SCHADS 15% Pay Rise on 1 December 2026: What NDIS Providers Must Do
Home care disability workers get up to 15% more from 1 December 2026. See the new SCHADS rates, start dates, NDIS price changes and an 8-step checklist.
From the first full pay period starting on or after 1 December 2026, home care employees who provide disability care under the SCHADS Award get a pay rise of up to 15%. For NDIS providers with home care staff, it's the biggest single change to minimum wages in years, and it lands just five months after the 4.75% increase on 1 July 2026.
This guide covers who gets the rise, the new rates, when it starts in your pay cycle, what's happening with NDIS prices, and a checklist to get payroll and rosters ready. Every rate and date below comes from the Fair Work Commission, the Fair Work Ombudsman or the NDIA.
SCHADS pay changes: the key dates
| Date | What changes | Who it affects |
|---|---|---|
| First full pay period on or after 1 July 2026 | 4.75% Annual Wage Review increase | All SCHADS employees |
| First full pay period on or after 1 December 2026 | Interim increase of up to 15% | Home care employees doing disability care (Schedule E) |
| First full pay period on or after 1 October 2027 | New single classification structure replaces Schedules B, C, E and F, plus remaining increases | All SCHADS employees (amounts depend on how each role translates) |
The 1 December rise was originally proposed for 1 October 2026. The Fair Work Commission deferred it to 1 December in its final decision of 11 September 2026 ([2026] FWCFB 232 and determination PR814259).
Who gets the 1 December 2026 pay rise?
The rise applies only to home care employees who provide disability care, the disability care classifications in Schedule E of the award. In the Fair Work Ombudsman's words: "Home care employees who provide disability care will receive an initial increase of up to 15% to their minimum award rate."
These employees don't get the 1 December rise:
- Social and Community Services (SACS) employees, the stream many disability support workers in group homes, SIL and community access are classified under
- Home care employees doing aged care work
- Crisis accommodation and family day care employees
They stay on their 1 July 2026 rates until the wider changes from 1 October 2027. Because the rise depends on the stream, classification matters more than ever. If you're not sure where an employee sits, start with our SCHADS Award classification guide.
New home care disability pay rates from 1 December 2026
Minimum full-time and part-time rates (38-hour week). Casuals add the 25% loading.
| Classification | Weekly until 30 Nov 2026 | Weekly from 1 Dec 2026 | Rise | Hourly from 1 Dec 2026 | Casual hourly from 1 Dec 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Level 1 – Pay Point 1 | $1,036.80 | $1,192.30 | 15% | $31.38 | $39.23 |
| Level 2 – Pay Point 1 | $1,096.60 | $1,261.10 | 15% | $33.19 | $41.49 |
| Level 2 – Pay Point 2 | $1,104.10 | $1,269.70 | 15% | $33.41 | $41.76 |
| Level 3 – Pay Point 1 | $1,119.10 | $1,287.00 | 15% | $33.87 | $42.34 |
| Level 3 – Pay Point 2 | $1,153.70 | $1,326.80 | 15% | $34.92 | $43.65 |
| Level 4 – Pay Point 1 | $1,221.00 | $1,404.20 | 15% | $36.95 | $46.19 |
| Level 4 – Pay Point 2 | $1,245.40 | $1,431.70 | 14.96% | $37.68 | $47.10 |
| Level 5 – Pay Point 1 | $1,309.20 | $1,505.60 | 15% | $39.62 | $49.53 |
| Level 5 – Pay Point 2 | $1,360.80 | $1,541.90 | 13.31% | $40.58 | $50.73 |
Source: Fair Work Ombudsman SCHADS Award [MA000100] pay guides for 1 July 2026 and 1 December 2026. The rise column is calculated from the weekly rates.
For a full-time Level 2, pay point 1 employee, that's an extra $164.50 a week, or about $8,550 a year (our calculation from the weekly rates, before penalties, allowances and super). Penalty rates, overtime, broken shift and 24-hour care payments go up too because they're calculated from the new base rate. For example, the 24-hour care payment per shift for Level 2, pay point 1 is $411.52 from 1 December 2026.
When do the new rates start in your pay cycle?
The rise doesn't start on 1 December itself. It starts at the beginning of the first full pay period that starts on or after 1 December 2026. 1 December 2026 is a Tuesday, so:
| Your pay cycle | New rates apply from |
|---|---|
| Weekly, starting Monday | Monday 7 December 2026 |
| Weekly, starting Tuesday | Tuesday 1 December 2026 |
| Fortnightly, current period started Thursday 26 November | Thursday 10 December 2026 |
| Fortnightly, current period started Monday 30 November | Monday 14 December 2026 |
Leave taken after the change is paid at the new base rate, including leave that built up before it. That's because annual leave is paid at the employee's base rate of pay when they take it.
