Travel and Kilometre Charging Policy

Version 16042026

Introduction and Purpose  

This policy sets out how Made to Help manages staff travel associated with delivering NDIS support coordination services, including:  

- travel from a staff member’s home office to a client location  

- recording kilometres travelled for client-related work  

- when kilometres may be charged to a client  

- when travel time is not charged  

- how travel charges are disclosed and agreed.  

This policy supports compliance with the NDIS Practice Standards, including governance and operational management, risk management, human resource management, and participant-centred service delivery.

1. Policy statement  

Made to Help will manage staff travel in a way that is:  

- transparent  

- reasonable and necessary  

- clearly agreed in advance with the participant or their nominee  

- accurately recorded  

- fairly apportioned where travel relates to more than one participant  

- consistent with current NDIA pricing arrangements and Australian Consumer Law expectations for service agreements.

2. Scope  

This policy applies where a worker travels to undertake support coordination activities, including:  

- face-to-face meetings with participants  

- meetings with families, carers, guardians or nominees  

- provider liaison or housing/service meetings attended for a participant  

- outreach visits related to implementing or monitoring a participant’s supports.  

This policy does not apply to participant transport supports.

3. Definitions  

Home office means the approved staff work base where the worker ordinarily performs administrative duties, remote coordination activities, record keeping, and participant communications.  

Client-related travel means travel undertaken for the purpose of delivering an agreed support coordination service.  

Kilometre charge means the non-labour vehicle running cost charged to a participant, calculated at the approved rate in this policy.  

Travel time means the time spent travelling to or from a participant or other service location.

4. Principles  

1. Participants must be told in advance if kilometre costs may be charged.  

2. Any kilometre charge must be included in, or clearly authorised by, the service agreement.  

3. Made to Help will not charge an hourly support coordination rate for travel time. This is a business rule adopted for clarity, fairness, and participant value.  

4. Only actual, reasonable, client-related kilometres will be recorded and charged.  

5. Private travel and ordinary personal commuting that is not part of approved client-related work will not be charged to a participant.  

6. Where one trip benefits more than one participant, costs will be apportioned fairly and not charged in full to multiple participants.  

7. Claims must be supported by accurate records.

5. Rate used for kilometre charging  

Made to Help will charge kilometres at the current NDIS published cents-per-kilometre rate. The rate will be updated whenever the NDIS changes it.

6. What may be charged  

A participant may be charged for non-labour travel costs only, being the kilometres reasonably and directly related to delivery of their support coordination service, where this has been agreed in the service agreement.  

Providers can claim non-labour costs, such as road tolls, parking fees, and a per-kilometre rate to cover fuel and vehicle wear-and-tear.

7. What will not be charged  

Made to Help will not charge:  

- hourly support coordination time while a worker is travelling  

- travel that is personal or private in nature  

- duplicated kilometre claims across multiple participants  

- unexplained, estimated, or inflated kilometre claims  

- travel not connected to an agreed participant service.

8. How kilometres are recorded and charged  

8.1 Home office to client location  

Where a support coordinator starts their working day from an approved home office and travels directly to a participant location to deliver an agreed service, the business will record the actual kilometres travelled from the home office to the client location.

8.2 Client location back to home office  

Where the support coordinator returns directly from the client location to the approved home office after completing the participant-related activity, the business will record the actual kilometres travelled from the client location back to the home office.

8.3 Total kilometres chargeable  

Where the trip is solely for one participant, the total kilometres chargeable to that participant will be:  

Home office to client + client to home office = total chargeable kilometres  

Travel time is billed in line with the NDIS Price Guide and is based on the MMM zone the client lives in. This is also recorded in the Made to Help Service Agreement.  

MMM1 – MMM3: up to 30 minutes to appointments, plus up to 30 minutes return where the appointment is the last for the day.  

MMM4 - MMM5 (regional): up to 60 minutes to appointments, plus up to 60 minutes return where the appointment is the last for the day.

8.4 Multiple clients in one trip chain  

If the worker travels between multiple clients or work locations on the same outing:  

- only the kilometres reasonably attributable to each participant may be charged  

- shared travel must be apportioned fairly  

- the same kilometres must not be charged in full to more than one participant.

8.5 Travel from another work location  

If the worker travels from another participant, meeting, or approved work location to the client, then only the actual kilometres for that segment, and any directly attributable return segment, may be charged.

8.6 Detours and mixed-purpose travel  

Detours for personal errands, meal breaks unrelated to service delivery, school drop-off, shopping, or other private purposes must be excluded from claimable kilometres.

9. Charging examples  

Example 1: Single client visit from home office  

- Home office to client: 18 km  

- Client to home office: 18 km  

- Total chargeable kilometres: 36 km  

- Charge at $0.88/km = $31.68  

Example 2: Two clients visited on the same run  

- Home office to Client A: 10 km  

- Client A to Client B: 8 km  

- Client B to home office: 12 km  

Possible allocation:  

- Client A: 10 km inbound only, plus a fair portion of shared route if applicable under scheduling records  

- Client B: 8 km from prior work location plus 12 km return, where directly attributable  

Management must ensure the allocation is reasonable, documented, and not duplicative.

Example 3: No travel time charged  

- Staff member drives 25 minutes to a participant meeting  

- Staff member may charge approved kilometres only  

- No hourly support coordination fee is billed for the 25 minutes in transit

10. Service agreement requirements  

Before charging any kilometre costs, the service agreement must state:  

- that non-labour travel costs may be charged  

- the rate reference used for kilometre charging  

- that travel time is not charged at the hourly support coordination rate  

- how travel will be calculated  

- that shared travel will be apportioned fairly where relevant  

The NDIA recommends written service agreements so participants and providers are clear about what supports, costs, responsibilities, and charging arrangements have been agreed.

11. Record keeping  

For every kilometre claim, staff must record:  

- participant name  

- date  

- start location  

- end location  

- purpose of travel  

- odometer reading or mapped kilometre distance  

- total kilometres claimed  

- whether the trip was shared with another participant or work task  

- any apportionment calculation.  

Records must be kept in accordance with organisational recordkeeping requirements and available for internal audit.

12. Staff responsibilities  

Support coordinators must:  

- discuss travel charging at intake and before commencing services  

- ensure the participant understands the charging arrangement  

- ensure participant has completed the kilometre form on the Made to Help website and that it is recorded in Jotforms  

- only submit accurate and supportable kilometre claims through the weekly billing cycle, manually entered as a charge fee on Careflo  

- exclude private or non-client-related travel  

- comply with safe driving and vehicle requirements.  

Made to Help management team must:  

- monitor billing practices  

- audit claims periodically  

- update the kilometre rate when the NDIS changes it  

- respond to complaints or disputes about travel charges.

13. Quality, risk and complaints  

Travel billing must be transparent, explained in plain language, and responsive to participant feedback and complaints. This aligns with the NDIS Practice Standards’ expectations around governance, risk, information management, and feedback and complaints systems.

14. Related documents  

- Service Agreement Template  

- Schedule of Fees and Charges  

- Complaints and Feedback Policy  

- Maintenance, Records and Audit Policy  

Effective date: 16 April 2026  

Review date: 30 June 2026