SIL price limits against what an hour costs you.

SIL items come in two intensities. Standardsupport sits in the schedule's Disability Support Workers Level 1 section, and High Intensity in the Level 2 section, for participants whose support needs require a more skilled or experienced worker. Each has an hourly item for six time bands, plus a single night-time sleepover item. Price limits are set for national, remote and very remote locations.

The schedule has no separate active overnight SIL item. Awake support overnight is claimed at the weekday night rate (or the weekend or public holiday rate), and asleep support at the sleepover rate. To turn a week of shifts into a per-resident quote, use the SIL roster of care tool.

The NDIS time bands are defined by when the support is delivered:

SCHADS shift loadings work differently. An afternoon shift is one that finishes after 8pm, and its 12.5% loading applies to the whole shift — including the daytime hours you claim at the weekday daytime rate. A 2pm to 10pm shift costs 112.5% for 8 hours but earns 6 hours at the daytime limit and 2 at the evening limit. The table compares each band at the loading most hours in that band attract, so real rosters can land a little either side.

With the default assumptions — part-time Level 2.3 for standard support, Level 3.1 for high intensity, 4 weeks' leave, 12% super, 3% workers comp, no payroll tax and 12% overheads — the national margins per worker-hour are:

Weekend and public holiday limits rise roughly in step with award penalty rates, so the percentage margin stays in a similar range across bands. Remote and very remote limits are higher while the award rate is the same, but remote delivery usually brings its own extra costs.

• Classifications. Earlier NDIS price guides linked standard supports to workers at SCHADS Level 2.3 or below and high intensity supports to Level 2.4 or 3.1. We use Level 2.3 and Level 3.1 as benchmarks — pick the levels you actually pay.
• Award minimums. SACS rates from the Fair Work pay guide, including the equal remuneration order. Above-award pay or an enterprise agreement will cost more.
• Penalties. Evening is costed as a SCHADS afternoon shift (112.5%) and night as a night shift (115%); casuals add 25 points.
• Leave. Permanent staff: 4 weeks' annual leave with 17.5% loading, 10 personal leave days and 10 public holidays, spread over the remaining productive weeks and costed at the base rate.
• On-costs. 12% super on wages and leave; 3% workers comp (a placeholder — use your premium rate); 0% payroll tax (enter your rate if you're over your state's threshold); 12% overheads as a planning figure.
• Not included. Overtime, broken shifts, allowances other than sleepover, unbillable time (handover, training, team meetings), vacancies and cancellations.

The 2026–27 night-time sleepover limit is $311.79 per sleepover nationally. Under SCHADS the worker gets a flat $62.87 sleepover allowance; with the default on-costs that's about $81.23. The gap isn't pure margin: the award requires work of at least 4 hours immediately before or after the sleepover, and any time the worker is woken to work is paid as overtime with a one-hour minimum. Under the pricing arrangements, if active support during a sleepover runs past 2 hours, it can be claimed from the third hour — on weekdays at the Saturday rate.

SIL

Supported Independent Living: help with daily tasks in a shared or individual home, usually with overnight support.

Price limit

The maximum a provider can charge per unit of a support item under the NDIS Pricing Arrangements.

High Intensity

SIL support for participants with complex needs, delivered by a more skilled or experienced worker, with higher price limits.

Loaded cost

Wages plus leave, super, workers comp, payroll tax and overheads per hour of support delivered.

Worker-hour

One hour of one support worker's time, whether it supports one participant or is shared.