Key Takeaways
- The NDIA's annual price reset took effect on 1 July 2026, and four household and domestic items rise again on 1 December 2026. You cannot bill a changed rate until the affected participant has agreed to it in a signed, updated service agreement: charging first breaches the NDIS Terms of Business, even when the change is an increase in the participant's favour.
- A written service agreement is mandatory only for Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA). For all other supports the NDIA does not legally require a written agreement, but the NDIS Practice Standards require every registered provider to have a service agreement (preferably in writing) with each participant.
- As at 2 November 2026 the 2026-27 prices are published and in force. The NDIA says "The Minister's pricing determination sets maximum prices for supports for the 2026-27 financial year", set out in the NDIS pricing schedule "effective 24 September 2026". Updated claiming guidance is still to come: "We will shortly publish updated pricing and claiming guidance documents." The figures are in our NDIS price guide 2026-27.
- Participant plan budgets are automatically indexed on 1 July, so a price increase does not reduce the hours a participant can fund. The obligation to re-paper the agreement and notify the participant still sits with the provider.
- The NDIA sets no single statutory notice period for price changes. Your agreement must state how changes are made and notified; compliant agreements typically specify written notice of at least 14 to 28 days and a re-signed agreement or addendum before the new rate is billed.
- From 1 July 2026, SIL and NDIS platform providers must be registered. Registered providers' service agreements are assessed against the NDIS Practice Standards at audit, so the agreement is compliance evidence, not just an invoice authority.
- Every agreement, across every provider type, must cover the same core: participant and provider details, the supports and NDIS line items, prices aligned to the current NDIS pricing schedule, how changes are made, cancellation terms, the complaints and dispute process, GST status, and how the agreement ends.
Do you need to update NDIS service agreements when price limits change?
Yes. When the NDIA's annual price limits change on 1 July, you cannot bill the new rate until each affected participant has agreed to it in a signed, updated service agreement. The plan is indexed automatically so the funding is there, but charging the new amount before the agreement is updated breaches the NDIS Terms of Business and the pricing rules. Update first, then bill.
This is the single most common 1 July compliance failure: providers apply the new price limits to their invoicing the moment the NDIS pricing schedule changes, but leave the participant's signed agreement showing the old rate. At audit, or when a plan manager queries an invoice, the agreement and the claim do not match. This post sets out what a compliant agreement must contain in 2026 and the exact steps to update it whenever a price limit moves, including the 1 December 2026 rise, across SIL, support coordination, behaviour support and allied health.
For the allied-health-specific detail (report writing, non-face-to-face time, travel and cancellation line items), see our guide to non-face-to-face allied health billing. This post is the cross-provider view: the inclusions every provider type shares and the price-change update process.
What must every NDIS service agreement include in 2026?
A service agreement is the written record of what you will deliver, at what price, and on what terms. The NDIA's guidance on making a service agreement sets out the contents it expects, and the NDIS Practice Standards turn those into auditable requirements for registered providers. Regardless of the support type, a compliant 2026 agreement must contain the core elements below. Missing inclusions are a frequent source of payment disputes and audit non-conformities.
| Mandatory inclusion | What it must state | Why it matters at audit |
|---|---|---|
| Participant and provider details | Full names, NDIS number, contact details, plan management type (agency, plan or self-managed) | Confirms who the agreement binds and how claims are made |
| Supports to be delivered | Each support type, the NDIS line item or support category, and how and when it is delivered | Pre-authorises every item you bill; you cannot claim a support the agreement does not describe |
| Prices and how they are set | The agreed price for each support, stated as aligned to the current NDIS pricing schedule (formerly the Pricing Arrangements and Price Limits) | An agreement quoting a superseded rate is the source of the 1 July mismatch problem |
| How changes are made | The process and notice period for changing prices or supports, agreed in writing by both parties | This clause is what lets you update for a price change without starting from scratch |
| Cancellation terms | Your cancellation and short-notice policy, applying the current NDIA cancellation rule | Short-notice cancellation claims are a common audit and fraud-flag target |
| Complaints and disputes | How a participant raises a concern, and that they can contact the NDIS Commission | Required by the NDIS Code of Conduct and Practice Standards |
| GST status | Whether GST applies (most NDIS supports to a participant are GST-free) | Incorrect GST treatment is a billing-integrity issue |
| Ending the agreement | Notice required to end, and what happens to bookings and outstanding claims | Protects both parties and is checked in audit sampling |
Keep the language plain. Participants have the right to receive their service agreement in a format they can understand, and a registered provider is expected to evidence that the participant understood and agreed to it.
How does this checklist compare with the NDIA's new template?
