NDIS Support Item Number

Why this matters for your practice

The support item number is not a label on the claim. It is the claim. The number encodes which support was delivered, by whom, and in what mode. A claim against the wrong or a retired number is rejected, or worse, paid and later recovered as a debt, regardless of the work actually done.

Two failure directions matter. Claiming a higher item you are not entitled to is an incorrect claim, and under the National Disability Insurance Scheme Act 2013 a payment a provider was not entitled to can be recovered as a debt to the Commonwealth. The NDIA runs payment assurance and post-payment review programs that check claims after the money has moved. Claiming a lower item leaves entitled money on the table, which is a quieter but real loss.

From 1 July 2026 each activity is its own row. Before that date travel, report writing, non-face-to-face time and the session all arrived under the same item number, so the mix was invisible. Now each is a separate line, and a practice's ratio of direct service to travel, reports and non-face-to-face time can be calculated and compared against every other provider in the discipline. The item number you choose is now visible in claim data, item by item.

What is an NDIS support item number?

An NDIS support item number identifies one specific support in the Support Catalogue. The Pricing Schedule sets out "the support item number, support item name, the unit, and the national, remote and very remote recommended maximum prices for each support item". The Support Catalogue is the machine-readable list of every support item and its claim type, which is what practice management and claiming software loads.

Treat the number as an exact string to match, not a code to decode. The NDIA does not publish a key to the segments in the pricing documents. Do not assume the leading two digits mean the support category, that the middle block is a registration group, or that the trailing digits are an outcome domain or a version. The only patterns evidenced in the published material are the trailing claim type suffixes, the seventh to ninth digit change in assistive technology renumbering, the _799_ non-labour travel block, and the fact that two numbers can point at the same support in different plan budgets.

A worked example from occupational therapy: an OT claiming a session uses 15_617_0128_1_3 at $193.99. Claiming the drive to that session uses 15_617_0128_1_3_PT at $97.00, the published travel item rate. Before 1 July 2026 both went against the same item number. Now the suffix carries the meaning.

What do the claim type suffixes mean?

From 1 July 2026 each allied health discipline has six separate line items, not one. The Agency validates each suffixed item as a Direct Service, meaning the item number carries the meaning and no separate claim type is expected on the line.

Non-labour travel costs are claimed against the relevant _799_ item, separately from labour travel time. The narrative rules for travel, non-face-to-face, cancellations and requested reports have not been reissued for 2026-27, so the 2025-26 PAPL remains the working reference. Do not treat any 2026-27 travel or non-face-to-face condition as settled.

Why two different numbers can buy the same support

Parallel series at identical rates exist, and the choice is a budget choice, not a support choice. For nursing, 01_600 to 01_629 sits in Assistance with Daily Life and 15_400 to 15_429 sits in Improved Daily Living Skills. Which you use depends on the participant's plan budget, not on the support.

The same pattern appears in therapy. The psychologist item numbers are 01_701_0128_1_3 and 15_054_0128_1_3; the counsellor item is 15_043_0128_1_3. The item number is gated by a credential, not just a support type. Where a line item exists for a specific type of professional, supports of that type need to be made against that item. Claiming a higher item you are not entitled to is an incorrect claim; claiming a lower one leaves entitled money on the table. See which credential gates which item for the correct-item rule.

How do you tell a live item from a retired one?

Current items carry the open-ended end date 99991231. Legacy items carry a real end date instead. A claim against a legacy item is valid up to and including that date; after it, the item number is dead and the claim fails.

A concrete retirement example: 14_031_0127_8_3 (CB and Training in Plan and Financial Management by a Plan Manager, the plan manager setup fee) at $65.09 ends on 30 September 2026 and has no replacement item at all. See the items retiring on 30 September 2026 for the full list.

A renumbering pattern exists in assistive technology: the seventh to ninth digits of the item number change, usually from 111 to 811, while the rest of the number stays identical. 05_091203111_0103_1_2 becomes 05_091203811_0103_1_2. A number swap can silently change scope. 05_121221111_0109_1_2 covered "Hoist/Ramp for Wheelchair Loading"; its successor 05_121221811_0109_1_2 covers "Hoist/Ramp for Unoccupied Wheelchair Loading", and occupied loading moved to 05_121218811_0109_1_2. A straight number swap here would put the claim against the wrong item.

