NDIS Support Hours Calculator:
How Many Hours Can You Get?
Enter your Core Supports budget and see exactly how many hours of support you can afford each week, fortnight, and year — using current 2024–25 NDIS price guide rates.
Cost per session at this length: $116.06
Hours per week
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Enter your budget above to see results
Rates are based on the NDIS 2024–25 Price Guide. Actual costs may vary by provider and location.
How NDIS Core Supports Funding Works
Core Supports is one of the three main funding categories in an NDIS plan — the others being Capital Supports and Capacity Building. Your Core Supports budget funds everyday assistance: personal care, domestic tasks, community participation, and short-term accommodation (respite). It is the most flexible funding category — in most cases you can shift money between Core subcategories (Daily Activities, Community Participation, Transport, and Consumables) without needing a plan review.
The dollar amount in your Core Supports budget is determined at your planning meeting, based on the supports the NDIA considers reasonable and necessary given your disability, goals, and informal support network. There is no universal formula — two participants with the same diagnosis can receive very different funding depending on their functional capacity, living situation, and plan goals.
NDIS funding is not a set number of hours — it is a dollar amount. The number of hours you can access depends on the hourly rate charged by your support worker or provider. Rates vary by time of day, day of the week, and the intensity of support required. A standard weekday hour costs significantly less than a Sunday or public holiday hour, so the same budget buys more hours when supports are scheduled during standard daytime times.
Registered providers must charge within the NDIS Pricing Arrangements and Price Limits published by the NDIA each financial year. Plan-managed and self-managed participants can also use unregistered providers, who may charge below the price limit — which can stretch a budget further and buy more hours from the same funding.
What Affects How Many Hours You Get?
Time of Day
Supports delivered in the evening (after 8pm on weekdays) attract a loading above the standard daytime rate. Scheduling more sessions during weekday daytime hours maximises the number of hours your budget buys.
Support Intensity
High-intensity supports (Level 2 and Level 3) require specifically trained workers and have higher price limits under the NDIS Pricing Arrangements. If you only need standard personal care or community support, the lower standard rate applies.
Provider Type
Registered providers must charge within NDIS price limits. Unregistered providers (available to plan-managed and self-managed participants) may charge below the price limit, meaning your budget goes further.
Location Loading
Participants in remote, very remote, or Modified Monash rural areas may have higher price limits applied to account for the additional costs of delivering support in those locations. Perth participants generally use the standard metropolitan rate.
How to Make Your NDIS Hours Go Further
Use Group Supports Where Possible
Group supports — such as day programs, group community participation, or shared support arrangements — allow the cost of a support worker to be shared across multiple participants. The per-participant rate is significantly lower than 1:1 support. A group of three, for example, means your budget effectively buys three times as many hours of worker time. Ask your support coordinator or provider which activities are available in a group format.
Consider Self-Managing or Plan Managing
Self-managed and plan-managed participants can access unregistered providers who may charge below the NDIS price limit. Even a modest reduction in the hourly rate can add several hours per week from the same budget. Plan management is funded separately in your NDIS plan (Capacity Building), so it does not reduce your Core Supports budget.
Schedule Supports During Standard Hours
Evening and weekend rates attract loadings of up to 120% above the standard weekday rate. If your needs allow flexibility, scheduling supports between 6am and 8pm Monday to Friday means your budget purchases more hours. Even shifting one weekly session from a Saturday to a weekday can make a meaningful difference across a 12-month plan.
Review Your Plan Regularly
If your needs have changed or your current budget is insufficient to meet your goals, you can request an unscheduled plan review. Document clearly how your daily functioning has changed and what additional support is required. A support coordinator can help you prepare for a plan review and advocate for appropriate funding. Do not wait until your annual review if your support needs have significantly increased.
2024–25 NDIS Core Supports Hourly Rates
Line item 01_011_0107_1_1 — Daily Personal Activities. Source: NDIS Pricing Arrangements and Price Limits 2024-25.
| Support Type | Rate (AUD/hr) |
|---|---|
| Standard Weekday (Mon–Fri, 6am–8pm) | $58.03 |
| Weekday Evening (Mon–Fri, after 8pm) | $64.07 |
| Saturday (all hours) | $81.24 |
| Sunday (all hours) | $104.45 |
| Public Holiday (all hours) | $127.67 |
| High Intensity — Level 2 | $66.73 |
| High Intensity — Level 3 | $76.50 |
Rates shown are maximum price limits for registered providers. Plan-managed and self-managed participants may negotiate lower rates with unregistered providers.