NDIS Provider Cashflow & Viability Calculator
Model your NDIS cashflow and viability: billable hours, PAPL price, SCHADS wages, on-costs, overheads and a payment-delay buffer. Free template and worked exa
What this calculator is for
The five inputs, and how to estimate each
Worked example: one support worker, weekday supports
The copy-and-use template
Common mistakes and edge cases
Frequently asked questions
What's a healthy margin for an NDIS support service?
There is no official figure, and margins are genuinely thin across the sector. Many providers run single-digit percentage margins per billable hour once on-costs, unbillable time and overheads are counted. The useful test is not a target number but resilience: does the margin stay positive if utilisation drops to 70% and the price limit is cut by 5%? If not, the service is fragile regardless of today's headline figure.
Why can't I just use the PAPL price minus the SCHADS wage?
Because that gap is not profit. Superannuation (12% from 1 July 2026), leave, workers compensation and payroll tax add roughly 25-30% on top of the base wage, and you also pay workers for travel, training and no-shows that you cannot bill. Overheads and a payment buffer come out of what is left. The raw price-minus-wage figure typically overstates real margin many times over.
How big should my cashflow buffer be?
Enough to pay wages for the full gap between delivering support and being paid, across your whole team, with a safety margin. Under digital 'prove and pay' (rolling out July 2026 to 2030) you claim after delivering and evidencing support, so model your expected days to payment, convert to weeks, and multiply by weekly labour cost. Four to six weeks of wages is a common working-capital starting point — confirm against your own payment timing.
Does the 90-day claim window change my cashflow model?
It can. A proposed shorter 90-day claim window (down from two years) is slated to apply from 1 December 2026, but it is Bill-dependent, and there is a proposed 7-year record-retention duty alongside it. If it commences, you have far less time to lodge claims, which tightens cashflow discipline. Build prompt claiming into your process now and confirm the current status on the Federal Register of Legislation.
Where do I get the exact price limit for my support?
From the current NDIS Pricing Arrangements and Price Limits (PAPL) on the NDIS website — use the specific line item, registration group and time-of-day ratio for your service. The 2026-27 PAPL was published 23 June 2026 and applies from 1 July 2026, so any figure in this page (such as the ~$70.23/hr standard weekday rate) is indicative and dated. Always confirm the live line item before you quote or model.