How much is the SCHADS pay rise, and when does it start?

Current Schedule E rates — home care employees doing disability care — rise 15% from the first full pay period on or after 1 December 2026 (Level 4 pay point 2: +14.96%; Level 5 pay point 2: +13.31%). The Fair Work Commission's Expert Panel proposed 1 October 2026 in [2026] FWCFB 137, then deferred the start to 1 December 2026 in [2026] FWCFB 232 (11 September 2026), citing the absence of a Commonwealth funding commitment. The remaining increases apply from 1 October 2027.

Who gets the October 2026 SCHADS increase?

Employees classified under current SCHADS Schedule E — home care employees providing disability care (Levels 1-5). Home care aged-care classifications are not part of this increase; their work-value rises were delivered separately.

What happens to SCHADS classifications in 2027?

From 1 October 2027 a single new Framework Classification Structure replaces Schedules B, C, E and F across the award, with pay protection on translation — nobody's rate drops — and service-based progression.

Is the 15% on top of the July 2026 minimum wage increase?

Yes. The 4.75% Annual Wage Review increase applied to award minimums from 1 July 2026, and the Commission has said its gender-undervaluation increases apply to the AWR-adjusted rates — they are not absorbed into each other.

SCHADS Pay Rise Calculator (October 2026)

Calculate your new SCHADS Award rate from 1 December 2026 — the gender undervaluation increase for disability and home care workers.

Last verified: 22 September 2026

Updated 22 September 2026: the Fair Work Commission has moved the start of this 15% interim rise from 1 October to the first full pay period on or after 1 December 2026 ([2026] FWCFB 232). The percentages are unchanged. What changed and why.

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SCHADS Pay Rise Calculator (October 2026)

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