What is NDIS STR?
Short term respite, or STR, is NDIS funding for a short break from your usual care arrangements. It gives participants support away from their normal routine and gives primary informal supports, such as family, friends, or carers, a break so they can keep caring in a sustainable way. The NDIA now uses the term short term respite instead of short term accommodation in updated guidance.
STR is about the support you receive. It is not just about paying for a place to stay. The focus is on meeting disability-related support needs for a short period, whether that happens in a respite house, a hotel, a cabin, a short stay rental, or sometimes even at home.
Where to find STR funding in your NDIS plan
STR is generally paid from your Core budget, under Assistance with Daily Life. In practice, that means some participants already have flexible Core funding they can use for STR, while others may need STR specifically discussed at planning or plan reassessment time.
The NDIS says short term respite must:
be paid from your Core budget
be used in line with your plan and NDIS guidelines
be similar to the support you usually receive at home
not double up with other funded supports already in your plan.
Who can benefit from short term respite?
STR is mainly for participants who rely on primary informal supports every day.
That usually includes people who:
live with family or other informal supports
get more than 6 hours a day of disability-related support from informal supports
need a short break that helps sustain current care arrangements
need support when their usual carers are unavailable for a short period.
Short term respite can be especially useful when:
caring responsibilities are intense
a family is at risk of burnout
a participant needs a supported change of routine for a short period
a carer has other responsibilities, such as caring for children or another family member with disability
the current home arrangement needs support to stay stable.
For children, the NDIS says STR is funded only in limited circumstances, and only where disability-related support needs are beyond what is typical for the child’s age and the support helps the family continue in their caring role.
Who may not be eligible for STR?
STR is usually not the right fit if you:
live independently without relying on informal supports
already receive a high level of paid daily support
use Supported Independent Living (SIL) or Individualised Living Options (ILO) as your usual arrangement.
That matters because STR is designed to sustain informal supports, not replace an existing paid living arrangement.
How much short term respite can you usually access?
In most cases, STR is funded for up to 14 days at a time and up to 28 days per year. We see participants often use it flexibly, such as one weekend a month or a few blocks across the year, depending on what best suits their support needs and budget.
What does STR usually cover?
Your short term respite stay can include:
support with everyday activities
personal care
accommodation
meals
agreed activities
transport, where it forms part of an all-inclusive daily rate.
Note: If you use a registered provider that offers an all-inclusive daily rate, the bundled charge may include accommodation, support, meals, activities, and transport. If you organise your own accommodation, you need strong documentation and a clear link to your disability support needs.
What can you claim under NDIS short term respite?
This is where many people get stuck. The safest way to think about STR is this:
You can claim the disability-related support costs of a short respite stay.
That may include:
Accommodation linked to the respite support
This can include a standard, accessible place to stay for the participant and, if needed, standard accommodation for a support worker staying overnight.
Personal care and daily support
Support with showering, dressing, meals, supervision, behaviour support needs, or other day-to-day assistance may be claimable when it forms part of the approved respite arrangement.
Meals and agreed activities
Meals and agreed activities can be included when they are part of the provider’s respite service or daily rate.
Group-based respite supports
STR is commonly funded at a group rate. Individual support is usually only funded where there is evidence that the participant needs one-to-one support because of their disability.
What you usually cannot claim through STR
This is just as important as knowing what you can claim.
The NDIS is clear that short term respite is not for holidays, tourism, or general leisure spending. It also cannot be used for costs that are not disability supports.
That means you generally cannot claim:
holiday accommodation
cruises or tours
event tickets or entry fees
accommodation to attend an event
interstate holiday-style travel that is not part of a disability support arrangement
school holiday programs
work-related travel
costs for family or informal supports attending the stay
ordinary personal expenses that are not directly linked to disability supports.
A simple test helps here: Would this cost still exist if disability support was not needed? If the answer is yes, it may be a personal or ordinary living expense rather than an NDIS claim.
Is STR the same as a holiday?
No. That is one of the biggest misunderstandings.
The NDIS says short term respite is for a break from usual care arrangements. It is not holiday funding. The purpose is respite and disability-related support, not tourism or recreation for its own sake.
If you are travelling and still need disability support, the support component may still need planning and evidence. But the trip itself does not become claimable just because support is involved.
