NDIS Respite Care Rates for In-Home Support
In-home respite on the NDIS is charged at the support worker prices in the NDIS Pricing Schedule. For 2026-27, the national maximum for standard support with self-care is $73.58 an hour on a weekday daytime, rising for evenings, nights, weekends and public holidays, and $311.79 for a night-time sleepover. Providers can charge less. Remote areas have higher maximums.
What Are the 2026-27 Maximum Prices for In-Home Respite?
These are the national maximums for standard Assistance with Self-Care Activities, the support most in-home respite is claimed against. They include GST.
| When | Maximum price |
|---|---|
| Weekday daytime | $73.58 an hour |
| Weekday evening | $81.07 an hour |
| Weekday night | $82.57 an hour |
| Saturday | $103.54 an hour |
| Sunday | $133.50 an hour |
| Public holiday | $163.46 an hour |
| Night-time sleepover | $311.79 a night |
Where support is high intensity, for example complex bowel care, enteral feeding or other care that needs a worker with extra training, the higher Level 2 prices apply. In 2026-27 the national maximum for high intensity self-care support is $79.60 an hour on a weekday daytime and $89.32 an hour on a weekday night.
How Do the Time-Of-Day Rules Work?
The price depends on when the shift happens. The pricing schedule defines each time band.
- Weekday daytime: starts at or after 6am and ends by 8pm on a weekday
- Weekday evening: starts at or after 8pm and finishes by midnight on a weekday
- Weekday night: runs past midnight into the next weekday, or starts before 6am and finishes that day
- Saturday, Sunday and public holiday shifts have their own prices
- A night-time sleepover is 8 hours or more across midnight, where the worker can sleep when not needed
If one worker's shift crosses two time bands, the higher price applies to the whole shift.
Need a Break at Home?
We'll connect you with a registered NDIS provider who can send a support worker to your home.
Who Has to Stick to the Price Limits?
The maximum prices apply when the plan is NDIA-managed or plan-managed. Providers can't charge more than the maximum for those participants, and the NDIA can't pay more.
If you self-manage, the pricing schedule's maximums don't apply, but they're still a useful guide to what's reasonable. Whatever price you agree, write it in your service agreement.
Remote and very remote areas have higher maximums. The location is where the support is delivered, classified using the Modified Monash Model.
What Else Can a Respite Provider Charge For?
Travel and short notice cancellations, if the rules allow and you've agreed in advance.
Under the NDIS Pricing Arrangements and Price Limits 2025-26, providers can claim worker travel time of up to 30 minutes to each participant in cities and large towns (MMM 1 to 3) and up to 60 minutes in MMM 4 and 5 areas, but only if you've agreed to it in advance. Kilometres can also be charged where agreed.
For support worker shifts, a short notice cancellation is generally less than 7 days' notice, or a no show. The provider can claim up to the full agreed fee if they couldn't give the worker other work, and they can choose to waive it. Check the cancellation terms before you sign.
Check the current documents
The 2026-27 prices above come from the NDIS Pricing Schedule effective 24 September 2026. The NDIA has said updated pricing and claiming guidance documents are coming, so check its pricing arrangements page before you budget.
How Much Does a Typical Respite Week Cost?
Multiply the hours by the price for that time band, then add any agreed travel.
| Example | Cost |
|---|---|
| 4 hours on a weekday daytime (4 x $73.58) | $294.32 |
| 3 hours on a Saturday (3 x $103.54) | $310.62 |
| One night-time sleepover | $311.79 |
These are maximums, not quotes. Ask each provider for their prices in writing.
Questions People Ask
How much is NDIS respite per hour?
In 2026-27 the national maximum for standard self-care support is $73.58 an hour on a weekday daytime, $81.07 on a weekday evening, $103.54 on a Saturday, $133.50 on a Sunday and $163.46 on a public holiday.
What is the NDIS sleepover rate?
The 2026-27 national maximum for a night-time sleepover is $311.79 a night. It includes up to two hours of active support.
Do I pay for respite myself?
Not if it's funded in the NDIS plan and within budget. The provider claims from the plan. Activity costs, food and tickets are paid by the person.
Can a provider charge more than the price limit?
Not for NDIA-managed or plan-managed participants. The pricing schedule says providers can't charge more than the maximum price for those participants.
Keep Reading
- Overnight respiteOvernight respite at home on the NDIS: what a sleepover shift is, when you need an active overnight worker instead, how each is charged, and how to set one up.
- NDIS respite fundingWhich part of an NDIS plan pays for in-home respite, how flexible Core funding works, what the NDIA looks at first, and what respite funding can't buy.
- How much respite the NDIS fundsHow much respite the NDIS funds: no set hours for in-home respite, how the Core budget limits it, the 28 day guide for short stays, and when more can be funded.
- Questions to ask a respite providerQuestions to ask an NDIS provider before in-home respite starts: registration, workers, training, overnight shifts, prices, travel and cancellations.
- Finding a respite providerHow to find an NDIS respite provider who can send a support worker to your home: registration, worker screening, what to check, and how to compare a shortlist.
- How it worksHow we connect you with a respite provider, and what happens to your details.
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