Key changes following the release of the NDIS 2024-25 Annual Price Review Report
What is the Annual Pricing Review?
Every year the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) gathers information to review the pricing arrangements and price limits that registered National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) providers use.
These changes apply to all supports by Agency-managed and plan-managed participants. They do not apply to self-managed participants.
The National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) has released its 2025-26 Pricing Arrangements and Price Limits (PAPL), effective 1 July 2025. This annual update, shaped by the 2024-25 Annual Pricing Review (APR), brings some big changes for participants, providers, and the broader disability community.
What are the changes?
The key changes effective 1 July 2025 are:
Support Worker and Core Supports: Pay Increases
Disability support worker (DSW) services-core to many participants' plans-will see a 3.95% price limit increase. This rise reflects the Fair Work Commission's wage adjustments and increased superannuation, aiming to ensure fair pay and maintain a skilled workforce.
For example, the standard weekday rate for community participation support increases to $70.23 per hour.
Other core supports seeing increases include:
- Employment assistance
- Home and living
- Level 1 Support Coordination
- Psychosocial Recovery Coaching
Therapy Supports: National Rate Introduction
Perhaps the most significant-and contentious-change is the move to national pricing for therapy supports. Previously, therapy rates varied by state, with higher caps in WA, SA, TAS, and NT.
Now, all states share a single national rate:
- Physiotherapy: $183.99/hr (↓ $40.63 in WA/SA/TAS/NT; ↓ $10 in other states)
- Psychology: $232.99/hr (↓ $11.23 in WA/SA/TAS/NT; ↑ $10 in other states)
- Dietetics & Podiatry: ↓ $5/hr nationally
- Travel claims for therapists are capped at 50% of hourly rate, max 30 mins (60 mins in remote areas)
This is expected to impact providers' ability to deliver services, especially in regional and remote communities.
Early Childhood Supports: Age Limit Extended
The early childhood approach now covers children up to 9 years old (previously 7). This change gives families more time to access early intervention supports during critical developmental years.
New support line items have also been introduced for a broader range of early childhood professionals, including:
- Developmental educators
- Speech pathologists
- Occupational therapists
- Social workers
- Art/music therapists
- Podiatrists and,
- Dietitians.
Plan Management and Provider Responsibilities
- Plan management setup fees and remote loadings have been discontinued. Monthly administration fees remain unchanged.
- Provider responsibilities are more clearly defined, with new requirements to declare and manage conflicts of interest, reinforcing ethical practice and transparency.
- Service agreements may need to be updated to reflect new price limits.
Other Notable Updates
- Nursing and domestic supports: Price limits ↑ 3.2% (including health supports, personal domestic activities, home maintenance, and specialised child assistance).
- Travel allowance for support workers: Petrol costs can now be claimed up to $0.99 per kilometre.
- Medium Term Accommodation and Centre Capital Cost: ↑ ~ 2.4% to keep pace with inflation.
- Unspent funds: Any unspent funds in a participant's plan at the end of the financial year will be automatically increased to match the new price limits.
What Does This Mean for Participants?
Plan funding will be automatically adjusted from mid-July 2025 to reflect the new price limits. No immediate action is needed.
The extension of early childhood supports also offers more flexibility for families during those important early years.
