Understanding NDIS Travel Allowance for Support Coordinators: What You Can Claim and How to Get Reimbursed

The NDIS (National Disability Insurance Scheme) provides funding to support participants in accessing transport services, enhancing their ability to participate in their community, work, or study. As part of this funding, the NDIS travel allowance offers both participants and support workers financial assistance for travel time and costs.

This blog focuses on how support coordinators can navigate the NDIS Travel Allowance, covering reimbursement for travel time, and the necessary steps to ensure they are fully compensated for their efforts.

What Is the NDIS Travel Allowance?

The NDIS Travel Allowance is specifically designed to help participants and support workers with the costs and time associated with travel. For participants with disabilities who find it difficult to use public transport, this funding can significantly improve access to essential services. For support workers, it covers both travel time and travel-related expenses when delivering face-to-face services.

Can Support Workers Charge for Travel?

Support workers can claim for travel costs and time under the NDIS, but certain conditions apply:

The participant must agree to the charges.
The funds must be used to reimburse the disability support worker for their travel time and expenses.
The charges must align with the current NDIS Pricing Arrangements and Price Limits.

Whether you’re claiming for travel costs related to capacity-building or core support services, the NDIS has clear guidelines on how to do so.

Breakdown of the NDIS Travel Allowance for Support Workers

There are two main ways to claim for NDIS travel: travel time and non-labour travel expenses. These can be claimed together as long as they are separate on your invoices.

Claiming NDIS Support Workers’ Travel Costs

Support workers can claim expenses such as petrol, parking, road tolls, and public transport costs. According to the 2023–2024 NDIS Pricing Arrangements, the following are considered “reasonable” expenses:

Petrol: Up to $0.97 per kilometre
Other transport costs: Full reimbursement of costs such as tolls and parking

These costs must be submitted under the “Provider Travel — non-labour costs” category.

Claiming NDIS Support Workers’ Travel Time

Travel time claims depend on the location of the support. Providers can charge more for travel time in rural areas compared to city locations. The Modified Monash Model (MMM) determines the maximum claimable travel time. For example:

For MMM1–3 areas, the maximum travel time is 30 minutes.
For MMM4–5 areas, the maximum increases to 60 minutes.

Travel time should be billed at the same hourly rate as the service provided or less, depending on the agreement with the participant. If you are travelling to support multiple participants, the travel costs should be shared accordingly.

Example: How to Claim for Provider Travel Costs

Imagine a support worker drives 30 km to Coombs to assist two participants. The costs involved include:

Parking: $6.60 (for three hours)
Petrol: $29.10 (for 30 km)
Travel Time: 30 minutes (as Coombs is an MMM2 area)

These costs would be split between the two participants’ funds.

Tips for Tracking Travel Time & Costs

To ensure accurate claims and full reimbursement, here are three essential tips:

Attach Expenses to Shift Records: The Plan Manage Assist tool makes it easier to record and track mileage and travel costs, improving the accuracy of your claims.
Include Travel Costs in the Service Agreement: The participant must agree to travel costs in advance. This should be clearly stated in the Service Agreement to ensure compliance with NDIS guidelines.
Use NDIS-Compliant Software: Using software that integrates NDIS Pricing Arrangements and Price Limits ensures that you bill travel costs correctly.

Time-Tracking and Travel Claims Made Simple

Plan Manage Assist simplifies the process by offering features like geo-verified time-tracking, detailed shift records, and automatic invoice generation, making the claims process efficient and error-free. Plus, it ensures NDIS compliance for travel time claims, including the NDIS transport allowance.

Understanding NDIS Transport Funding

NDIS transport funding is available to participants who cannot use public transport due to their disability. This funding can help cover taxi costs or other transport services to increase accessibility to work, education, and community activities. It’s important to note that transport funding is not intended to cover transport for carers.

The three levels of transport funding are:

Level 1: $1,784 per year for non-working participants looking to enhance community access.
Level 2: $2,676 per year for those working or studying part-time or participating in day programs.
Level 3: $3,456 per year for those working, studying, or looking for work and unable to use public transport.

In exceptional cases, higher funding may be provided to participants engaged in employment.

Conclusion

Whether you’re a support coordinator helping participants claim for their NDIS transport funding or a provider navigating the reimbursement process, understanding the rules and guidelines is essential. NDIS travel funding supports participants in accessing transport services and helps providers claim for travel time and expenses incurred during support delivery. By using the right Plan Manager, like Plan Manage Assist, and ensuring clear agreements with participants, you can streamline the claims process and make the most of available transport funding.

Also, if you are unsure, always visit the NDIS website TRANSPORT FUNDING or ask one of our Plan Managers at Plan Manage Assist to assist you at 1300 199 960. enquiries@planmanageassist.com.au