Casual vs Permanent vs Contractor: Structuring Your NDIS Workforce
How to choose your NDIS workforce structure — casual, permanent or contractor — with SCHADS costs, sham-contracting risk and cash-flow reality.
The three structures at a glance
What you charge vs what you pay
Casual employment: flexibility at a premium
Permanent employment: lower hourly cost, fixed commitment
Independent contractors and sham contracting
Worker screening applies whichever structure you choose
How 2026 reforms tighten the maths
Registration expansion changes who can deliver what
Worked example: a growing provider's mix
Common mistakes providers make
How to decide
Frequently asked questions
Is it cheaper to use casual or permanent support workers?
Per hour, a permanent worker is cheaper because casuals are paid a 25% loading under the SCHADS award (MA000100) to compensate for no paid leave. But permanents carry guaranteed hours and accrued leave as a fixed cost. Use permanents for stable, recurring rosters and casuals for irregular or unproven demand, and confirm current SCHADS rates via Fair Work.
Can I engage NDIS support workers as independent contractors?
Only if the relationship is genuinely one of an independent business — the person controls how they work, can delegate, holds their own ABN and insurance, and bears commercial risk. If you set their roster and direct how they deliver supports, they are likely an employee, and labelling them a contractor is sham contracting with back-pay and penalty exposure. Confirm the current employee-vs-contractor test on fairwork.gov.au.
Do I have to pay super to contractors?
Sometimes. A contractor engaged wholly or principally for their labour can still be owed superannuation under the Superannuation Guarantee rules, so 'contractor' does not automatically mean no super. Super also rises to 12% from 1 July 2026 for employees. Check each engagement against the ATO's guidance before assuming you owe nothing.
What is the difference between what I charge and what I pay a worker?
The NDIA PAPL sets the maximum price you can charge — around $70.23 per hour for standard weekday daytime assistance under the 2025-26 PAPL, with the 2026-27 PAPL applying from 1 July 2026. The worker is paid a SCHADS wage of roughly $31 to $44 per hour. The gap covers super, insurance, non-billable time, supervision, admin and margin — it is not all profit, and you should confirm both current figures separately.
How do the 2026 NDIS reforms affect my staffing?
Digital 'prove and pay' claiming from July 2026 tightens the lag between paying wages and getting paid, and the proposed 90-day claim window (from 1 December 2026, Bill-dependent) means slow billing becomes lost revenue against wages already paid. Mandatory registration also expands from 1 July 2026 for SIL and digital-platform providers. Size permanent hours to durable demand and keep record-keeping tight so payroll stays funded.