AU SCHADS Award Vehicle Allowance & Paid Travel Calculator
Under the Social, Community, Home Care and Disability Services Industry Award 2020 (SCHADS Award - MA000100), disability support workers, home care aides, and community service employees are entitled to financial compensation when using their personal vehicles for work obligations.
This browser-based au-schads-vehicle-allowance calculator assists employees, employers, and NDIS service providers in determining accurate motor vehicle allowances (Clause 20.5) and paid travel time allowances (Clause 25.5) for multi-client rosters and transport shifts.
SCHADS Industry Award Allowance Entitlements Matrix
The Fair Work Commission sets statutory vehicle allowance rates and travel time conditions to protect care workers traveling between clients:
| Allowance / Entitlement Category | Award Clause | Statutory SCHADS Rate | Operational Application |
|---|---|---|---|
| Motor Vehicle Allowance | Clause 20.5(a) | $1.05 per km | Applies when an employee is authorized to drive their personal motor vehicle for work. |
| Motorcycle Allowance | Clause 20.5(b) | $0.35 per km | Applies when an employee uses their personal motorcycle/scooter for work travel. |
| Travel Time Between Clients | Clause 25.5 | Ordinary Hourly Rate | Time spent driving between consecutive clients during a shift is paid working time. |
| Client Transport Travel | Clause 20.5 & 25.5 | $1.05/km + Hourly Rate | Driving with a client onboard (e.g., outings) triggers both per-km and shift hourly pay. |
Key Rules for SCHADS Vehicle & Travel Reimbursements
- Vehicle Kilometre Allowance: If you use your personal car to drive between clients or transport a client during a shift, your employer must pay $1.05 per km driven.
- Travel Time is Paid Work Time: Clause 25.5 explicitly establishes that the time spent traveling between consecutive appointments during a shift must be treated as paid working time at your applicable hourly rate.
- Commuting Boundaries: Your standard morning commute from home to your first client, and your evening commute from your final client back home, is generally unpaid and non-reimbursable unless special remote locality provisions apply.
- NDIS Provider Billing vs Award Payment: While NDIS billing rules determine what an agency can charge a participant, employer obligations under the SCHADS Award are legally binding regarding what must be paid to the employee.