What's happening with NDIS prices?
On 19 October 2026 the NDIA announced that the maximum prices for four NDIS support items will rise from 1 December 2026 because of the Schedule E decision:
| Support item | Item number | National price to 30 Nov | National price from 1 Dec 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
| House or Yard Maintenance | 01_019_0120_1_1 | $59.01/hr | $63.42/hr |
| House Cleaning and Other Household Activities | 01_020_0120_1_1 | $60.10/hr | $64.59/hr |
| Assistance with Personal Domestic Activities | 01_004_0107_1_1 | $61.16/hr | $65.73/hr |
| Specialised Home-Based Assistance for a Child | 01_016_0104_1_1 | $61.16/hr | $65.73/hr |
Source: NDIS, 19 October 2026.
What the NDIA says providers need to know:
- The new maximum prices apply to supports delivered on or after 1 December 2026.
- Item numbers and the claiming process aren't changing.
- Use the maximum price that applied on the date the support was delivered.
- You must discuss any proposed changes to existing service agreements with participants, and they must agree before you make them.
- An updated NDIS Pricing Schedule and claiming guidance will be published on 1 December 2026.
Only these four items are listed. If your home care disability staff deliver other supports, check the updated pricing schedule on 1 December before you change any prices or budgets. Separately, the government is consulting on differentiated pricing for registered and unregistered providers, which the NDIA has recommended from 1 January 2027.
Checklist: 8 things to do before 1 December 2026
- Find your Schedule E disability care employees. List every home care employee and confirm whether they do disability care, aged care, or both. People doing both may need their hours split by type of work.
- Check classifications and pay points. Confirm each person's level and pay point against the award. The rise varies by pay point (13.31% to 15%).
- Lock in your start date. Work out the first full pay period starting on or after 1 December for each pay cycle you run, and put it in the payroll calendar.
- Update every rate in payroll. That includes base, casual, Saturday, Sunday, public holiday, shift, overtime, broken shift, 24-hour care and remote work rates. See our broken shift allowance guide and public holiday rates guide, because Christmas and New Year fall straight after the change.
- Re-cost your December and January rosters. Holiday shifts at the new rates will cost noticeably more. Check any shifts you've already published.
- Review NDIS pricing and service agreements. Update the four affected items from 1 December. Talk to participants about any service agreement changes and get their agreement first.
- Tell your staff. Let affected employees know when the new rate starts and what it is. Clear communication avoids payroll queries and builds trust.
- Plan for 1 October 2027. The new classification structure will need every SCHADS employee mapped to a new level. Start keeping clean records of qualifications, duties and service history now.
How Imploy helps
Getting the right rate on every shift is hard when SACS, home care disability and home care aged care staff share the same roster. Imploy's SCHADS compliance features check award rules as you build the roster, and our rostering software helps you spot costly shifts before they're published. Book a demo to see how it works for your team.
For more background, read our SCHADS Award increase 2026 guide, the Level 2 disability support worker pay guide and how to read and apply the SCHADS pay guide.
FAQs
Q: Is the SCHADS 15% pay rise from 1 October or 1 December 2026?
A: 1 December 2026. The Fair Work Commission deferred it from 1 October in its final decision of 11 September 2026. It applies from the first full pay period starting on or after 1 December 2026.
Q: Do all disability support workers get the 15% rise?
A: No. It only applies to home care employees doing disability care under Schedule E. Disability support workers classified under the Social and Community Services stream don't get it, and neither do home care employees doing aged care work.
Q: Is the rise exactly 15% for everyone?
A: No. Most pay points rise by 15%, but Level 4, pay point 2 rises by 14.96% and Level 5, pay point 2 by 13.31%.
Q: Will NDIS prices go up on 1 December 2026?
A: The NDIA has announced increases to four items: House or Yard Maintenance, House Cleaning and Other Household Activities, Assistance with Personal Domestic Activities, and Specialised Home-Based Assistance for a Child. An updated pricing schedule will be published on 1 December 2026.
Q: What happens on 1 October 2027?
A: A new single classification structure replaces Schedules B, C, E and F, and the remaining increases from the gender undervaluation review apply. The final rates will include any change from the 2027 Annual Wage Review.
