Mable is committed to recognising the valued role Independent Support Workers play in our community. In light of this, Mable’s minimum agreed rate will increase from $32 per hour to $36 per hour, effective Friday 30 June 2023.
The minimum hourly agreed rate on Mable also ensures that agreement rates are not lower than the new national minimum wage set by the Fair Work Commission. This considers factors like casual loading, superannuation and platform fees.
Please refer to the list of answers below for any questions you may have about this increase.
When does the Mable minimum hourly agreed rate increase?
The Mable minimum hourly agreed rate will increase from $32 to $36 from Friday, 30 June 2023.
Which agreements are impacted?
Any new agreements made on and after 30 June 2023 will have a minimum hourly agreed rate of $36.
For existing agreements below $36, we encourage clients and support workers to work together to update them to reflect the new minimum hourly agreed rate.
Why is Mable increasing the minimum hourly agreed rate?
The minimum hourly agreed rate is increasing to ensure that independent support workers receive at least the equivalent of the minimum wage for their work.
There has been a recent increase to the National Minimum Wage, and effective 30 June 2023, the Superannuation Guarantee rate increased from 10.5% to 11%.
Support workers on the Mable platform are independent contractors, so the National Minimum Wage, casual loading entitlements and the superannuation guarantee don’t technically apply to them.
However, at Mable we know that our clients and support providers care about doing the right thing. That’s why our goal is to make sure that everyone working on the platform receives at least the minimum wage inclusive of casual loading and superannuation.
We also note the Federal Government has increased the NDIS Pricing Arrangements and Price Limits and also the Home Care Package subsidy to account for the increased cost of care and support.
Why is the new minimum hourly agreed rate $36?
Mable bases the minimum hourly agreed rate on the National Minimum Wage, inclusive of casual loading and superannuation:
- as of 30 June 2023, the National Minimum Wage will increase to $23.23 per hour
- inclusive of casual loading (25 per cent), this comes to $29.04 per hour
- inclusive of superannuation (11 per cent), this comes to $32.23 per hour
- The minimum hourly agreed rate also includes the 10 per cent support worker platform fee.
This means a $36 minimum agreed hourly rate ensures that all support workers receive at least $32.40 per hour.
Will Mable be increasing the minimum hourly agreed rate again?
If there are future changes to the minimum wage, Mable will review and determine if a change is required.
Why does Mable have a minimum hourly agreed rate?
Mable encourages clients and support workers to negotiate and agree rates for services. The minimum hourly agreed rate simply ensures that agreement rates are not lower than the new National Minimum Wage set by the Fair Work Commission.
My current agreement is lower than $36 per hour – what should I do?
If you are a client, we recommend that you contact your support worker(s) and work with them to agree on a new hourly rate that is at least $36.
If you’re a support worker, we recommend that you contact your client(s) or their coordinator(s) and work with them to agree on a new hourly rate that is at least $36 per hour.
Once the agreement is updated by the support worker, the client will need to approve the new minimum hourly agreed rate. The support sessions should be started only once the agreement has been reviewed and accepted by the client.
What do I do if my client can’t afford to increase my rate or doesn’t agree to the increase?
We understand conversations around rates can be tricky. That’s why we have created a guide to help you discuss or negotiate rates with clients.
We recommend explaining to clients that:
- Agreements have to be compliant with Mable’s terms of use
- Clients are required to pay workers a minimum hourly agreed rate of $36 to ensure that agreement rates are not lower than the new National Minimum Wage set by the Fair Work Commission.
Will this cause delays in payments?
No, support workers will still be able to submit support hours while agreements are being updated. If you have existing agreements with rates lower than $36 per hour, you will need to update these by 30 June 2023, so that you can start submitting support hours at the new minimum hourly agreed rates.
As a client, do I need to take any action?
If you have any current agreements with rates lower than $36 per hour, you will need to discuss raising the rates to the new minimum hourly agreed rate of $36 with your support worker. You need to accept the agreement changes so that your worker can submit support hours at the new agreed rates.
We understand conversations around rates can be difficult, so we have created a guide to help you discuss rates with your support workers.
What does this change mean for my existing agreements?
We have communicated to clients and workers who have rates below the new minimum.
If you are a support worker: If you have any agreements with rates lower than $36 per hour, you will need to update these as soon as possible so that you can start submitting support hours at the new minimum agreed rates. As an independent support worker on Mable, you have the opportunity to mutually review and agree on rates with your client by entering into a new agreement with them.
If you are a client: If you have any agreements with rates lower than $36 per hour, your worker will need to update these. Once the agreement has been updated, you will need to accept the changes, so they can start submitting support hours at the new rates.
If you are a coordinator: If your client(s) have existing agreements under the new minimum agreed rate of $36 per hour, we have already notified all support workers about the change and have requested that they work with you or your client to agree on a new hourly rate which is at least $36 per hour.
When was the last time Mable increased its minimum hourly agreed rate?
Mable increased its minimum hourly agreed rate in July 2022 to reflect changes to the national minimum wage set by the Fair Work Commission at the time.
You just increased your fees, why are you increasing again?
Recently, Mable increased the Client Platform fee. The change to the minimum agreed hourly rate is unrelated to our platform fees.
This change ensures that agreement rates are not lower than the new National Minimum Wage set by the Fair Work Commission and takes into account the impact of Mable platform fees.
Is the Mable platform fee increasing?
No. The Mable platform fee remains at 10% for support workers and 7.95% for clients.
