The NDIS updated its prices on 1 July 2026, and this year there is more to it than the usual annual tweak. The document that sets NDIS prices has a new name, therapy prices have moved in different directions, and the way your therapy is billed has changed.
If you are an NDIS participant, a family member or a carer, you do not need to read the full pricing document to understand what matters for you. This guide pulls out the parts that affect your plan, your therapy and your budget, in plain English.
A quick note before we start: the figures below are drawn from the NDIA’s 2026 Annual Pricing Review and the new Pricing Schedule. Prices and rules can be updated, and your own plan is what ultimately decides what you can claim. Always check the current figures against the official NDIS Pricing Schedule, and speak to your planner or support coordinator about your specific plan.
What changed on 1 July 2026 (the short version)
- The yearly price list has a new name: the NDIS Pricing Schedule (it used to be called the Pricing Arrangements and Price Limits, or PAPL).
- Occupational therapy stayed at $193.99 per hour nationally. No increase, again.
- Some therapies went up, some went down. Psychology rose; dietetics and exercise physiology fell.
- Support worker prices rose by roughly 4.8%, in line with the latest wage decision.
- Plan management fees did not change.
- The way therapy is billed changed. Travel, reports, telehealth and admin time are now separate line items on your invoice.
- Your provider cannot simply charge you the new prices on an existing agreement. Changes to your service agreement have to be agreed with you first.
The “price guide” has a new name: the NDIS Pricing Schedule
Each year the NDIA reviews what it pays for supports and publishes the result. This is called the Annual Pricing Review (APR), and the 2026 report was released on 22 June 2026.
For 2026-27, the price list itself has been renamed from the Pricing Arrangements and Price Limits (PAPL) to the NDIS Pricing Schedule. If your support coordinator or provider mentions “the new Pricing Schedule”, that is the same thing you may have previously known as the price guide.
There is also a change happening in the background. A bill called the NDIS Amendment (Securing the NDIS for Future Generations) Bill 2026 was introduced to Parliament on 14 May 2026. Among other things, it proposes to give the Minister the power to set NDIS prices directly. That bill has not passed yet, and it does not need to pass for the 1 July 2026 prices to apply. We have flagged it here only so the name is familiar if you see it in the news.
Did occupational therapy prices change?
No. Occupational therapy stayed at $193.99 per hour nationally, the same as the previous year.
As an OT-led team, this is the change we get asked about most, so it is worth being clear: the standard OT hourly price has been held at $193.99 for several years now. Holding a price flat while wages and running costs keep rising is, in real terms, a quiet reduction.
For what this means in dollars, see our guide on how much an NDIS occupational therapy assessment costs in 2026-27.
Why a frozen OT price still matters for you
A frozen price might sound like good news for your budget, and in the short term it can mean your therapy hours go a little further than other supports that rose in price. But there is a longer-term point worth understanding.
Occupational Therapy Australia and others in the sector have raised concerns that a long price freeze puts pressure on therapists, and that some may reduce their NDIS work or step away from the scheme. The practical risk for participants is access: longer waitlists, or fewer OTs taking new NDIS clients, especially outside major cities.
This is not a reason to worry about your current supports. It is a reason to value continuity with a provider that is committed to NDIS work, and to plan assessments and reviews with a bit of lead time rather than at the last minute.
Your therapy invoices may look different now
One of the biggest practical changes for 2026-27 is how allied health is billed, not just the price.
Previously, things like travel and report-writing were often bundled. From 1 July 2026, each therapy now has separate line items for different activities, claimed under their own item numbers. For occupational therapy you may now see distinct lines for:
- Direct service (your face-to-face session)
- Telehealth (a session delivered remotely where appropriate)
- Non-face-to-face work (for example, writing up your assessment or planning your program)
- NDIA-requested reports
- Provider travel (charged at a lower rate, around half the standard hourly rate)
- Short-notice cancellations
What this means for you: your invoice may look more detailed than before, with several lines instead of one. This is a billing-structure change, not a hidden extra charge. It is worth keeping an eye on these line items, and asking your provider to explain anything you are unsure about, so you always know how your therapy budget is being used. At Youcentric, we are happy to walk participants and families through how our invoices are itemised.
