What personal care covers
Personal care is support with, or supervision of, the personal tasks of daily life, with a focus on helping you be as independent as possible. It can include:
- Showering, bathing and washing your hair
- Toileting and continence care
- Dressing and grooming, such as shaving, makeup and hair
- Eating and drinking
- Getting in and out of bed, and other transfers
- Help with taking medication, as set out in your support plan
- Overnight support when you need someone close by
How it is priced
Personal care is priced per hour, with price limits that depend on when the support happens. The 2026/27 standard price limits for assistance with self care activities in most of Australia are:
- Weekday daytime: $73.58 an hour
- Weekday night: $82.57 an hour
- Saturday: $103.54 an hour
- Sunday: $133.50 an hour
- Public holiday: $163.46 an hour
- Night time sleepover: $311.79 a night
Standard and high intensity
Most personal care is at the standard level. Where support needs workers with extra skills for complex needs, such as tube feeding, catheter care or complex bowel care, a high intensity price level applies, $79.60 an hour on weekdays during the day. There are also separate limits for weekday evenings, and higher limits in remote and very remote areas. Check the NDIS Pricing Arrangements for the full list.
Agency managed and plan managed participants must stay within these limits. Self managed participants can agree on a different price, but the limits are a useful benchmark.
Personal care and the 2026 funding changes
Supports in your home, including help with eating, drinking, dressing, toileting and medication, are on the government's list of supports not affected by the October 2026 funding reset. Only social, economic and community participation and improved daily living skills budgets are reduced.
If personal care is delivered while you are out in the community, check how it is set out in your plan and service agreement, because community participation funding is affected.
Registered providers from 2027
From 1 July 2027, mandatory registration starts expanding to higher risk supports, and the government lists personal care and daily living supports as examples. Once the rules apply to a support, you will need a registered provider for it, whatever way your plan is managed. All providers in scope must be registered by December 2030, and the final list of supports is still being worked out.
If you use an independent support worker for personal care now, ask them about their plans for registration so you are not caught short.
Choosing a personal care worker
- Ask about experience with your type of disability and any training for your specific needs
- Check the worker has an NDIS worker screening clearance
- Talk about privacy, dignity and how you like things done, and put it in your support plan
- Ask how they cover sick days and holidays
- Ask for the same small team of workers if consistency matters to you