Provider Travel and Participant Transport

Provider travel is the time and cost of a worker travelling to or from a participant to deliver a face to face support. This lesson explains when that travel time can be claimed from a participant's plan under the current claiming guidance, the travel time limits that apply in different areas, and how travel is shared between participants. Key points: travel can only be claimed when the support item allows it, the participant agreed in advance and we pay the worker for the travel, time limits of up to 30 or 60 minutes apply in most areas, and shared trips are split between participants as agreed.

Travel also has costs beyond the worker's time, such as vehicle running costs, tolls, parking and public transport fares. This lesson explains when these non labour costs can be claimed under the current claiming guidance, how they are claimed separately from the support and the travel time, and how they are shared between participants. Key points: non labour costs can only be claimed where travel time can be claimed, the participant must agree to a reasonable contribution in advance, the agency publishes a guide to reasonable per kilometre contributions, and costs are shared when one trip serves several participants.

When a participant travels with a worker as part of a community participation support, such as going to the pool or a class, the rules for activity based transport apply. This lesson explains how the worker's time and the non labour costs of transporting the participant are claimed under the current claiming guidance. Key points: the worker's time transporting the participant is part of the support and claimed at the agreed hourly rate, non labour costs such as kilometres, tolls and parking are claimed on the activity based transport item as agreed, and costs and time are shared when several participants travel together.

Some participants have funding in their plan for their own transport, for example taxis or rideshare to get to work, study or activities. This lesson explains where transport funding sits in a plan, what it can and cannot be used for, and how it relates to the supports we deliver. Key points: transport may be funded in the Core budget or the Recurring budget, recurring transport is set at one of three levels and may be paid regularly to the participant, it is for people who cannot use public transport because of their disability, and vehicles, fuel and registration are not NDIS supports.

Transporting a participant is a high risk activity that needs planning and care. This lesson covers the checks to make before you drive, how to secure participants, wheelchairs and equipment, how to manage distraction and fatigue, and what to do if something goes wrong. Key points: only drive participants if our policy and your authorisation allow it, the vehicle must be registered, roadworthy and appropriately insured, everyone must be properly restrained, wheelchair restraints must only be used by trained staff, the participant's support plan must be followed, and incidents must be reported straight away.

Accurate travel records protect participants, workers and our organisation. This lesson explains what to record for provider travel and participant transport, how records connect to claims, and why honesty matters even for small amounts. Key points: record start and finish times, kilometres from the odometer, the purpose of each trip, which participants were involved and any tolls, parking or fares with receipts, record at the time rather than from memory, never round up or copy a standard trip, and tell your team leader if you make a mistake so it can be corrected. The lesson ends with a module summary, before the case studies that follow.

This case study follows Farid, a support worker who visits two participants on the same morning, then pays for parking near the second home. The lesson walks through how his travel time and non labour costs should be recorded and claimed under the current claiming guidance: checking the conditions, splitting shared travel as agreed, claiming actual kilometres and parking on the separate item, and keeping accurate records. It also explores what to do when a colleague suggests claiming the full travel from both participants. Key points: meet every condition, never double claim, and claim only actual costs with records.

This case study follows a group outing where three participants travel with two workers in our accessible van to the beach. One participant uses a wheelchair that must be secured with the van's tie down system, and the only trained worker calls in sick that morning. The lesson explores the safe response, the choices participants can make, and how the day is claimed if it goes ahead: worker time shared as part of community participation, activity based transport costs shared, and no claim for workers' own costs. Key points: safety before schedule, only trained workers use tie downs, and share time and costs fairly.