SCHADS Award Resources
Free guides covering pay rates, allowances, rostering rules, and compliance requirements under the SCHADS Award. Built for employers and employees in disability services, home care, and community support.
For Workers
Is your own pay right?
Guides and free tools for support and care workers: check your payslip against the award minimums, spot the signs of underpayment, and work out what you're owed.
Am I Being Underpaid? How to Check (Australia 2026)
A five-step method to check whether you are underpaid: find your award and classification, look up the minimum, and compare your payslip line by line.
Read guide →Back Pay Calculator (Australia): What You Are Owed
Free back pay calculator: enter the rate paid, the rate owed and the hours affected to see gross back pay plus super. Claims reach back up to 6 years.
Use calculator →How to Check Your Payslip Is Right (Australia 2026)
What must legally appear on an Australian payslip, how to read each line, and the five errors worth looking for — plus a free automatic check.
Read guide →Underpaid Support Worker? 6 Checks for Your Payslip
Support workers are underpaid more often than almost any workforce — usually by payroll systems, not people. Six checks to run against the SCHADS Award.
Read guide →Pay Rates by Role
What should you be paying (or earning)?
Current pay rates for common roles under the SCHADS Award, including casual loading, penalty rates, and overtime.
Crisis Accommodation Pay Rates
Specific rules for workers in women's refuges, homeless shelters, and crisis housing. 24/7 roster rules.
Read guide →Disability Support Worker Pay Rates 2026-27 (SCHADS)
Current pay rates for disability support workers under the SCHADS Award, effective 1 July 2026. Casual, permanent and overtime rates explained.
Read guide →Family Support Worker Pay Rates
Pay guide for Family Support Workers, caseworkers, and counseling staff under SCHADS.
Read guide →Home Care Worker Pay Rates 2026
Current pay rates for Home Care employees levels 1-5. Travel allowances, broken shift rules, and casual rates.
Read guide →SCHADS Award Cheat Sheet 2026-27 (Printable PDF)
One-page SCHADS cheat sheet: SACS Level 1-8 rates, weekend and public-holiday penalties, every allowance and the key rostering rules, from 1 July 2026.
Read guide →SCHADS Award Levels Explained: Which Level Am I?
How SCHADS classification works: SACS Levels 1-8, Home Care 1-5, what each level requires, and how to tell if you are classified too low.
Read guide →SCHADS Pay Point Progression: Rules, Timing & Rates
The 12-month rule (clause 13.3), the 1,976-hour rule for part-timers, degree entry points, and what each step is worth at 1 July 2026 rates.
Read guide →SCHADS Award Pay Rates 2026: $27.55-$71.19 + Calculator
Every SCHADS Award rate from 1 July 2026 (+4.75%): SACS $27.55-$71.19/hr, home care, disability and crisis accommodation. Free calculator.
Use calculator →SCHADS Level 1 Pay Rate 2026: $27.55-$29.45 an Hour
SACS Level 1 from 1 July 2026: $27.55-$29.45/hr across the pay points, casual from $34.44 incl. loading, about $54,439-$58,193 a year.
Read guide →SCHADS Level 2 Pay Rate 2026: $36.22-$39.53 an Hour
SACS Level 2 from 1 July 2026: $36.22-$39.53/hr across 4 pay points, casual from $45.28 incl. loading, about $71,577-$78,101 a year.
Read guide →SCHADS Level 3 Pay Rate 2026: $40.49-$43.42 an Hour
SACS Level 3 from 1 July 2026: $40.49-$43.42/hr across 4 pay points, casual from $50.61 incl. loading, about $80,007-$85,798 a year.
Read guide →SCHADS Level 4 Pay Rate 2026: $46.70-$50.25 an Hour
SACS Level 4 from 1 July 2026: $46.70-$50.25/hr across 4 pay points, casual from $58.38 incl. loading, about $92,286-$99,295 a year.
Read guide →SCHADS Level 5 Pay Rate 2026: $53.43-$55.85 an Hour
SACS Level 5 from 1 July 2026: $53.43-$55.85/hr across 3 pay points, casual from $66.79 incl. loading, about $105,570-$110,351 a year.
Read guide →SCHADS Level 6 Pay Rate 2026: $58.37-$60.95 an Hour
SACS Level 6 from 1 July 2026: $58.37-$60.95/hr across 3 pay points, casual from $72.96 incl. loading, about $115,337-$120,440 a year.
Read guide →SCHADS Level 7 Pay Rate 2026: $63.13-$65.77 an Hour
SACS Level 7 from 1 July 2026: $63.13-$65.77/hr across 3 pay points, casual from $78.91 incl. loading, about $124,745-$129,958 a year.
Read guide →SCHADS Level 8 Pay Rate 2026: $68.49-$71.19 an Hour
SACS Level 8 from 1 July 2026: $68.49-$71.19/hr across 3 pay points, casual from $85.61 incl. loading, about $135,343-$140,674 a year.
Read guide →SCHADS Overtime Calculator: Time & a Half, Double Time
Work out SCHADS overtime pay: when time and a half becomes double time (it differs by stream), Sunday and public holiday overtime, with clauses cited.
Use calculator →SCHADS Pay Point Progression Calculator
Estimate SCHADS pay point progression back pay when an anniversary or 1,976-hour trigger was missed.
Use calculator →SCHADS Penalty Rates Calculator: Weekend & Holiday
Work out SCHADS weekend, public holiday, evening and night penalty rates — permanent and casual — at 1 July 2026 rates.
Use calculator →SCHADS Underpayment Calculator: What You Are Owed
Work out SCHADS underpayment: compare what you were paid against the award minimum, across every affected shift, with superannuation included.
Use calculator →SCHADS Weekend Penalty Rates 2026
SCHADS weekend penalty rates explained plainly: is Saturday time and a half, are Sunday rates double time, plus casual loadings and worked examples.
Read guide →Social & Community Services Pay Rates
The SACS stream covers the majority of non-home-care disability and community work. Current rates table.
Read guide →Youth Worker Pay Rates & Classifications
Pay rates for Youth Workers in residential care, outreach, and community support. Classification levels and shift penalties.
Read guide →Award Rules & Entitlements
Know the rules before they cost you
Detailed explanations of overtime, leave, breaks, rostering, and other SCHADS Award entitlements.
SCHADS Break Between Shifts: The 10-Hour Rule
How the SCHADS 10-hour minimum break works: clause 25.4, the 8-hour sleepover exception from 1 June 2026, and the double-time consequence when it is cut short.
Read guide →SCHADS Leave Entitlements: Annual, Sick & Long Service
Leave under the SCHADS Award: annual leave, personal and carer's leave, how varying hours are treated, and ceremonial leave.
Read guide →SCHADS Meal Breaks: The 5-Hour Rule, Paid vs Unpaid Breaks
The SCHADS 5-hour rule (cl.27.1), unpaid 30-60 min meal breaks vs paid 10-minute tea breaks, and the overtime owed when staff work through a break.
Read guide →Minimum Engagement Hours
Minimum shift lengths for casuals, part-timers, and full-timers under the SCHADS Award. Rules for broken shifts and client cancellations.
Read guide →SCHADS Award Overtime Rules: Rates & Calculator
Free SCHADS overtime calculator plus the full rules: when overtime applies, the double-time thresholds by stream, and how TOIL works.
Use calculator →Public Holiday Rates & Rules
What are you paid for working Public Holidays? 250% penalty rates explained, minimum engagement, and swapping public holidays.
Read guide →SCHADS Rostering Rules
Rules for changing rosters, 24-hour care shifts, and client cancellations. Employer obligations for posting rosters.
Read guide →SCHADS Sleepover Rules & Calculator: Current Rates
Free SCHADS sleepover calculator for the flat allowance plus call-to-duty disturbance pay, with the full rules on adjacency and waking-duty payment.
Use calculator →SCHADS Award Termination & Notice Periods
What are the required notice periods for termination under the SCHADS Award? Redundancy pay, final pay rules, and notice tables.
Read guide →SCHADS Award (MA000100) Explained: Rules & Allowances
The SCHADS Award explained: classifications, overtime, sleepovers, broken shifts and every allowance, with clause references and the June 2026 changes.
Read guide →SCHADS Client Cancellation Pay Rules 2025-26 (cl.25.5(f))
Must you pay a worker when a client cancels a shift under the SCHADS Award? The 12-hour notice rule, make-up time and pay entitlements (cl.25.5(f)) explained.
Read guide →SCHADS Minimum Engagement Calculator
Estimate SCHADS 2-hour and 3-hour minimum engagement top-ups for short shifts using current 1 July 2026 pay rates.
Use calculator →Allowances & Loadings
Every dollar you're entitled to
Broken shifts, travel, sleepovers, casual loading, and on-call allowances explained with current rates.
SCHADS Award Allowances 2026-27: Full List & Rates
Every SCHADS allowance at 1 July 2026 rates: sleepover, broken shift, vehicle/km, on-call, meal, first aid, uniform and laundry — and who gets each.
Read guide →Broken Shift Allowance SCHADS 2026: $21.81 / $28.87
$21.81 for one unpaid break, $28.87 for two, from 1 July 2026. The 12-hour span rule, why casuals get it on top of loading, and clause 25.6 examples.
Read guide →SCHADS Casual Loading 2026: 25% Explained, With Rates
How the 25% SCHADS casual loading works from 1 July 2026: casual rates from $34.44/hr, whether it stacks with weekend penalties and overtime.
Read guide →SCHADS First Aid Allowance 2026: Rate & Who Gets It
$21.43 per week full-time from 1 July 2026, $0.56 per hour pro rata for part-time and casuals — who qualifies under clause 20.6 and the home care difference.
Read guide →SCHADS Higher Duties & Relieving Pay 2026 (cl.30)
Higher duties under clause 30 is not a fixed allowance — it is pay at the higher classification rate. Home care qualifies same-day, others after 5 days.
Read guide →SCHADS Uniform & Laundry Allowance 2026 (cl.20.2-20.4)
Uniform allowance $1.26/shift or $6.41/week, laundry $0.33/shift or $1.53/week, plus special clothing reimbursement under clauses 20.2 to 20.4.
Read guide →SCHADS Meal Allowance 2026: Overtime Meal Money
The SCHADS overtime meal allowance is $17.30 under clause 20.5, with a second $17.30 once overtime passes four hours. Not the same as an unpaid meal break.
Read guide →On-Call Allowance Rates 2026
Being on call? Understand the daily allowance rates, minimum payment periods, and rules for responding to calls under SCHADS clause 25.10.
Read guide →Split Shift Allowance SCHADS 2026-27: Broken Shifts
There is no split shift allowance under SCHADS — the equivalent is the broken shift allowance (cl 25.6). Rates, rules and worked examples.
Read guide →SCHADS Award Travel Allowance 2026
Current Vehicle Allowance rates under SCHADS. When to claim kilometers, transporting clients vs traveling between clients, and the cl.20.7(a) minimum rate.
Read guide →Broken Shift Allowance Calculator (SCHADS) 2026
Calculate the SCHADS broken shift allowance: $21.81 per day with one unpaid break, $28.87 with two. Price a roster and see what missed allowances cost.
Use calculator →SCHADS On-Call & Remote Work Calculator
Estimate SCHADS on-call allowances, remote-work minimum payments and recall pay using current 1 July 2026 rates.
Use calculator →SCHADS Sleepover Allowance Calculator: $62.87 a Night
What SCHADS sleepovers are worth: the $62.87 per-night allowance (1 July 2026), paid disturbance minimums, and the annual total for a sleepover roster.
Use calculator →SCHADS Travel & KM Allowance Calculator
Estimate SCHADS vehicle allowance at $1.01/km and paid travel time between clients using current 1 July 2026 rates.
Use calculator →Compliance & Guides
Stay compliant, stay informed
NDIS pricing guides, classification breakdowns, AI tool comparisons, and the full SCHADS Award overview.
Best NDIS Rostering Software Australia (2026 Guide)
An honest guide to NDIS rostering software in Australia. ShiftCare, Deputy, Tanda, Employment Hero, Pay Cat and CrossVault compared on SCHADS handling.
Read guide →ChatGPT for SCHADS Award? Why Generic AI Fails
Why generic AI hallucinates SCHADS clauses, and how clause-backed answers differ from a plausible guess. With examples of the failures.
Read guide →CrossVault vs. PayCat: Compliance Philosophy
Comparing the 'Compliant Template' model of PayCat vs. the 'AI-Driven Validation' model of CrossVault for SCHADS Award compliance.
Read guide →ShiftCare vs CrossVault: Rostering vs SCHADS Checking
ShiftCare runs rosters, care notes and NDIS invoicing. CrossVault validates the resulting timesheets against SCHADS. How the two fit together.
Read guide →NDIS Pricing Arrangements vs SCHADS Award: Guide
How NDIS Price Guide limits relate to SCHADS wages, the margin squeeze on providers, and how the 2026 regime ties payroll accuracy to claim integrity.
Read guide →SCHADS & NDIS Award Compliance Software
Automated SCHADS and NDIS compliance software. CrossVault checks every timesheet for broken shifts, sleepovers, overtime and allowances before payroll.
Read guide →NDIS Software for Small Providers & Sole Traders
NDIS rostering and SCHADS compliance built for small providers: a genuine free tier for one worker, no forced multi-seat contract, real award checking.
Read guide →RotaWiz vs ShiftCare: NDIS Rostering Compared (2026)
RotaWiz vs ShiftCare for NDIS providers: a free-tier rostering-first tool vs a care-management platform. Features, SCHADS handling and pricing.
Read guide →SCHADS Award Payroll Software: Compliance Layer
What award interpretation a SCHADS pay run must get right, and how CrossVault validates timesheets before payroll rather than after.
Read guide →SCHADS Award Reddit Questions, Answered With Clauses
Sleepover pay, 72-hour rosters, broken shifts: the SCHADS questions workers ask on Reddit, answered with clause references and 1 July 2026 rates.
Read guide →ShiftCare Alternative: Rostering + SCHADS Validation
CrossVault runs NDIS rostering and a carer portal, and validates every timesheet against the SCHADS Award before payroll. Start free with one staff member.
Read guide →ShiftCare vs Brevity vs CareMaster: NDIS Compared
ShiftCare, Brevity and CareMaster compared for NDIS providers: features, SCHADS award handling, integrations and indicative pricing, side by side.
Read guide →ShiftCare vs Connecteam: NDIS Rostering & SCHADS Gap
ShiftCare vs Connecteam for NDIS providers: NDIS depth vs an all-in-one operations app. Neither audits SCHADS compliance — here is the gap.
Read guide →ShiftCare vs Deputy: NDIS Rostering & Awards (2026)
ShiftCare vs Deputy for NDIS providers: care management vs a broad workforce platform with an award-interpretation engine. Features and pricing compared.
Read guide →ShiftCare vs Tanda: Rostering vs Award Interpretation
ShiftCare vs Tanda for NDIS providers. Neither independently audits SCHADS pay — here is the gap that leaves and how to close it.
Read guide →ShiftCare vs Vertex360: NDIS Software Compared (2026)
ShiftCare vs Vertex360 for NDIS providers: care-management rostering vs an all-in-one operations suite. Features, SCHADS handling and pricing.
Read guide →Tanda vs Deputy: Award Interpretation Compared (2026)
Tanda vs Deputy for Australian rostering and award interpretation. Both need clean punch data — here is the SCHADS gap that leaves, and how to close it.
Read guide →Automate SCHADS Compliance
Don't risk underpayments. CrossVault's AI engine validates every timesheet against the specific rules of the SCHADS Award.