What updated NDIS price limits mean for home care & transport budgets in Norwest & Mount Druitt

If you live in Norwest or Mount Druitt and use the NDIS for home care and transport, the latest NDIS Pricing Arrangements and Price Limits 2025–26 matter to your weekly routine and your plan budget. Below is a clear, local guide to what changed, how it affects common supports in Western Sydney, and practical steps to keep your costs on track—without the jargon.

1) The short version

• Price limits were updated for 2025–26 and came into effect 24 November 2025. These limits cap what registered providers can charge for most supports.
• Travel for therapists changed in July 2025: therapy providers can claim up to half of the relevant hourly price limit for their travel time, subject to usual time caps by location (non-labour travel costs like tolls remain claimable separately). This does not apply to disability support workers.
• Transport funding in your plan remains separate from provider travel: your transport budget helps you get to work, study and community activities when public transport isn’t accessible to you.

2) What “price limits” actually control (in plain English)

The NDIS sets maximum prices for many support items. Providers can charge less but not more than these limits. The official Pricing Arrangements & Price Limits (PAPL) and Support Catalogue list each item, whether a travel or non-face-to-face component is claimable, and any special rules.

Why this matters in Western Sydney: In suburbs like Norwest and Mount Druitt, travel time and traffic patterns can influence the share of your budget used by in-home supports (e.g., personal care) and community therapies that involve providers travelling to you.

3) Home care vs transport: two different budgets

• Home care supports (e.g., personal care, assistance with daily living, community participation) are funded under your Core or Capacity Building budgets, and claimed at the price limit for the relevant item.
• Transport funding is a separate budget that helps you get from A to B when disability makes public transport hard to use. It doesn’t pay for a worker’s time; it supports your travel.

Common mix-ups:

• Your provider’s travel to you (their labour time + non-labour costs) is claimed under the support item rules, not your transport line item.
• Your own transport to community activities draws from the transport budget in your plan.

4) What changed for provider travel (and what didn’t)

From 1 July 2025, therapy providers can claim up to 50% of the relevant hourly price limit for travel time, up to the usual time caps for your area. Other travel rules (e.g., claiming certain non-labour costs such as tolls and parking) still apply. The change does not extend to disability support workers.

Why it matters locally:

• In Norwest, short but congested trips between business parks and residential streets can add travel time to home-based OT/physio sessions.
• In Mount Druitt, longer east-west drives across the region (or between hubs like Mount Druitt Hospital, TAFE, or local community centres) can also push up therapy travel time—especially in school-hour peaks.

5) Practical budgeting tips for Norwest & Mount Druitt

a) Ask for a clear service agreement

• Make sure your agreement explains which item is used, whether travel time may be charged, and how non-labour costs (tolls, parking) are handled.
• Confirm how many minutes of travel are typical to and from your home or meeting place.

b) Choose meeting points that cut travel

• Meeting an OT near Norwest Metro Station or at a local community centre can reduce travel minutes compared with in-home sessions during peak traffic.
• In Mount Druitt, consider locations close to rail/bus interchanges or major roads to shorten provider travel.

c) Combine appointments

• If clinically appropriate, book back-to-back sessions (e.g., OT then physio) in the same location to share or reduce travel time components.

d) Use your transport budget smartly

• For your own travel, confirm whether a standard or modified vehicle is needed and agree on per-kilometre and other costs in advance (e.g., tolls). The NDIS has long-standing guidance on per-kilometre and non-labour costs for provider travel and participant transport—discuss the right rates when arranging bookings.

e) Check the latest price limits

• Always refer to the current 2025–26 PAPL and Support Catalogue to verify the price limit for the exact item being used, and whether travel or non-face-to-face time is claimable.

6) A simple scenario

Mina (Norwest) has weekly home-based OT. Her provider estimates 12 minutes travel each way outside peak and 20–25 minutes each way during peak. Under the 2025–26 rules, the OT can claim up to 50% of the therapy hourly price limit for travel time (subject to local caps), plus agreed non-labour costs if applicable. Mina decides to shift to mid-morning and meet at a community room near Norwest Metro, cutting typical travel time in half. Over a quarter, those saved minutes keep her Capacity Building budget on target for extra sessions.

Ali (Mount Druitt) uses a support worker for weekly shopping and community participation, and sees a speech pathologist fortnightly. The support worker cannot claim the 50% therapy travel time rule (it only applies to therapy providers), so Ali prioritises in-home support times that avoid peak congestion. For the speech therapist, Ali chooses a clinic near the station to reduce travel minutes claimed under therapy rules. He also uses his transport budget for personal trips to community activities.

7) Red flags to watch

• Vague line items without the support code or price limit reference.
• Unexpected travel charges when you specifically booked an on-site clinic visit that should have minimal provider travel.
• Non-labour costs (parking/tolls) that weren’t agreed in advance.
  If something looks wrong, ask your provider to point to the relevant section of the PAPL or Support Catalogue.

8) How Starlight Care keeps you within bounds (and why that helps your plan)

As a trusted NDIS provider in Western Sydney, Starlight Care:

• Uses the current 2025–26 price limits and the therapy travel settings correctly.
• Designs local schedules (Norwest/Mount Druitt) to minimise travel minutes where possible.
• Puts clear service agreements in plain English, so you know what’s billable and why.
• Works with you to audit recent invoices and adjust bookings or locations to protect your budget.

9) Your next steps (checklist)

1. Open your plan and list weekly supports that involve travel to you.
2. Check the PAPL/Support Catalogue for those items and whether travel or non-face-to-face time is permitted.
3. Email providers for a short note confirming typical travel minutes and any non-labour costs.
4. Reschedule or relocate sessions to reduce travel (e.g., near Norwest Metro or Mount Druitt Station).
5. Track invoices for a full month—spot outliers and ask questions early.
6. Review transport usage against your goals and consider community participation locations that shorten trips.