How to tell if a stay is likely to be claimable
Before you book, ask these questions:
1. Is the stay connected to disability support needs?
The NDIS must see a clear disability-related reason for the respite.
2. Does it give informal supports a real break?
That is one of the central reasons STR exists.
3. Is it being paid from the right part of the plan?
STR should come from the participant’s Core budget and fit within available funding.
4. Are you avoiding duplicate claims?
You cannot use STR to double claim supports already funded elsewhere in the plan.
5. Is it value for money?
The NDIA looks at whether the support is reasonable, necessary, and a sensible use of funds. Group supports are often preferred unless one-to-one support is justified.
How to organise STR well
Good planning makes claiming easier.
Choose the right provider
A provider that regularly delivers STR will usually have stronger service agreements, clearer invoices, and support records that line up with NDIA requirements.
Confirm what is included
Ask for a clear breakdown of:
number of nights
support ratios
what daily supports are included
whether meals are included
whether transport is included
any extra charges.
Match the support to the plan
The stay should reflect the kind of support the participant usually receives. If the support level is much higher, lower, or unrelated to daily needs, you may face questions later.
Keep everything in writing
That includes the quote, service agreement, roster, support log, and final invoice.
What records do you need to keep for your STR stay?
This is where good administration protects your funding.
The NDIA says providers must keep complete and accurate records that show supports were delivered as claimed. These records include invoices, service agreements, and other documents that validate the claim.
For a short term respite stay, keep the following records.
Service agreement
Your service agreement should clearly set out:
the supports to be delivered
the location
the cost
the quantity
the schedule
the expected outcomes.
For STR and other supported living-style supports, the NDIA also expects the agreement to detail the duration, ratios, and cost of the support.
Invoice
The NDIA says invoices should contain:
provider business name
provider ABN
participant name and NDIS number
support item number
amount and quantity claimed
claim type, where relevant
date or dates the support was delivered
total invoice amount
GST component if applicable.
If your plan is plan managed, the NDIA also says plan managers must include the ABN of the third-party provider on the invoice record.
Proof the support was actually delivered
The NDIA says support records should include, at a minimum:
participant name
participant reference number
dates of support
total hours or quantity delivered
support type
location of support.
For STR, useful records can include:
support logs
rosters
staff timesheets
case notes
final reports or assessments, where relevant.
Where possible, logs should be signed by the participant, nominee, parent, guardian, or carer to confirm supports were delivered as claimed.
Receipts for self-arranged accommodation
If accommodation is self-arranged and reimbursement is being claimed, keep the receipt. That helps show the cost was real, paid, and tied to the respite support arrangement. Plan Partners also notes the importance of keeping a receipt for self-arranged accommodation where a reimbursement is being claimed.
Why record-keeping matters
The NDIA reviews claims for compliance. If you are self managed or plan managed, keeping records are extremly important. If records are incomplete or unclear, claims can be questioned and money may need to be repaid.
That is why good records are not just admin. They are part of protecting the your NDIS plan.
A simple STR record-keeping checklist
Before the stay, keep:
quote
service agreement
booking confirmation
support schedule
any evidence supporting the need for STR.
During the stay, keep:
daily support logs
rosters
notes about support delivered
transport records if transport is included.
After the stay, keep:
final invoice
receipts
any case notes or reports
proof of payment if reimbursement applies.
Can your plan manager help with STR?
Yes. A specilised plan manager can make STR much easier to manage.
A plan manager can help you:
check whether the invoice includes the right details
flag missing information before a claim is lodged
keep your records organised
track how much Core funding you have left
help you understand whether a cost looks like an NDIS support or a personal expense.
At Plan Hero, that practical support matters. STR can involve multiple documents, bundled charges, and questions about what is and is not claimable. Our team can help you sort through the detail early, before it turns into a payment delay.
Final thoughts on short term respite
Short term respite can be a valuable support when it is used for the right reason, funded from the right budget, and backed by the right records.
The key points to remember:
STR is for respite and disability-related support
it usually comes from Core funding under Assistance with Daily Life
it is commonly funded up to 14 days at a time and 28 days a year
it can cover support, accommodation, meals, and agreed activities
it is not a holiday fund
clear service agreements, invoices, logs, and receipts matter.
