Schedule E SCHADS Pay Rise Delayed to 1 December 2026:

What You Need to Know

Home care disability workers under Schedule E of the Social, Community, Home Care and Disability Services Industry Award 2010 (SCHADS Award) will get an interim pay rise of around 15%. It had been proposed for 1 October, but now starts from the first full pay period on or after 1 December 2026.

For employers, the delay gives some breathing room, but not much. Here’s what’s changed, who it applies to, and how to get ready.

 

Why was it delayed?

In June 2026, the Fair Work Commission proposed that the interim increase start on 1 October 2026. In its final decision on 11 September 2026 ([2026] FWCFB 232), the Commission confirmed the increase but pushed the start date back two months.

The deferral reflected concerns raised by employers and NDIS providers:
  • The Commonwealth had not committed to funding the increase. This differed from the aged care work value case, where it fully funded the interim rise.
  • Most Schedule E work is paid for through the NDIS, at prices providers can’t change quickly.
  • Providers needed time to reopen service agreements with clients and talk to funders.
Who does it apply to?

The increase applies only to employees classified under Schedule E – Home Care Employees, Disability Care. That means home care workers providing domestic assistance, home maintenance or personal care to people with disability in their homes.

It does not apply to:
  • disability support workers in the social and community services stream (Schedule B)
  • home care workers in aged care (Schedule F), whose increases were dealt with separately.
Getting the schedule right is critical. Applying the increase to the wrong staff, or missing staff who should get it, both create problems.
 
How much is the increase?
  • Most Schedule E rates rise by 15%.
  • Level 4, pay point 2 rises by 14.96%, and Level 5, pay point 2 by 13.31%. For those two levels, that’s the full increase the Commission found was owed.
  • Casual employees keep the 25% casual loading on top of the new base rate.
  • The increase is on top of the 4.75% Annual Wage Review increase that applied from 1 July 2026.
What about NDIS funding?
The NDIA has announced that from 1 December 2026, the maximum prices for four NDIS support items linked to Schedule E work will increase, with an updated NDIS Pricing Schedule published on that date.
Two important points for providers:
  • Check which of your services are covered. Only four support items are affected, so not every Schedule E shift will attract a higher price.
  • The new wage rates apply regardless of funding. The Commission was clear that employers must pay the new minimums whether or not funding has caught up.
 
What’s coming next?
This is an interim increase, not the final step. From 1 October 2027, a new single classification structure will replace Schedules B, C, E and F of the SCHADS Award. Schedule E employees will receive the remainder of their increase at that point, and almost every SCHADS employee will be reclassified.

What employers should do now

  1. Identify every Schedule E employee and confirm they’re correctly classified. Don’t include Schedule B or Schedule F staff.
  2. Calculate the new rates for each classification and pay point, including casual rates and penalties.
  3. Cost the increase from December and through to 30 June, factoring in weekend, public holiday and overtime rates.
  4. Review your NDIS pricing and service agreements. Check which of the four support items apply to you, and update client agreements where needed.
  5. Update payroll so the new rates apply from the first full pay period on or after 1 December 2026.
  6. Start preparing for October 2027. The full reclassification is a bigger job, and early planning will save time and cost.
Need help?

Explore Potential can help you confirm Schedule E classifications, cost the increase, update contracts and payroll, and plan for the October 2027 classification overhaul. Get in touch with our team to start the conversation.
 
This article is general information only and does not constitute legal advice. Always check current pay rates against the Fair Work Ombudsman’s pay guides.