Support Coordinator Time Tracking: Billable vs Non-Billable Hours
Support coordinator time tracking made practical: what counts as billable, how to record units, hit utilisation targets, and stay compliant under tighter NDIS
Why time tracking is now a survival skill, not admin
What actually counts as billable time
The rate structure you are tracking against
How the NDIS wants time recorded: units and rounding
Choosing how to track: from spreadsheet to CRM
Worked example: reading utilisation from your own numbers
The 90-day claim window changes your invoicing rhythm
Time records and conflict of interest
Common time-tracking mistakes that cost money or trigger review
Set up your tracking before the 2028 shift
A minimum viable time-tracking routine
Frequently asked questions
Can support coordinators bill for non-face-to-face time?
Yes. Support coordination is outcomes-based, so time spent on phone calls, emails, provider research, report writing and other work delivering the support to a specific participant is billable, not just face-to-face meetings. The activity must relate to that participant's funded plan and be recorded with a clear note. Time spent on your own marketing, admin or unfunded participants is never billable.
What is a good utilisation rate for a support coordinator?
Utilisation is the share of your paid hours that are billable to plans. Because price limits are frozen, viability usually depends on keeping billable time high while controlling unbillable admin — many independents sit well below their target because they do their own intake and paperwork. Track your own figure monthly rather than chasing a single benchmark, and use it to decide what to systemise or delegate.
How do I record time for NDIS claims — what units?
Claim in hours as decimal units in the myplace provider portal: 15 minutes is 0.25, 30 is 0.5, 45 is 0.75. Track to the actual minute as you work and convert, rather than rounding every activity up to the nearest quarter hour, which can look like inflation in an invoice review. Record the participant, date, duration, line item and a short description for each entry.
When does the 90-day NDIS claim window start?
It is legislated to begin on 1 December 2026, shortening the claim window from two years to 90 days from when a support is delivered. That means moving to frequent claiming and reconciling your time records each cycle so nothing ages out. Confirm the commencement date and any transitional rules against the Federal Register of Legislation and ndis.gov.au before relying on it.
Do I need software to track time or is a spreadsheet enough?
A disciplined spreadsheet is enough for a light, single-coordinator caseload and is fully auditable, but it will not show a live plan-budget balance or stop you over-claiming. Purpose-built coordination or CRM software adds timers, per-plan remaining hours, attached case notes and portal-ready exports. The right choice is whichever you will actually use contemporaneously and can turn cleanly into a claim.