How to Hire Your Own NDIS Support Workers (and Pay Them Right)
Want to hire your own NDIS support workers instead of going through an agency? Plenty of people do — and honestly, it's one of the best ways to get consistent, familiar support from people you've actually chosen. The catch is that it comes with a bit of admin, especially on the payment side. Here's how to hire your own support workers, step by step, without the headaches.
Why hire your own support workers
When you hire directly, you're the boss. You choose who comes into your home, when they show up, and how the support works. You're not locked into an agency's roster, and you can build a small team who know you and your routines inside out. It also tends to work out cheaper than agency rates, which frees up more of your budget for actual hours of support.
The trade-off is that you take on the finding, the paperwork, and — depending on how you structure it — some of the admin of being an employer. For a lot of people, that's a deal worth making. For others, a good agency is the better call. There's no wrong answer, and you can always compare how you'd manage it before you commit.
How to hire your own support workers: finding the right people
Here's the honest truth: finding good support workers is less about job ads and more about your network. Word of mouth from other families, local community groups, and disability Facebook groups are where a lot of the best people get found. There are also online platforms specifically for connecting participants with independent support workers.
Once you've got candidates, here's what actually matters:
- Meet them first — ideally a paid trial shift, so both sides can see if it clicks
- Check their NDIS worker screening — anyone doing disability support should have a current worker screening clearance
- Ask for references — and actually call them
- Be clear about the work — hours, tasks, and the things you're comfortable with
The paperwork you shouldn't skip
This is the part people skip, and it's the part that causes trouble later. Before anyone starts, get a service agreement in place. It doesn't need to be a 40-page legal document — a simple one or two pages covering rates, hours, cancellation, and expectations is plenty.
You'll also want to sort out whether your worker is a contractor (they have an ABN and invoice you) or an employee (you handle tax and super). Most independent support workers work as contractors and look after their own super and insurance — but it's worth confirming, because it changes what you're responsible for. This trips people up more than anything else in the whole process.
💡 Key point: If you hire a worker as a contractor with an ABN, they invoice you and handle their own tax, super, and insurance. If you employ someone directly, you take on PAYG, super, and workers comp — a much bigger job. For most people, working with contractors is the simpler path.
Paying your workers properly
This is where a plan manager earns their keep. Support worker rates are set by the NDIS Pricing Arrangements, and they change every year — see our 2026 support worker rates for the current numbers. If you're self-managed, you'll pay the invoice yourself and claim it back. If you're plan-managed, your plan manager pays the worker directly and checks every invoice against the official rates, so you're never overcharged.
We're biased, obviously, but hiring your own workers is exactly the kind of thing plan management makes easier. You do the choosing and the relationship-building; we handle the invoices, the payment runs, and the bookkeeping. If you're weighing up how to manage all that, here's how plan management works — and remember it's fully NDIS-funded, added on top of your support budgets at no cost to you.