SCHADS allowances you might be missing
The SCHADS allowances support workers often miss — travel time, per-kilometre reimbursement, first aid, sleepover, broken shift and more — and how to claim them.
What are SCHADS allowances (and why workers miss them)
Travel time between clients: your driving is paid work
Kilometre (vehicle) allowance: money for using your own car
First aid, qualification and other work allowances
Sleepovers, on-call and broken shifts
How the allowances fit together: an at-a-glance table
Casual loading and penalties are separate from allowances — and they stack
Superannuation and tax on allowances
Sleepovers, on-call and travel: common mistakes to watch for
The award rate vs the NDIS price limit: keep them distinct
How to check you are actually being paid your allowances
Frequently asked questions
Do I get paid for travel time between clients under SCHADS?
Generally yes. Time spent travelling between clients during your working day is treated as paid working time under the SCHADS award, and it carries the same penalty as the surrounding period, so weekend travel is paid at weekend rates. Your first trip from home and last trip home are usually unpaid ordinary commuting. Travel time is separate from the kilometre allowance — the same journey usually generates both. Confirm the specifics against the Fair Work Pay and Conditions Tool or MA000100.
What is the SCHADS kilometre allowance rate?
It is a set number of cents per kilometre for using your own car for work, and it updates each year with the award. As an indicative guide as at 2026 it is in the high-90-cents range, but this figure changes annually, so confirm the current rate in the Fair Work tool or the award before relying on it. It is separate from and paid on top of your travel time, so log both the distance and the time for each work leg.
Is the first aid allowance automatic?
No. It usually only applies once you hold a current, required first aid qualification, your employer has a copy on file, and you have been appointed to use it in your role. If your certificate lapses or HR does not have your current copy, the allowance can quietly stop — this is a common source of underpayment. Diarise your expiry, renew early, send the new certificate to payroll in writing, and check the allowance still appears on your payslip.
How does a sleepover allowance work?
A sleepover is when you are required to stay overnight at a workplace to be available but are otherwise allowed to sleep. You receive a flat sleepover allowance for the night, plus your ordinary pay for any time you are actually woken and required to work. If you are up assisting a participant during the night, that time is paid on top of the allowance at your applicable rate. A sleepover is different from being on-call from home, which has its own separate allowance.
Are SCHADS allowances the same as the NDIS price limit?
No, and this is important. SCHADS allowances are part of what YOU are paid under the award (MA000100), governed by Fair Work. The NDIS price limit is the maximum a PROVIDER can charge a participant's plan, set by the NDIS. They are different figures set by different bodies, and a provider's billing rate never reduces your award entitlement. Anyone using the price guide to explain why an award allowance 'cannot' be paid has confused the two.
Do casual loading and allowances stack?
Yes. The 25% casual loading applies to your base rate, and allowances are separate payments that sit on top. Penalty rates for Saturdays (150%), Sundays (200%) and public holidays (250%) also stack with allowances. So a Saturday trip in your own car can involve Saturday-rate travel time and the kilometre allowance at the same time. Do not accept a payslip that pays the penalty but drops the allowance where both are triggered.
What can I do if my allowances have not been paid?
First, match your payslip line by line against what you actually worked, and confirm the correct figures in the Fair Work Pay and Conditions Tool. Raise any gap with your employer in writing, as it is often a data-entry oversight rather than a refusal. Keep your own records — kilometre logs, rosters, certificates — as evidence. If it is not resolved, contact the Fair Work Ombudsman, who handle award underpayment and can help you recover what you are owed.