The Pricing Arrangements and Price Limits, explained

What the PAPL is

The Pricing Arrangements and Price Limits (PAPL) is the document published by the NDIA that governs how providers may price and claim NDIS supports official source (opens in a new tab) . It sits alongside the Support Catalogue and together they form the complete pricing framework for the scheme. Every registered provider, and many unregistered ones, needs to understand the PAPL before delivering billable supports.

The document covers not only the price limits themselves but also the rules around what can be claimed, when, and how. This means the PAPL is as much a guide to claiming behaviour as it is a price list. Reading it alongside the relevant support item entries in the support catalogue gives a complete picture of what is and is not permitted for a given support.

What it sets

The PAPL establishes two key things for each support: a maximum price (the price limit) and the conditions under which that support may be claimed official source (opens in a new tab) . Price limits are the ceiling: a provider may charge at or below the limit, but not above it, for a price-limited support. The rules sections set out which supports can be claimed remotely, what evidence is required, how travel and non-face-to-face time is treated, and the conditions for short-notice cancellations.

The PAPL also defines which supports are price-limited and which are quotable. For quotable supports, there is no fixed price limit; instead the provider and participant agree a reasonable price by quote, and that agreed amount governs the claim. The document clearly identifies which category each support falls into.

Price-limited vs quotable supports

Most everyday supports (such as assistance with daily life and community participation) are price-limited, meaning the PAPL caps what a provider can charge official source (opens in a new tab) . Providers compete on service quality and price at or below the limit. Quotable supports, on the other hand, tend to be complex, bespoke, or high-value items, such as specialist equipment or major home modifications. Because costs vary significantly between participants and situations, a fixed limit is not practical, so the participant or their representative instead approves a quote before the support is delivered.

Understanding which category a support falls into matters before you set up a service agreement. Quoting a price above the limit for a price-limited support will result in the claim failing, and correcting it retrospectively can be time-consuming.

The annual update

The PAPL is reviewed and reissued each financial year, with most changes taking effect from 1 July official source (opens in a new tab) . Annual updates typically reflect movements in the award wages that underpin support worker pay (principally the SCHADS Award), as well as any policy changes affecting how specific supports may be claimed. When a new PAPL is released, providers should review the changes and update their service agreement templates and invoicing systems before the effective date.

It is also worth noting that some changes mid-year are possible if a significant policy decision is made. Following the NDIA’s announcements and the NDIS Commission’s updates ensures you are always working from the current version.

Where to find the current version

The NDIA publishes the current PAPL on its website alongside an archived list of previous versions official source (opens in a new tab) . The Support Catalogue (a companion spreadsheet listing every support item code, unit of measure, and price limit) is also available there. You can read more about how to interpret those codes in the support catalogue guide in this hub.

Bookmark the official PAPL page and check it at the start of each financial year, or whenever you are adding a new support type to your services. Relying on a cached or printed copy risks quoting and claiming against outdated limits.