On 13 October 2026 the NDIA announced that "A new service agreement template, checklist, guidance and Easy Read resources are now available on the NDIS website." The template is a Word file on the NDIA's how to make a service agreement page, made "with the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission", and the release says "It's not mandatory to use the service agreement template." It also restates when an agreement is required: "Service agreements are mandatory for Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA). They are strongly encouraged as best practice for other supports, particularly Supported Independent Living (SIL)." The NDIA says neither it nor the NDIS Commission "keep records of service agreements" or "can enforce what's in service agreements", and the release adds that "Participants and providers are responsible for making and keeping service agreements".
The NDIA's list of what an agreement should include matches the table above, with five gaps to close in your own template:
- Quantity, unit price and total. For each support the NDIA lists the "category", "item name or number", "the quantity or hours", "unit price", "total cost" and "GST component if required", so add quantity, unit price and total cost beside each line item and price.
- Goals, plan and representatives. The NDIA's details section includes "any other representatives like guardians" and the participant's "goals and NDIS plan", which the participant and provider details row does not name.
- Start, end and review dates. The NDIA expects the start and end dates and "when the agreement is reviewed", which the table has no row for.
- When the provider cancels. The NDIA's cancellation policy covers "what happens if your provider cancels a support or needs to pause or replace a support", not only short-notice cancellations by the participant.
- New agreement for big changes. A small change can go in a variation, as in the price-change steps below, but the NDIA recommends "a new service agreement if you have big changes", such as a new provider or "getting a new NDIS plan".
The NDIA also lists rights and responsibilities and cultural safety, including an interpreter where needed. A registered provider already evidences these against the Practice Standards, so state in the agreement where they are covered.
Are NDIS service agreements mandatory?
For most providers a written service agreement is strongly expected rather than strictly compulsory, with one clear exception. Under the NDIS Commission's Practice Standards and Quality Indicators, a written service agreement is mandatory for Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA). For all other support types the NDIA does not legally require a written agreement, but the Practice Standards require registered providers to have a service agreement (preferably in writing) with each participant, and the Commission treats it as core evidence at audit.
In practice this means three things. First, if you deliver SDA, a written agreement is non-negotiable. Second, if you are a registered provider of any other support, you should treat a written agreement as required, because your auditor will. Third, even unregistered providers working with self-managed or plan-managed participants need an agreement to claim payment and to evidence that supports were agreed and reasonable and necessary. The mandatory-registration wave makes this sharper: since 1 July 2026, SIL and platform providers have been in the registered category and on this evidence standard. See our SIL mandatory registration checklist for who is captured.
Why does a price change force an agreement update?
Each financial year the NDIA runs its Annual Pricing Review and resets the price limits that take effect on 1 July. The 2025-26 review, for example, lifted support worker rates by 3.95% to track SCHADS Award wage movements and the superannuation guarantee rise to 12%. The 2026-27 prices applied from 1 July 2026, and since 24 September 2026 they sit in the NDIS pricing schedule, which the NDIA says the "Minister's pricing determination" makes the maximum prices for the 2026-27 financial year. Our NDIS price guide 2026-27 has the figures.
The reason an update is forced is structural. NDIS price limits are caps, and your service agreement states the price you charge against those caps. When the cap moves, your stated price is out of date. Two rules then bite together: you must not charge above the price limit, and under the NDIS Terms of Business you must not charge a price the participant has not agreed to in the service agreement. A participant's plan is topped up automatically on 1 July so the funding exists, but that does not amend your agreement. Until the agreement reflects the new price and the participant has re-signed, billing the new rate is non-compliant. For a roundup of everything else changing on the same date, see our NDIS 1 July 2026 changes hub.
The same rule governs the in-year rise on 1 December 2026, when the NDIA lifts the price limits for four support items delivered on or after that date (the items and figures are in our SCHADS Award post). Its 19 October announcement says: "Providers must discuss any proposed changes to existing service agreements as a result of these price changes with participants and participants must agree before those changes are made." For the paperwork, the NDIA's 13 October 2026 template is set against this post's checklist earlier on this page.
How do you update a service agreement when prices change?
You do not need to negotiate a brand new agreement for every participant. If your existing agreement contains a properly drafted "how changes are made" clause, you can issue a price-change variation. The steps below work for an increase, and the same process applies if a support's price is reduced.
- Confirm the new figures. Download the current NDIS pricing schedule from the NDIA's pricing page. The 2026-27 schedule is effective 24 September 2026, and the NDIA says it will publish a new schedule "on 1 December 2026" for that day's rise. Identify every line item you bill and the exact new limit for each.
- Map the change to each participant. List every active agreement affected. Different participants may have different supports, so the change is not identical across your caseload.
- Prepare the variation. Update the price for each affected line item, keeping the figure at or under the new limit. Date the change from the day the new price applies, such as 1 December 2026 for the four items that rise that day. Either issue an addendum that references the original agreement or reissue the full agreement, depending on how your template is built.
- Give written notice. Send each affected participant clear written notice of the new prices and the effective date, within the notice period your agreement specifies.
- Obtain agreement before billing. Get the participant's signature (or recorded agreement, if your agreement allows) on the updated price before you submit a single claim at the new rate.
