If a DDD tier letter has just arrived, or you are trying to plan around one, two numbers matter: how big the budget is for that tier, and what DDD pays for each service. Both changed on January 1, 2026. This page puts the Division’s published 2026 figures in one place and explains what they mean for a family.
Quick answer: In 2026, Supports Program budgets run from $28,635 a year (Tier A) to $113,205 (Tier Ea). Community Care Program budgets run from $66,424 (Tier A) to $527,838 (Tier Ea). The new amounts took effect January 1, 2026, together with small increases to the rates DDD pays providers for most hands-on services.
What is a DDD tier?
After someone is found eligible for DDD, the New Jersey Comprehensive Assessment Tool (NJ CAT) scores their support needs in three areas: self-care, behavior and medical. That score sets the person’s tier.
There are five base tiers, A through E, plus an exception tier, F, that DDD uses only in very rare cases. People with high clinical support needs because of medical or behavioral concerns also get an acuity factor, written as a lowercase “a”: Aa, Ba, Ca, Da, Ea (and Fa).
The tier does two jobs. It sets the size of the person’s yearly budget, and for some services it sets the rate the provider is paid for supporting that person. Budgets grow from Tier A to Tier E, and each acuity tier carries a larger budget than its base tier, so Da, for example, is funded above both D and E in the Supports Program.
Supports Program budgets by tier (2026)
The Supports Program serves adults who live on their own or with family and mostly need non-residential help. Each budget has two parts, and each part pays for its own set of services: Employment/Day covers services like day habilitation and prevocational training, and Individual/Family Supports covers services like respite and interpreter services. Some services, such as community-based supports, can be paid from either part.
| Tier | Employment/Day | Individual/Family Supports | Total yearly budget |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | $20,967 | $7,668 | $28,635 |
| Aa | $29,088 | $7,668 | $36,756 |
| B | $26,727 | $15,335 | $42,062 |
| Ba | $37,037 | $15,335 | $52,372 |
| C | $33,063 | $15,335 | $48,398 |
| Ca | $45,850 | $15,335 | $61,185 |
| D | $48,960 | $23,003 | $71,963 |
| Da | $67,968 | $23,003 | $90,971 |
| E | $64,973 | $23,003 | $87,976 |
| Ea | $90,202 | $23,003 | $113,205 |
Community Care Program budgets by tier (2026)
The Community Care Program serves people who need more intensive or residential support. Its budgets add a third part, Individual Supports, for support provided where the person lives.
| Tier | Individual Supports | Employment/Day | Individual/Family Supports | Total yearly budget |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | $37,789 | $20,967 | $7,668 | $66,424 |
| Aa | $69,106 | $29,088 | $7,668 | $105,862 |
| B | $75,577 | $26,727 | $15,335 | $117,639 |
| Ba | $138,211 | $37,037 | $15,335 | $190,583 |
| C | $125,962 | $33,063 | $15,335 | $174,360 |
| Ca | $230,352 | $45,850 | $15,335 | $291,537 |
| D | $176,347 | $48,960 | $23,003 | $248,310 |
| Da | $322,493 | $67,968 | $23,003 | $413,464 |
| E | $226,731 | $64,973 | $23,003 | $314,707 |
| Ea | $414,633 | $90,202 | $23,003 | $527,838 |
DDD calls these “up-to” budgets. They are the most that can be spent on the services in the person’s Individualized Service Plan during the plan year, not money paid out to the family.
2026 service rates by tier
DDD sets a Medicaid fee-for-service rate for each service. Most services are billed in 15-minute units; a few are paid per day. The rates below took effect January 1, 2026, and are what DDD’s Medicaid program pays the provider for each unit.
Day habilitation (per 15 minutes)
| Tier | Rate | With acuity |
|---|---|---|
| A | $3.64 | $5.05 |
| B | $4.64 | $6.43 |
| C | $5.74 | $7.96 |
| D | $8.50 | $11.80 |
| E | $11.28 | $15.66 |
| F | $16.92 | $23.49 |
DDD builds a 5% allowance for days a person doesn’t attend into the day habilitation rates.
Community inclusion services (per 15 minutes)
Group activities outside the home, in groups of no more than six: Tier A $3.64, Tier B $4.64, Tier C $5.74, Tier D $8.50, Tier E $11.28, Tier F $16.92.
Prevocational training and group supported employment (per 15 minutes)
| Tier | Prevocational training (group) | Supported employment (group) |
|---|---|---|
| A | $4.06 | $4.59 |
| B | $5.17 | $5.85 |
| C | $6.40 | $7.23 |
| D | $9.49 | $10.72 |
| E | $12.59 | $14.23 |
One-to-one versions have a single rate for every tier: prevocational training $18.89 and supported employment $21.34 per 15 minutes.
