How to become an independent NDIS support worker

Start with what you can actually offer

Before you set up a business, get clear on the services you intend to deliver and whether they fall within mandatory registration. The services available under the NDIS are detailed in the current NDIS Pricing Arrangements and Price Limits document, which is updated annually and is the source of truth for what you can charge for and how.

Most independent support workers deliver community access, daily personal activities, skill development, household assistance, transport, and assistance with social and recreational participation. These can be delivered as an unregistered provider to self-managed and plan-managed participants. Specialist Disability Accommodation, Specialist Behaviour Support, Plan Management, regulated restrictive practices, and from July 2026 Supported Independent Living, all require registration.

For most everyday supports there is no qualification you must hold by law. A Certificate III or IV in Individual Support is common, and many participants and support coordinators look for one.

• List the services you intend to deliver. Be specific about the support categories, not just the role.
• Check those services against the current Pricing Arrangements. Confirm the line items and any conditions.
• Confirm whether mandatory registration applies to any of them. If yes, your path is different and you should start with the Commission's registration pathway.
• Be honest about the skills and certifications you already have. Some supports need specific training (medication assistance, behaviour support, complex care). Do not offer what you cannot safely deliver.

The administrative foundation

Most sole-trader support workers operate under their own name with an ABN. You do not need a company or a trust to start. Talk to a registered tax agent before locking in a structure, especially if you expect to grow beyond yourself or take on subcontractors.

• Choose a business structure. Sole trader is the simplest and most common. Partnership, company and trust have different tax and liability implications.
• Register a business name (if applicable). If you are trading under a name other than your own legal name, register the name with ASIC.
• Get an ABN. Apply through the Australian Business Register. The application is free and usually fast.
• Check the GST threshold. If your annual turnover is at or above $75,000 you must register for GST. Most NDIS supports are GST-free under the GST Act, but you still need to be registered above the threshold.
• Open a separate business bank account. Not legally required for a sole trader, but it makes tax time much easier.
• Plan for tax and super. As a sole trader you pay income tax on your business profit and arrange your own superannuation. A registered tax agent will save you mistakes that are expensive to fix later.

The checks every NDIS worker needs

The NDIS Worker Screening Check is the central clearance for anyone working with NDIS participants. It is administered by state and territory Worker Screening Units, uses a national database, and is valid for five years once granted. It is not the same as a National Police Check. Most engagements will not accept a Police Check in place of the Worker Screening Check.

Depending on your state and the participants you work with, you may also need a Working with Children Check (or its state equivalent, such as a Blue Card in Queensland or a Working with Vulnerable People Check in some jurisdictions). If you work with anyone under 18, treat this as mandatory.

• Apply for an NDIS Worker Screening Check through your state or territory Worker Screening Unit. Allow several weeks for processing.
• Apply for a Working with Children Check or state equivalent if you will support anyone under 18.
• First Aid and CPR. Not a legal requirement for every role, but most participants and platforms expect a current First Aid certificate (HLTAID011), usually renewed every three years, and CPR (HLTAID009), renewed every year.
• Keep digital and physical copies of every clearance, with expiry dates noted in your calendar.

The cover that protects you and your participants

Working as a sole trader means you carry the risk personally for the supports you deliver. Two insurance types are non-negotiable for NDIS work. A third is worth considering.

• Professional Indemnity Insurance. Covers claims of negligence, errors or omissions in your professional services. Pays legal costs and any compensation payable.
• Public Liability Insurance. Covers personal injury or property damage caused by your business activities. Essential when working in clients' homes or community settings.
• Income Protection Insurance. Not legally required, but worth considering if support work is your primary income. Sole traders do not get paid sick leave.
• Other cover to consider. Business equipment insurance, cyber liability if you store participant information digitally, and workers' compensation if you ever employ or subcontract anyone.

Most NDIS insurance is sold through specialist brokers who understand the sector. Shop around. The cheapest cover is usually not the right cover, and the most expensive is not necessarily the most comprehensive.

What you can charge, and how you get paid

The NDIS sets a maximum price for each support, published each year in the Pricing Arrangements and Price Limits. You can charge up to that limit, or less. The rate depends on when the support happens. For standard self-care and community access support, the national limits from 1 July 2026 are:

• Weekday daytime: $73.58 an hour
• Weekday evening: $81.07 an hour
• Saturday: $103.54 an hour
• Sunday: $133.50 an hour
• Public holiday: $163.46 an hour

Remote and very remote areas have higher limits, and other supports have their own. Our NDIS price guide for support workers lists every item you can bill, with each rate side by side.

Who you invoice depends on how the participant's plan is managed:

• Plan-managed: you invoice their plan manager, who pays you from the participant's plan.
• Self-managed: you invoice the participant or their nominee, who pays you and claims from their plan.
• NDIA-managed: only registered providers can be paid from these plans.

Every invoice needs your name and ABN, the participant's name and NDIS number, the date of each support, its support item number, the hours and the rate. An item that doesn't match the day, such as a Saturday shift billed at the weekday rate, can get the invoice sent back.

The paperwork that proves you are doing it properly

Even as an unregistered sole trader, you are expected to keep records that show your supports were appropriate, person-centred and connected to the participant's goals. Documentation is what you have if anything is ever questioned, by a participant, a plan manager, or a platform you work through.

• Service Agreement. A written agreement signed by you and each participant before supports begin, covering services, schedule, fees, cancellation, complaints, and how either party can end the agreement. Use our free service agreement template.
• Intake or onboarding form. Captures the participant's plan details, goals, support needs, emergency contacts, communication preferences and any specific risks.
• Support Plan. A working document that describes how you will support this participant against their NDIS goals. Reviewed regularly.
• Progress notes. Written after every session. Capture what you did, how the participant was, their choices and voice, the goal you worked on, and anything that needs follow-up. Use our free progress notes template to start, and see what to write in a shift note.
• Incident records. A simple log of any incident, with a separate process for reportable incidents under the NDIS Code of Conduct.
• Consent records. Written consent before sharing participant information with anyone, including plan managers and other providers. Use our free consent form templates.
• Invoicing system. Issued under the current NDIS Pricing Arrangements with line items, dates, support item numbers and your ABN. Keep records for at least five years.
• Policies and procedures. Privacy, complaints, incident response, infection control, and emergency. Even short, simple versions matter if anyone ever asks.

Setting all of this up by hand on day one is overwhelming, which is why most sole traders run their business out of a notebook for the first month and then realise they have no real records when they need them.

Build the practice you actually want

Once you are set up, the next problem is filling your week. Most sole traders use a mix of platforms, direct referrals from support coordinators, and word of mouth. Each pathway has different paperwork and different rates.

• Worker platforms. Mable, Hireup, Kynd and similar match workers with participants for a fee. Easy to start, and now registered with the NDIS Commission, so expect them to ask for your clearances.
• Support coordinators. Often the best long-term source of work. Build relationships with coordinators in your area. Offer your services to participants they support, not just yourself as a service.
• Direct relationships with self-managed participants. The highest-margin pathway because there is no platform fee, but you carry more administration, and you must invoice and follow up payment yourself.
• Travel and cancellation rules. Both are detailed in the current NDIS Pricing Arrangements. Read them carefully, because charging incorrectly is one of the most common reasons sole traders get invoices disputed or claimed back.
• Stay current. The NDIS rules change every year. The Pricing Arrangements update annually around 1 July, and registration is expanding. Build a habit of checking the Commission's news page at least quarterly.
• Keep learning. CPR renews every year and First Aid usually every three. Disability-specific training, manual handling, medication, behaviour support and complex care all open up new work. Invest in yourself.