How long a legacy item's end date will hold is not knowable. Extensions have happened, and items have also been deleted on schedule. Do not predict.

What the regulator or assessor expects

A regulator or assessor checking your claims will look for five things. First, correct item mapping per practitioner: each claim must use the item number that matches the credential and the support delivered. Second, notes that substantiate the item claimed: the clinical record must support the specific suffixed item, not just the session. Third, service agreements that name the suffixed items: an agreement that lists only the old single item number will not match the new claim structure. Fourth, software loaded on the current catalogue version: the Support Catalogue moved to version 1.1 in mid-July 2026, adding the missing SIL provider travel item 01_799_0138_1_1 and renumbering three allied health modifier items effective 3 July 2026. Fifth, debt-recovery exposure under the NDIS Act 2013: the NDIA runs post-payment review, and a payment you were not entitled to can be recovered as a debt to the Commonwealth. The NDIS Pricing Schedule 2026-27 is at version 1.2 as of 3 September 2026, and the full 2026-27 PAPL rules document is still not republished.

Common mistakes

Bundling travel or report time into the direct-service item. Before 1 July 2026 this was the only option, but now each activity has its own suffixed item. Claiming travel time against the no-suffix direct service item is an incorrect claim, and the mix is visible in claim data.

Doing a blind find and replace on a retired number. The assistive technology renumbering from 111 to 811 looks mechanical, but scope can change. 05_121221111_0109_1_2 and 05_121221811_0109_1_2 are not the same support, and a straight swap puts the claim against the wrong item.

Picking the budget series by habit rather than by the participant's plan. Nursing has 01_600 to 01_629 and 15_400 to 15_429 at identical rates. The correct series depends on the participant's plan budget, not on what you have always used.

Assuming the item number is decodable and reconstructing it by hand. The NDIA publishes no key to the segments. Treat the number as an exact string to match. Reconstructing a number from what you think the segments mean will produce a dead or wrong item.

Leaving service agreements naming only the old single item. From 1 July 2026 the suffixed items are the claimable units. An agreement that names only 15_617_0128_1_3 does not cover the travel, report or non-face-to-face items you now need to claim.

Frequently asked questions

What is an NDIS support item number?

An NDIS support item number identifies one specific support in the Support Catalogue. It carries the support name, unit and price from the Pricing Schedule, and it determines which claim type applies. Treat it as an exact string to match, not a code to decode. The NDIA does not publish a key to the segments.

What do the _NF, _PT, _RR and _TH suffixes mean on an NDIS item number?

From 1 July 2026 these suffixes identify separate line items for allied health. _NF is non-face-to-face activity, _PT is provider travel at 50% of the full hourly rate, _RR is an NDIA requested report, and _TH is telehealth. Each is validated as a Direct Service, so no separate claim type is expected.

What happens if I claim against the wrong NDIS support item number?

A claim against the wrong or a retired number is rejected, or if paid, can later be recovered as a debt to the Commonwealth under the NDIS Act 2013. The NDIA runs post-payment review. Claiming a higher item you are not entitled to is an incorrect claim; claiming a lower item leaves entitled money on the table.

How do I know if an NDIS support item number is still valid?

Check the end date in the Support Catalogue. Current items carry 99991231. Legacy items carry a real end date, and a claim is valid up to and including that date. After it, the item number is dead and the claim fails. The Support Catalogue moved to version 1.1 in mid-July 2026.

Can the same support have two different item numbers?

Yes. Parallel series at identical rates exist, and the choice is a budget choice, not a support choice. For nursing, 01_600 to 01_629 sits in Assistance with Daily Life and 15_400 to 15_429 sits in Improved Daily Living Skills. Which you use depends on the participant's plan budget.

Where does the NDIA publish NDIS support item numbers?

The NDIA publishes support item numbers in the Pricing Schedule and the Support Catalogue. The Pricing Schedule sets out the item number, name, unit and recommended maximum prices. The Support Catalogue is the machine-readable list loaded by claiming software. Both are available from the NDIA pricing arrangements page.

Last reviewed 3 September 2026