Individual supports, daily (Community Care Program)
The daily rate applies in licensed settings, or in unlicensed settings with shared staff for three or more hours a day. DDD builds a 5% absence allowance into it.
| Tier | Per day | With acuity |
|---|---|---|
| A | $103.53 | $189.33 |
| B | $207.06 | $378.66 |
| C | $345.10 | $631.10 |
| D | $483.14 | $883.54 |
| E | $621.18 | $1,135.98 |
| F | $828.24 | $1,514.64 |
Overnight respite outside the home (per day)
| Tier | Per day | With acuity |
|---|---|---|
| A | $82.93 | $145.22 |
| B | $165.86 | $290.45 |
| C | $276.43 | $484.09 |
| D | $387.00 | $677.70 |
| E | $497.60 | $871.36 |
| F | $662.74 | $1,160.60 |
Services with one rate for every tier
| Service | 2026 rate | Unit |
|---|---|---|
| Career planning | $19.47 | 15 minutes |
| Community-based supports | $9.77 ($14.99 with acuity) | 15 minutes |
| Individual supports (Community Care Program) | $9.85 ($15.16 with acuity) | 15 minutes |
| Respite | $7.37 | 15 minutes |
| Respite camp, day and overnight | $331.38 | Day |
| Respite day camp, up to 6 hours | $165.86 | Day |
What changed on January 1, 2026
- DDD raised the rates for career planning, community inclusion services, community-based supports, day habilitation, individual supports, prevocational training, respite and supported employment, and raised every up-to budget to match.
- The increase pays for a wage rise of about $0.46 an hour for Direct Support Professionals (DSPs) and DSP supervisors. Provider agencies had to add it to base wages by March 1, 2026, backdated to January 1.
- If you self-direct, the budget went up but your employee’s wage did not change automatically. You set that wage within DDD’s reasonable and customary limits, and your support coordinator can help you change it. Our guide to NJ programs that pay family caregivers explains how self-direction works.
How to find out your tier
The tier comes from the NJ CAT, which is completed after eligibility is confirmed (our step-by-step guide to the NJ DDD application covers where it fits). DDD sends a tier letter afterwards, and your support coordinator can explain what it means for the plan. When a person’s tier assignment changes, a new Individualized Service Plan is created. If you feel the tier does not reflect the person’s needs, raise it with your support coordinator.
For what each service actually covers, see our NJ DDD services guide.
Frequently asked questions
What are the DDD tiers in New Jersey?
DDD uses five base tiers, A through E, plus a rarely used exception tier, F. People with high medical or behavioral support needs get an acuity version of their tier: Aa, Ba, Ca, Da, Ea or Fa. The tier comes from the NJ CAT assessment.
How much is a Tier A budget in 2026?
From January 1, 2026, Tier A is $28,635 a year in the Supports Program and $66,424 a year in the Community Care Program.
What is the highest DDD budget in 2026?
Tier Ea: $113,205 a year in the Supports Program and $527,838 in the Community Care Program.
Did DDD rates go up in 2026?
Yes. On January 1, 2026, DDD raised its rates for most hands-on services and every up-to budget, to fund a wage increase of about $0.46 an hour for Direct Support Professionals and their supervisors.
Who is paid these rates?
The rates are what DDD’s Medicaid program pays approved provider agencies for each unit of service. Self-directed employees are paid the wage the family sets, within DDD’s reasonable and customary limits.
This article summarizes the Division’s published figures and is not legal or benefits advice. Amounts can change; confirm current figures with DDD or your support coordinator.
Questions about a tier letter or what a budget can cover? Talk to our team.
Sources
- NJ Division of Developmental Disabilities, Quick Guide: FY26 Supports and Community Care Program Budgets, effective January 1, 2026 (December 2025), retrieved 2026-10-09, https://www.nj.gov/humanservices/ddd/documents/policy/fy26-budget-quick-guide.pdf
- NJ Division of Developmental Disabilities, Quick Guide: FY26 DSP & Supervisor Rate Increases, effective January 1, 2026 (December 2025), retrieved 2026-10-09, https://www.nj.gov/humanservices/ddd/documents/news/fy26-dsp-wage-increase-quick-guide.pdf
- NJ Division of Developmental Disabilities, Information Bulletin: FY26 Increases to Medicaid Service Rates, Supports Program and Community Care Program Budgets, and DSP and DSP Supervisor Wages, December 30, 2025, retrieved 2026-10-09, https://www.nj.gov/humanservices/ddd/documents/bulletins/fy26-dsp-wage-increase-bulletin.pdf
- NJ Division of Developmental Disabilities, FY26 Increases to Service Rates, Program Budgets, and DSP and DSP Supervisor Wages: FAQ, December 2025, retrieved 2026-10-09, https://www.nj.gov/humanservices/ddd/documents/news/fy26-dsp-wage-increase-faq.pdf
- NJ Division of Developmental Disabilities, Supports Program Policies & Procedures Manual, Version 10.0.1, September 2025 (section 3.4, Tiering & Acuity Factor; section 17, service units), retrieved 2026-10-09, https://www.nj.gov/humanservices/ddd/assets/documents/supports-program-policy-manual.pdf
- NJ Division of Developmental Disabilities, Community Care Program Policies & Procedures Manual, Version 7.0.1, September 2025 (section 17.9, Individual Supports), retrieved 2026-10-09, https://www.nj.gov/humanservices/ddd/assets/documents/community-care-program-policy-manual.pdf