Kilometers, NDIS & SCHADS – What Every Provider Needs to Know
- Anna Latifi
- 5 days ago
- 4 min read
One of the biggest grey areas for NDIS providers is paying staff for kilometers driven and how (or if) those costs can be claimed from the NDIS. Let’s clear it up in simple terms.
What the law says (SCHADS Award 2025)
If a support worker uses their own car to drive a participant to an appointment, activity, or outing, the worker must be paid a vehicle allowance.
Current rate: 99 cents per km (as set by the ATO for 2024–25).
This rule comes from the SCHADS Award (the law that covers disability support workers).
It applies whether the participant is going to a medical appointment, the shops, or the movies.
This payment is not optional – it’s a legal obligation for providers.
How providers claim back from NDIS
The NDIS has specific line items you can use to recover these costs, but only in some situations:
04_590_0125_6_1 – Transport for individual community participation
04_591_0136_6_1 – Transport for group activities
That means when a worker drives a participant in their own car for community or social participation, the provider can claim the kilometers from the participant’s plan.
Example 1: “Worker drives Sarah to the doctor – provider pays worker 10km × $0.99 = $9.90, claims back from Sarah’s NDIS transport line item.”
Example 2: “Worker drives between two SIL houses with no participant – km allowance is still paid to worker under SCHADS, but can’t be claimed from NDIS.”
What about SIL participants?
Here’s where it gets tricky. For participants in Supported Independent Living (SIL), the rules are not as clear:
SIL funding is designed to cover shared support in the home.
Transport is usually expected to come from the participant’s core transport budget, not their SIL package.
The NDIS has not given clear written rules on claiming kilometers for SIL transport.
In practice:
Some providers negotiate transport costs up front when preparing SIL quotes.
Others claim from the participant’s transport funding (if available).
If neither is possible, the provider may have to absorb the cost.
Best practice for providers
Always pay staff correctly – 99c per km if they use their own car.
Be upfront with participants – explain in the service agreement how transport will be billed - include this in the schedule of supports. Remember, transparency reduces complaints and protects providers.
Check the plan – if the participant has transport funding, claim it there.
For SIL – discuss transport needs during the quoting stage so you’re not left out of pocket
Workers must have a licensed and insured vehicle if transporting participants.
Providers to require copies of rego, licence, and comprehensive insurance before approving any work with participants.
What auditors look for
NDIS Commission auditors will often check:
Are workers being paid correctly for km?
Is there a clear process for claiming from participant plans?
Is there evidence of participant consent for transport charges?
Key takeaway
Workers must be paid for kilometers, no matter what. How you claim it back depends on the participant’s plan:
Community access → use the NDIS transport line items.
SIL → negotiate transport funding early.
When in doubt, document everything in the service agreement so both you and the participant know where the costs are coming from. Where participants request to use an extensive amount of travel to the extent of placing their funding at risk, complete the dignity of risk form to highlight your concerns for their continuity of support and funding.
FAQs – Kilometers, NDIS & SCHADS
Q1. Do I have to pay my staff for kilometers if they drive participants in their own car?
A. Yes. Under the SCHADS Award, workers must be paid a vehicle allowance of $0.99 per km (2024–25 ATO rate). This is a legal requirement.
Q2. Can I claim these kilometers back from the NDIS?
A. In some cases, yes. If the participant is in the car for community access or group activities, you can claim using:
04_590_0125_6_1 – Activity Based Transport (Individual)
04_591_0136_6_1 – Activity Based Transport (Group)
Q3. What about SIL participants?
A. This is less clear. SIL funding usually does not cover transport. You may need to:
Claim from the participant’s transport funding (if available), or
Build transport costs into the SIL quote at the start. If there is no transport funding, providers may have to absorb the cost.
Q4. Do I have to pay staff if they travel without a participant (for example, driving to a shift)?A. Yes, if it is part of their work. SCHADS requires reimbursement for work-related kilometres. However, you usually cannot claim these costs from the NDIS, except in limited cases such as therapy or support coordination.
Q5. Can I charge participants for taxis, rideshare, or public transport?
A. Yes, if the participant is in the vehicle and has agreed. You can charge the actual cost of the trip, not a per-kilometre rate.
Q6. What about insurance?
A. Providers should ensure:
Workers have a valid license
The vehicle is registered and insured
Participants have agreed to travel in a worker’s car, with this noted in the service agreement
Q7. What will NDIS auditors check?
That staff are being paid at least $0.99 per kilometer when using their own car
That transport charges to participants are clearly explained and agreed
That providers are not double-claiming (for example, charging NDIS while underpaying staff)
That staff have had required documents collected such as registration, comprehensive insurance, and driver license.
Recourses:
