

When your rate goes beyond the cap, plan managers can’t legally approve or claim it through the NDIS portal. The invoice will get flagged and you might not get paid until it’s fixed. For the client, it also creates stress because it uses up their budget too quickly.

To prevent that, Support Network usually alerts you if a rate looks higher than the allowed limit when setting up a service agreement. It’s not there to control you, it’s there to keep the plan claimable so no one ends up waiting on rejected hours.

Tips for Workers to Stay Within the Limits

• Ask upfront: always check whether the participant’s plan is self-managed, plan-managed, or NDIA-managed.
• Know the support category: each item (like personal care, domestic help, or social support) has its own cap.
• Include every fee: check both platform and plan management fees so you’re not accidentally over.
• Consider timing: weekend or public holiday work has different rates. Sometimes choosing a weekday slot keeps the total under the cap.
• Read the latest pricing guide: the NDIA updates these every year, and the changes can be small but important.

Be flexible: if your client’s budget is tight, discuss alternative times or shorter sessions. It’s better to stay booked than to price yourself out of work.
 

What It Means for Participants

If you’re a participant using Support Network, the same rules apply from your side too. When you agree to a rate, make sure the total falls within your NDIS category limit. The easiest way to do that is by checking the NDIS price table or asking your plan manager to confirm.

With self-managed clients, you have a greater deal of freedom, although this holds that it is your responsibility to manage your own expenses. By remaining near to the guide rates, you can increase your funding.

Why This Matters

Price limits can sound restrictive, but they’re part of how the NDIS keeps things fair and sustainable. They stop prices from shooting up too fast and make sure every participant gets consistent value for money.

For workers, understanding these limits helps you stay booked and avoid awkward payment issues. For participants, it protects your funding so it goes where it should, toward meaningful, ongoing support.

The objective at Support Network is facilitate ease in the entire process, clear rates, transparent invoices, no confusion. To both the worker who is also setting their rate, or those who are part of a plan attempting to manage one, a small amount of knowledge on NDIS price limits will save every company time and hassle.

Note:

The figures and examples above are for illustration. NDIS rates change often, so always check the most recent NDIS Pricing Arrangements and Price Limits before setting or accepting rates. If you’re uncertain, ask your plan manager, Support Coordinator, or reach out to the NDIA directly.

Support Network helps you connect, organise, and manage supports within those limits, safely, fairly, and with more control over your care.