What changed for other supports
If your plan funds more than therapy, here is a quick guide to the other confirmed 2026-27 changes. Figures are national standard rates and should be confirmed against the current Pricing Schedule.
- Psychology: increased to around $252.99 per hour.
- Dietetics: decreased to around $178.99 per hour.
- Exercise physiology: decreased to around $161.99 per hour.
- Other allied health professionals: set at around $156.16 per hour.
- A new Orientation and Mobility Specialist item was introduced for people who are blind or have low vision.
- Support workers: rose by roughly 4.8%, reflecting the latest Fair Work wage decision and the increase in superannuation.
- Plan management: the monthly fee was unchanged, at around $104.45 per month.
- Support coordination: Level 2 and Level 3 prices stayed the same, while Level 1 was indexed. See our guide to NDIS support coordination levels and costs.
- Supported Independent Living (SIL): moved to a new item code, and SIL providers now face mandatory registration requirements. If you receive SIL, your provider should be managing this transition for you.
- Short Term Accommodation (STA / respite): the old single bundled daily price has been split into separate components. If you use respite, expect the way it is quoted to look different.
Will my NDIS budget go further or less far?
It depends on what your plan funds.
- If your plan is mostly occupational therapy, the frozen OT price means your hours buy roughly the same as last year.
- If your plan funds a lot of support worker hours, those rose by around 4.8%, so the same dollars may buy slightly fewer hours than before.
- If you use psychology, sessions may now cost more; if you use dietetics or exercise physiology, they may cost a little less.
Importantly, a price change does not automatically change your plan’s funding. If you are concerned that higher support worker prices might stretch your budget, the right people to talk to are your support coordinator or planner, who can look at your specific plan.
Do I need to re-sign my service agreement?
This is an important one. Your provider cannot simply apply the new 2026-27 prices to an existing service agreement without your agreement.
The NDIA is clear that providers must discuss any proposed changes with you, and you have to agree before a changed price takes effect. In practice that usually means your provider sends an updated service agreement or a short note explaining the change, and asks you to confirm.
If you receive one of these, it is reasonable to:
- Ask which supports the change applies to.
- Check the new rate against the current Pricing Schedule or with your support coordinator.
- Ask how it affects the number of hours or sessions your plan funds.
You are entitled to understand a change before you agree to it.
When does this start, and is it final?
The 2026-27 prices apply from 1 July 2026. The renamed Pricing Schedule and the Annual Pricing Review report were published in late June 2026.
A few points were noted by the NDIA as recommendations rather than confirmed changes (for example, ongoing reviews of the support worker cost model and therapy pricing). And the pricing bill mentioned earlier is still before Parliament. So while the 1 July prices are what providers bill against now, parts of the wider picture may still develop over the year. We will update this article as the position becomes clearer.
What you can do now (quick checklist)
- Check your invoices for the new itemised lines, and ask your provider if anything is unclear.
- Read any updated service agreement before signing, and confirm what changed.
- Talk to your support coordinator or planner if you think a price change could affect your budget.
- Plan therapy and reviews early rather than at the last minute, given access pressures.
- Confirm exact figures against the official NDIS Pricing Schedule before making decisions.
If you are a participant or family in Liverpool or Western Sydney and you would like a plain-English chat about how these changes affect your occupational therapy, you are welcome to get in touch with our team.
Frequently asked questions
Did OT prices go up in the 2026-27 NDIS pricing changes?
No. The standard occupational therapy price stayed at $193.99 per hour nationally, the same as the previous year.
What is the NDIS Pricing Schedule?
It is the new name for the NDIS’s yearly price list. It replaces the document previously called the Pricing Arrangements and Price Limits (PAPL), and it took effect on 1 July 2026.
Why does my therapy invoice now have more line items?
From 1 July 2026, allied health activities like travel, reports, telehealth and non-face-to-face work are billed as separate line items rather than bundled together. It is a change to how billing is structured, not a hidden extra charge.
Can my provider charge me the new prices without asking?
No. Providers must discuss any proposed change to an existing service agreement with you, and you have to agree before it applies.
Will the NDIS pricing changes reduce my plan funding?
A price change does not automatically change your plan’s funding. If you are worried about your budget, speak to your support coordinator or planner about your specific plan.