Understanding Support Coordination SCHADS Costs: On-Costs, Payday Super and LSL Levies
A plain-English guide to support coordination SCHADS costs — on-costs, payday super and portable LSL levies — and what an employed coordinator truly costs per
SCHADS pay versus the NDIS price limit: two separate numbers
What SCHADS level does a support coordinator sit at?
The on-cost stack: what actually loads onto a base wage
On-cost breakdown at a glance
Payday super from 1 July 2026: timing, not a new rate
Long service leave and portable LSL levies by state
Payroll tax and workers compensation
Non-billable time: the multiplier that dwarfs the on-costs
Worked example: true cost of a billable hour
Common mistakes coordinators make on costing
How the 2026-28 reforms change the money
Next step: build your own cost-per-billable-hour figure
Frequently asked questions
Is the SCHADS rate the same as what I bill the NDIS?
No. SCHADS (MA000100) sets the minimum you must pay an employed coordinator; the NDIS price limit — about $100.14 per hour for Level 2 as at the 2026-27 PAPL — is the maximum you can bill a plan. They are different numbers set by different bodies, and the gap between them, once on-costs and non-billable time are added, is where practices lose money.
What SCHADS level is a support coordinator?
It depends on the actual duties, not the title, but support coordination commonly maps to around Level 4 to Level 5 in the Social and Community Services stream, with specialist and supervisory roles higher. Read the classification definitions in the award and confirm the current pay point on fairwork.gov.au, because underclassifying creates back-pay risk.
Does payday super increase what I pay in superannuation?
No — the rate stays at 12%. Payday super, from 1 July 2026, changes the timing so super must be paid at the same time as wages instead of quarterly. The effect on a coordination practice is cash-flow: money leaves on each payday rather than being held for up to three months.
Do I have to pay a portable long service leave levy?
Only in states that run a community-services portable scheme and only if your roles are covered. Victoria's Portable Long Service Benefits Scheme, Queensland's QLeave and the ACT scheme can apply to community and disability services; NSW, SA, WA, TAS and NT rely on standard state LSL law instead. Confirm coverage and the current levy directly with the relevant scheme.
How much should I add to a base wage for on-costs?
As a structure, expect on-costs of roughly 25-40% of the base wage (super, leave, loading, workers compensation, payroll tax if above threshold, and any portable LSL levy). Then divide by your measured utilisation — the share of paid hours that are actually billable — to get the true cost per billable hour, which is usually the number that decides viability.