Guides
NDIS billing rates versus SCHADS employee wages
Clear distinction between NDIS service price limits and SCHADS wage floors for employers. Cite both systems; no legal conclusions.
An NDIS price limit is not a SCHADS wage. Price limits govern what may be charged or claimed for funded supports; SCHADS minimums govern what covered employees must be paid. Employers need both systems understood separately — conflating them is a common compliance risk.
What is an NDIS price limit?
NDIS pricing arrangements set limits and rules for claiming supports using participant funding. They are administered in the NDIS framework, not as modern award wage tables. Official overview: NDIS — Pricing arrangements.
What is a SCHADS wage floor?
SCHADS (MA000100) sets minimum wages and conditions for employees covered by that award. Current adult base rates are published in the Fair Work Commission — Modern Awards Pay Database. Instrument: SCHADS Industry Award 2010 (MA000100).
Side-by-side: billing versus wages
| Topic | NDIS price limit | SCHADS wage floor |
|---|---|---|
| Purpose | Caps / rules for claiming funded supports | Minimum pay and conditions for covered employees |
| Who it binds | Providers claiming under NDIS pricing rules | Employers of employees covered by SCHADS |
| Official source | NDIS pricing arrangements | FWC pay database + award |
| Equals the other? | No — a price limit is not evidence of a lawful wage, and a wage minimum is not an NDIS claim rate | |
| AwardGuard role | Does not calculate NDIS claim prices | Checks adult SCHADS base rates you enter against FWC data |
Practical steps for employers
- Set wages from the award (and any applicable enterprise agreement), using official Fair Work sources.
- Set billing/claiming from current NDIS pricing arrangements for the support type and rules that apply.
- Do not treat a claimed hourly support price as proof that wages are compliant — or vice versa.
- Use NDIS support worker pay rates under SCHADS and SCHADS award rates when checking adult base wages.
Compare what you pay with the current adult base minimum using the free AwardGuard rate checker. Always confirm against the award instrument and Fair Work sources — the award prevails.
Limitations
- This comparison is educational only and does not interpret your contracts, plan management setup, or award coverage.
- AwardGuard is not affiliated with or endorsed by NDIS, the Fair Work Commission, or the Fair Work Ombudsman.
- Figures on either side can change; always verify current official publications.
Last reviewed: 15 July 2026 · Authored by AwardGuard (organisation).
General information only — not legal or workplace-relations advice. The applicable modern award always prevails. Rates and classifications should be verified against the Fair Work Commission — Modern Awards Pay Database. AwardGuard is not endorsed by the Fair Work Commission, Fair Work Ombudsman, or NDIS.