Navigating the 2025–26 NDIS Pricing Reforms: What Providers Need to Know

The National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) has officially released its 2025–26 Pricing Arrangements and Price Limits (PAPL), which will take effect from 1 July 2025. These updates, shaped by the 2024–25 Annual Pricing Review (APR), aim to improve affordability, transparency, and sustainability across the NDIS marketplace.

For NDIS providers, these reforms aren’t just administrative updates; they directly impact service delivery, budgeting, and operational strategies.

Key Changes in the 2025–26 NDIS Pricing Arrangements

1. Early Childhood Age Limit Extended

The early childhood approach now supports children up to 9 years of age, compared to the previous cap of 7 years . This change reflects the NDIS’s commitment to providing extended developmental support for younger participants.

2. Clearer Provider Responsibility Guidelines

Newly introduced guidelines now require providers to actively declare and manage any conflicts of interest. This move reinforces ethical service delivery and protects participant choice and control.

3. Therapy Support Price Reductions

To better align NDIS-funded prices with broader market rates, significant adjustments have been made to therapy support categories:

• Physiotherapy: Reduced by $10 to a new national price limit of $183.99 per hour (The Australian).
• Dietetics and Podiatry: Each reduced by $5 to $188.99 per hour (The Australian).

These reductions aim to eliminate historical price disparities between NDIS participants and private clients.

4. Disability Support Worker (DSW) Cost Model Increase

The Disability Support Worker (DSW) Cost Model will increase by 3.95%, reflecting updates to the Fair Work Commission’s minimum wage decision and the Superannuation Guarantee . This adjustment ensures that support workers are fairly compensated while keeping provider budgets sustainable.

5. Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) Pricing Update

The SDA pricing arrangements have been revised to provide clearer funding signals to investors and providers. These updates will help ensure that NDIS participants with high support needs continue to access suitable housing options.

6. Annual Pricing Review (APR) Cycle Reset

To better align with the Australian Government’s budget cycle, future Annual Pricing Review (APR) recommendations will now be released earlier in the financial year. This change gives providers more time for operational planning and pricing adjustments.

Beyond Pricing: Operational Challenges for NDIS Providers

While the pricing updates grab headlines, the day-to-day reality for NDIS providers involves reconfiguring business processes to stay compliant and profitable. Here’s where operational agility becomes key.

Managing Rising Workforce Costs

The 3.95% DSW Cost Model increase puts pressure on provider payrolls. This is especially true for agencies with large casual or part-time teams.

How RotaWiz Helps:
A smart rostering tool like RotaWiz allows providers to monitor wage costs per shift in real time. By setting budget thresholds, you can avoid accidental overspending on staff rosters, ensuring your labour costs stay within planned budgets.

Adapting to Therapy Pricing Limits

Reduced therapy price caps mean providers must become more efficient in service scheduling and utilisation. The aim is to maximise billable hours without compromising quality.

Operational Tip:
Leverage scheduling software that integrates participant goals with session tracking. This ensures therapists spend more time on client-focused care rather than administrative overhead.

Navigating SDA Reporting and Compliance

With the SDA pricing model shift, providers must now maintain more detailed reporting on property use, participant occupancy, and maintenance schedules.

How Automation Helps:
Tools like RotaWiz enable providers to schedule maintenance visits, track property availability, and manage support staff allocations for each SDA dwelling, all from a single dashboard.

Staying Ahead of the New APR Cycle

Since the APR cycle has shifted to earlier in the year, providers need to respond faster to pricing changes.

Pro Tip:
Ensure your rostering and invoicing systems allow for rapid price updates across all service categories, preventing billing discrepancies and participant plan overspends.

Why NDIS Providers Should Prioritise Workforce Automation in 2025–26

With so many pricing and compliance variables shifting, manual rostering and paper-based invoicing are now high-risk.

RotaWiz at a Glance:
Built specifically for NDIS providers, RotaWiz offers:

• Automated, award-compliant rostering
• Real-time wage cost tracking
• Integration with NDIS service booking and invoicing systems
• Shift-by-shift profitability analysis
• Participant-centred scheduling

Visit RotaWiz to see how you can future-proof your NDIS business for 2025–26 and beyond.

Final Thoughts

The 2025–26 NDIS Pricing Reforms represent more than just a numbers game; they signal a broader push towards market alignment, workforce sustainability, and better participant outcomes.

For providers, the key to thriving in this environment is early adaptation, operational efficiency, and smart use of technology. Whether it’s adjusting to wage increases, therapy rate changes, or new SDA requirements, having the right tools will define your success.

If you haven’t already, now is the time to review your internal systems, train your teams, and explore rostering solutions like RotaWiz that help you stay compliant and competitive.