Becoming an Independent Support Worker

Going solo under the NDIS in Australia. The setup, the costs, and the admin no one warns you about.

Why go independent?

The average agency keeps 40-60% of every dollar billed to the NDIS. As an independent worker charging at or near the NDIS price limit, you keep almost all of it. You also choose your clients, your hours, and how you work.

The catch: you are now the carer, the bookkeeper, the marketer, the compliance officer and the IT helpdesk.

The non-negotiables

1. ABN - free from the ATO, takes 15 minutes. You can't invoice without one.
2. NDIS Worker Screening Check - mandatory, ~$150, takes 4-6 weeks. Apply before you take your first shift.
3. Public Liability + Professional Indemnity insurance - $20m PL and $5-10m PI is standard. Budget $600-$1,200/year.
4. First Aid + CPR - currency required, refresh every 3 years (CPR yearly).
5. NDIS Worker Orientation Module - free 90-minute online module. Keep your certificate.
6. Optional but recommended: Cert III in Individual Support, manual handling training, medication competency.

Registered vs unregistered

Most independent workers operate as unregistered providers. That's allowed - you can work with plan-managed and self-managed participants without registering with the NDIS Commission. You only need full registration to work with NDIA-managed participants or to deliver specialist services like SIL.

Unregistered ≠ unregulated: the NDIS Code of Conduct still applies to you.

Finding participants

• Mable, Hireup, Kynd - matching platforms; they take a 5-12% cut.
• Local support coordinators - the highest-quality referrals, hardest to get. Coffee with three coordinators in your area is worth more than any ad.
• Word of mouth - one happy family will refer two more.
• A simple website + Google Business Profile - free, and you'll show up in "support worker [your suburb]" searches.

Setting your rates

You can charge anything up to the NDIS price limit. Most independent workers charge between 85-100% of the limit, depending on experience and demand. Charging less doesn't "win" you clients - plan managers compare against the limit, not against the lowest bidder. Charge what you're worth.

Read our plain English NDIS price guide for current rates.

The admin that actually matters

• Service agreement with every participant before you start.
• Shift notes - contemporaneous, against the participant's goals. See examples.
• Invoices - weekly or fortnightly, never monthly. See template.
• Incident reports - any reportable incident logged within 24 hours.
• Record retention - 7 years minimum.
• Tax - quarterly BAS if GST registered, PAYG instalments, super to your own fund.