- Update your billing system and bookings. Change the rates in your practice management or claiming software and amend any active service bookings so claims validate against the new figures.
- File the evidence. Store the signed variation, the notice, and the date against the participant's record so the agreement, the notice and the claim line up if an auditor or plan manager asks.
How must you notify participants of a price change?
You must give participants clear, advance, written notice of the new prices and when they start, and you must give them the chance to agree before you bill. The NDIA does not set a single statutory notice period, so the requirement comes from your own agreement: a compliant agreement states how much notice you will give for a price change. Most providers specify written notice of at least 14 to 28 days, and the NDIA's sample agreement requires changes to be agreed by both parties in writing.
Good notice does two jobs. It satisfies the agreement and the Code of Conduct expectation that you act with honesty and transparency, and it heads off disputes by explaining that the participant's plan is indexed automatically, so a rate rise does not cut the hours they can fund. Send the notice in a format the participant can understand, keep a copy, and record the date sent. If a participant does not agree to the new price, you cannot bill it to them; you continue at the old rate or, if that is no longer viable, follow your agreement's process for ending or renegotiating the arrangement.
Do different provider types have different requirements?
The core inclusions are the same for everyone, but several support types carry extra inclusions that auditors specifically look for. Build these into your template so the price-change update does not expose a gap.
| Provider type | Additional inclusions beyond the core | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Supported Independent Living (SIL) | Roster of care, shared-support ratios, how shared costs are split between participants, vacancy arrangements | Mandatory registration from 1 July 2026; agreement assessed against the new SIL Supplementary Module |
| Support coordination | Level of coordination (support connection, coordination or specialist), hours, and conflict-of-interest disclosure | Standard support coordination registration remains paused; obligations apply regardless |
| Specialist behaviour support | Link to the behaviour support plan, any regulated restrictive practices, and authorisation references | Must align with the participant's plan and state authorisation rules |
| Allied health (OT, physio, speech, psychology) | Non-face-to-face time, report writing, travel, and session versus hourly rates | Covered in detail in our non-face-to-face billing guide |
For SIL providers in particular, the agreement is now front-line audit evidence. Your service agreements, alongside rosters of care and incident records, are sampled directly against the Practice Standards, so price updates and the registration transition need to be handled together. Our NDIS audit guide sets out how service agreements are tested in a certification audit.
What happens if your agreement is missing a clause or you bill without updating it?
The consequences range from a rejected claim to a finding of non-compliance. A plan manager or the agency can refuse to pay an invoice that does not match a signed agreement, leaving you out of pocket for work already delivered. At audit, a missing mandatory inclusion or an agreement quoting a superseded rate is recorded as a non-conformity that you must rectify within the auditor's timeframe. Charging above the price limit, or charging a rate the participant never agreed to, is a billing-integrity breach that the NDIS Commission and the Fraud Fusion Taskforce treat seriously: it can trigger recovery of overpayments, compliance action, or in serious cases the new criminal penalties introduced by the 2025 integrity reforms. The fix is cheap and the failure is expensive, so update the paperwork before the new price applies, not after the first rejected claim.
Frequently Asked Questions
What must every NDIS service agreement include?
Participant and provider details, the supports and their NDIS line items, the agreed price for each (aligned to the current NDIS pricing schedule), how and when supports are delivered, how changes and price updates are made, cancellation terms, the complaints and dispute process, GST status, and how the agreement ends. SDA agreements must be in writing; registered providers should treat a written agreement as required for every support.
Do service agreements need to be updated every year?
Not automatically, but you must update an agreement whenever a price or support changes, and NDIS price limits are reset every 1 July through the Annual Pricing Review. In practice that means most providers update affected agreements each July. You only need to vary the prices that changed, using your agreement's "how changes are made" clause, rather than rewriting the whole document.
How must providers notify participants of a price change?
Give clear written notice of the new prices and their start date, within the notice period your agreement specifies (commonly at least 14 to 28 days), and obtain the participant's agreement before billing the new rate. Explain that their plan is indexed automatically on 1 July, so the increase does not reduce the supports they can fund. Keep a copy of the notice and the signed variation.
Are there different requirements for SIL versus allied health service agreements?
The core inclusions are the same, but each adds specifics. SIL agreements must cover the roster of care, shared-support ratios and how shared costs are split, and from 1 July 2026 are assessed against the new SIL Supplementary Module. Allied health agreements must spell out non-face-to-face time, report writing, travel and session rates. Both must pre-authorise every item you bill.
What happens if a service agreement is missing a mandatory clause?
Claims can be rejected by plan managers or the agency, and at audit a missing inclusion is recorded as a non-conformity you must rectify within a set timeframe. Charging a rate above the price limit or one the participant never agreed to is a billing-integrity breach that can lead to repayment, compliance action, or the criminal penalties introduced by the 2025 NDIS integrity reforms. Fix template gaps before issuing the next agreement.