NDIS Pricing Arrangements 2026-27: What the New Financial Year Means for Your Plan

Each year on 1 July, the NDIS updates its pricing arrangements and price limits. These are the rules that set how much providers can charge for supports. The new financial year is a good moment to check that your plan still covers what you use. This post explains what changes, what does not, and what to do about it.

What Are NDIS Pricing Arrangements?

The NDIS Pricing Arrangements and Price Limits, previously called the Price Guide, set the maximum prices registered providers can charge for many supports. They cover things like:

• Support worker hourly rates
• Therapy and assessment costs
• Some assistive technology and consumables
• Travel and other loadings

The NDIA reviews these limits every year and publishes updates that take effect from 1 July. The goal is to keep prices fair for participants while making sure providers can keep delivering supports.

What Usually Changes on 1 July

While the exact figures vary each year, the annual update typically affects:

• Price limits for core supports such as personal care and community access
• Therapy rates for supports like occupational therapy and physiotherapy
• Travel and regional loadings that reflect the cost of reaching participants
• Some AT and consumable pricing where set limits apply

The important point is that these are maximum prices, not automatic increases to your plan. Your total budget is set separately when your plan is created or reviewed.

What This Means for Your Budget

Here is where people often get confused. A change to price limits does not automatically change how much funding you have.

• If price limits rise but your plan budget stays the same, your funding may not stretch as far.
• The same hour of support could cost slightly more, which means fewer hours from the same dollars.
• Supports you pay for at a fixed limit, like some AT, may cost a little more or less than last year.

This is why the new financial year is a good time to review how your budget is tracking, especially if you are partway through a long plan.

How to Check Your Plan Against the New Prices

Take a short review of your own situation:

1. Log in to the myplace portal or your plan manager's system and check how much of each budget category you have used.
2. Compare your spend rate to how much of your plan period remains.
3. Ask your providers whether their rates are changing from 1 July.
4. Flag any shortfall early with your support coordinator rather than waiting until funds run low.

If you manage your own supports or use a plan manager, this check is even more useful, because you are the one matching invoices to price limits.

For a deeper look at securing ongoing funding, read: NDIS Plan Review: How to Secure Ongoing Smart Home and AT Funding

Impact on Smart Home and Assistive Technology Funding

Assistive technology is funded a little differently from day-to-day supports. Lower-cost AT is often bought within existing budgets, while higher-cost AT usually needs a quote and an OT recommendation. Pricing updates can affect:

• The set limits for some standard AT items
• Quoted prices for larger items and installations
• Repair, maintenance, and replacement costs

If you are planning a smart home upgrade or a new AT purchase this financial year, it is worth confirming current pricing before you request funding. To understand how AT sits within your plan, read: NDIS Capital Supports vs Assistive Technology

It also helps to know what the NDIS generally will and will not fund. See: The NDIS In and Out List Explained

Impact on SDA Payments

Specialist Disability Accommodation has its own price framework, updated separately from the main pricing arrangements. SDA payments are calculated from factors like design category, building type, and location. If you live in SDA, the annual update may adjust these amounts, but it does not usually change your day-to-day experience. Your provider handles the SDA payment side. If you have questions, your support coordinator or provider can explain how any change applies to your home.

What You Do Not Need to Do

To avoid unnecessary worry:

• You do not need to renegotiate your whole plan just because prices updated.
• You do not need to change providers unless their service or pricing no longer suits you.
• You do not lose funding simply because the financial year turned over.

Most participants can carry on as normal and simply keep an eye on how their budget is tracking.

When to Ask for a Plan Review

Consider raising a plan review if:

• Your funding is running short well before your plan ends.
• Your support needs have changed since your plan was written.
• Price changes mean you can no longer get the hours or supports you rely on.

A plan review is based on your needs and evidence, not only on pricing. Bring clear records of your usage and any reports from your OT or therapists.

For the bigger picture on recent NDIS changes, read: NDIS 2026 Overhaul Explained

Key Takeaways

1. Pricing arrangements update every 1 July and set maximum provider prices.
2. Price changes do not automatically change your budget, so funds may stretch differently.
3. Review your spend against your plan period at the start of the financial year.
4. Confirm current pricing before large AT or smart home purchases.
5. Ask for a plan review if your funding no longer meets your needs.

If you have questions about how the new financial year affects your smart home supports or SDA housing, contact our team. We are happy to help.

This article reflects general information about annual NDIS pricing updates as of July 2026 and is not financial or legal advice. Exact prices and rules are set by the NDIA and can change. For advice specific to your situation, consult your support coordinator, plan manager, or LAC. For official information, including the current pricing arrangements, visit ndis.gov.au.