Everything you need to know about Short Term Respite (STR), accommodation and the NDIS

At My Plan Manager, we get lots of questions about Short Term Accommodation (STA) for National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) participants. Recently, in an effort to better represent how it can be used, the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) has changed the name of this support to Short Term Respite (STR) and updated the rules for accessing it as well.

We've put together this NDIS STR guide to help explain what it's all about, including what it is, how to access it, and when you can and can’t use it.

What's Short Term Respite in the NDIS?

Short Term Respite (STR) - previously known as Short Term Accommodation or STA - is support that lets you spend some time away from your usual home, and from the family members, friends, or carers who provide most of your unpaid daily support. These are the people the NDIA generally refers to as your “informal supports”.

Unlike STA, which was often used to build new skills or try new things, STR is not about learning or developing independence. Its main purpose is to give you and your informal supports a break from your usual care arrangements, helping everyone recharge and continue their support roles sustainably.

To be eligible, you’ll need to live with (or receive daily drop-in support from) your main informal supports and be receiving disability related support from them for at least six hours a day. On top of that, you might also need to meet one or more of the following criteria:

• You get high intensity supports, like help with tracheostomy care, enteral feeding, or complex wound management.
• You have complex behaviour support needs or need specialist behavioural intervention.
• Your informal supports are under pressure, maybe they’re ageing, dealing with illness, or juggling other caring responsibilities.
• You live somewhere where in-home supports are hard to access, like a remote or regional area.

You can access STR funding (in the right circumstances) for up to 14 days at a time, for a total of up to 28 days per year.

In this article we cover:

• What STR includes and what it can look like
• When you can and can't use it
• How you can get it
• How to find an STR provider

What STR includes

Short Term Respite isn’t just about where you stay, it also involves the support you receive while staying there.

Depending on your needs and provider, STR inclusions can cover:

• personal care (like help with daily tasks)
• accommodation (in a clean, comfortable place with the accessibility features you need)
• support to take part in activities (like a support worker to assist you at an event).

The activities will vary depending on your STR provider and your agreements, so it's important to check that out before booking.

Some providers may offer extras like meals or group activities, but these aren’t always covered by your NDIS funding:

• Meals are only funded if they’re part of a provider’s daily rate in a centre or group setting. If you’re staying in a hotel or individual setting, you’ll need to cover meals yourself.
• Activities (like tickets or entry fees) aren’t funded, only the support to help you participate.
• Transport to and from STR isn’t covered unless you have separate transport funding or live in a remote area.

When you can and can't use STR

It’s important to understand when the NDIA can and can’t fund Short Term Respite.

The NDIA may fund STR if it:

• means your family or informal supports can keep supporting you long term
• means you may not need as much support in the future or it supports your independence
• helps you maintain functional capacity
• aligns with your goals and disability related support needs and meets the reasonable and necessary criteria, including being value for money and beneficial for you.

The NDIA doesn't typically fund STR if it:

• exceeds 14 days in a row, or a total of 28 days per year
• isn’t for the purposes STR is meant for – like holidays, cruises, or travel for fun
• includes accommodation or travel for informal supports (like family and friends)
• is outside of your state or territory, unless you live in a border town or remote area where the nearest option is interstate.

How to get STR funded by the NDIA

Short Term Respite is usually funded under the Core Supports budget.

STR might be stated in your NDIS plan, but even if it isn’t, you might still be able to use your Core funding for STR – as long as it fits within your budget and it won’t affect your other approved supports.

You can talk to your NDIA contact or bring it up at a check-in meeting. If your situation has changed, you can also request a plan change to include STR.

There are maximum rates for STR in the NDIS Pricing Arrangements and Price Limits, and the NDIA can fund up to 28 days per calendar year, with a maximum of 14 days at a time.  If you want to access more than that, you’ll need approval from the NDIA.

Just keep in mind - if you use more STR support than you need, your funding might run out faster so it’s important to plan carefully.

How to find and compare STR providers

There are lots of specialised providers of Short Term Respite, and the services and supports they offer can be very different, so it’s important you take your time to research what’s available and which providers meet your support needs.

If you have a plan manager, you can use non-registered STR providers, but often these options don’t deliver the value you’re after because they don’t include supports – meaning you’ll need to pay extra for those. Be sure you take this into account when you’re comparing prices.

The easiest way to use your NDIS funding for STR is with a specialist provider that provides all your accommodation, personal care, and sometimes meals and activities. However, you can claim accommodation and care separately for the period you’re staying in STR (so, you can source them from more than one provider) if they’re within the NDIS Pricing Arrangements and Price Limits.

You can stay in a range of settings like a hotel, motel, cabin, homestay, or even your own home. Just note:

• Your NDIS funding only funds supports, not accommodation, in homestay or home-based arrangements.
• Homestay can’t be provided by friends or family, as that’s considered informal support and not funded.
• If you need overnight support, the NDIA can fund your support worker’s accommodation.

And remember: STR must relate to your disability support needs. If you believe the support will help you to achieve your goals, it’s a good idea to have some supporting information that backs that up, just in case you need to show the NDIA why you spent your funds that way.

We’re here to help

If you’re not sure what’s funded under Short Term Respite in the NDIS, or if you want to know if you can access STR, just ask us. You can email us at enquiries@myplanmanager.com.au or call us on 1800 861 272 from 8am-5.30pm (SA time), Monday to Friday.

You can find more information about STR here.