Five Good Friends is a proud National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) registered provider. We are committed to delivering exceptional support to our NDIS Members and ensuring our Helpers are fairly compensated for their valuable work.
Recommended rates for providing help and services to NDIS Members
The recommended hourly rates charged to Five Good Friends Members for NDIS services increased on 31 July 2024.
For example, a weekday daytime service providing 'assistance with self-care activities' increased from $64.60 to $67.56 per hour. This results in a net increase for Helpers from $45.22 to $47.29 per hour.
The full table of new recommended NDIS rates can be found here.
As an independent contractor, you can set your own rates for Members; however, you should be aware of some Price Limits. Five Good Friends' recommended rates align with the NDIS Price Limits; however, if you wish to negotiate rates within these limits, please contact your Helper Coordinator at 1300 787 581.
Understanding rate differences for NDIS vs. Aged Care Members
You may have noticed that the recommended hourly rates you are invoicing your NDIS Members are higher than those recommended for Private Members or Members supported by the Home Care Package (HCP) program.
The National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) publishes a Pricing Arrangements and Pricing Limits document. This outlines the types of services that can be purchased using an NDIS plan and the maximum fees that may be charged. As a Registered NDIS provider, Five Good Friends cannot charge fees above those limits.
Understanding platform fees
You may also have noticed that the platform fee charged for services for NDIS Members is higher than for Private or HCP Members.
Private and HCP Members pay a membership fee to belong to the Five Good Friends platform. This covers their care management and funding administration.
NDIS funding is structured differently, and NDIS participants do not pay a membership fee to belong to Five Good Friends. Instead, they pay higher hourly rates for visits with the administration costs built into higher platform fees.
You can read more about the support and services the Five Good Friends platform fee provides for Helpers here.
Provider travel and Member transport
There are two types of travel that Helpers can charge for:
Provider travel: these are expenses a Helper incurs when travelling between visits. This will remain capped at 15 minutes and will be charged based on your hourly rate.
Member transportation: this is where a Helper provides transport to a Member during a visit. From 31 July 2024, Member transportation within a visit will be reimbursed at a rate of 99 cents per kilometre. This is benchmarked against the relevant industry award.
What do I need to do to enable these changes?
We have written to all NDIS Members to advise them of the changes and endorse the increase in the recommended hourly rate. If you are currently using the recommended rates as your default rate, you don't have to do anything. We will automatically set your default rates at the new recommended rate on 31 July 2024.
If you currently have set your rates or fees differently to the recommended rate, we will assume you have done this by negotiation with your Members and will not make any changes.
Helping Helpers
We know you have many choices where you can apply your skills. We also understand there is a great need in the community for the kind and important work you do. We are committed to ensuring Helpers on the Five Good Friends platform are supported and engaged.
The Five Good Friends platform fee enables us to provide important benefits including:
Tailored matches: helping connect you to Members who best match your personality attributes, location, availability, qualifications and experience. This enables a rewarding and effective working relationship.
Access to ongoing training and development: we're dedicated to professional growth. As a Helper on the Five Good Friends platform you have access to free, ongoing training and development opportunities to enhance your skills and expand your business. Continue your learning journey here.
Technology to simplify your work: our advanced technology simplifies and supports the important work you do, allowing you to focus on providing the best care possible. This includes billing Members and making payments to you.
Platform fee for contracts with NDIS Members
You may also have noticed that the platform fee on contracts for NDIS-funded Members is higher than for privately funded or HCP contracts.
Privately and HCP-funded Members pay a membership fee to belong to the Five Good Friends platform. This covers their care management and funding administration. Click on these links to read more about HCP Membership pricing, Private Membership pricing, and the expert support Members receive as part of their membership here.
NDIS funding is structured differently, and NDIS participants do not pay a membership fee to belong to Five Good Friends. Instead, they pay higher hourly rates for visits with the administration costs built into higher platform fees. Read more about NDIS recommended pricing here.
You can read more about the support and services the platform fee provides for Helpers here.
Example:
If you support an NDIS-funded Member on a weekday with personal care, the recommended hourly rate is $62.15 /hr with a 35% platform fee. Your net take-home rate is $40.40 /hr after the platform fee.
As an independent contractor, it is up to you to determine what you charge your Members. The recommended current rates continue to remain under the NDIS price guide limits.
You must be aware that the rates you choose must be in line with the NDIS price guide. This guide sets out the price limits that apply to NDIS-funded participants' support. There are limits to the rates you can charge for different services and products. You can review the NDIS price guide here.
There are various set rates for NDIS Members which are set by the NDIS. If you wish to negotiate NDIS rates,
More Questions?
If you have more questions about setting your rates, please contact the Customer Service Team on 1300 787 581 press option 3 or [email protected].