- →The NDIS funds respite for carers through the participant's Core Supports budget — it is a legitimate, fundable support, not a luxury
- →Carers should attend planning meetings and be specific about their support hours and their own capacity limits
- →The Carer Gateway (1800 422 737) is a separate free government service for carers — not the NDIS, but complementary to it
- →Overnight and extended respite (Short-Term Accommodation) can be funded when the carer's need is documented
- →Family members generally cannot be paid by the NDIS to provide support, but exceptions exist for self-managed participants
Family carers are the invisible backbone of the disability support system. Most NDIS participants rely on a family member — a parent, partner, sibling, or adult child — for significant unpaid support alongside any formal services. This guide is for those carers: what the NDIS offers you, what you can ask for, and where to turn when you need a break.
The NDIS and family carers: how they connect
The NDIS does not fund carers directly — it funds supports for participants. However, a participant's plan should take into account the sustainability of informal support arrangements. If you are providing significant unpaid support to a family member, the NDIS should be planning for what happens when that informal support is reduced or unavailable.
This means that your role as a carer, and the limits of your capacity, are directly relevant to how much formal support the NDIS includes in your family member's plan. A participant whose family provides substantial daily support may receive less funding than an equivalent participant without family support — unless the family carer's situation, constraints, and limits are clearly articulated at the planning meeting.
What the NDIS can fund for respite
Respite is funded through the participant's plan — not a separate carer fund. The most common funding types are:
A support worker comes to the participant's home for a set number of hours per week so the family carer can take a break, attend appointments, work, or rest. This is the most common form of NDIS-funded respite. Typical allocations range from 4–20 hours per week depending on assessed need.
A support worker accompanies the participant to community activities, outings, or programs outside the home — giving the carer time at home without the participant. This is funded under Community Participation rather than daily living.
The participant stays at a registered short-term accommodation (STA) facility for a period of days or weeks, providing the family carer with an extended break. STA is a specific NDIS line item and requires registration of the accommodation provider. Planning for STA should be discussed explicitly at the planning meeting.
A support worker stays at the participant's home overnight — either as an active overnight support or a sleepover — so the carer can sleep uninterrupted. This is distinct from STA and occurs in the participant's own home.
What carers should do at the planning meeting
If you are the primary carer for an NDIS participant, attending the planning meeting — or providing a written carer statement — is one of the most important contributions you can make to a well-funded plan. Be prepared to:
- ✓State the number of hours per day or week you currently provide support — be specific (e.g. "I assist with showering and dressing each morning — approximately 45 minutes per day")
- ✓Describe the specific tasks you perform: personal care, medication, meal prep, transport, overnight assistance
- ✓Be honest about the impact on your own health, employment, and personal life
- ✓State clearly what would happen if you were unavailable — due to illness, work, your own ageing, or an emergency
- ✓Mention any reduction in your capacity that has occurred or is foreseeable
- ✓Avoid downplaying your role out of a desire to appear self-sufficient — the NDIS funds participants, not carers, and your sustainability matters to the participant's plan
The Carer Gateway — separate from the NDIS
The Carer Gateway is an Australian Government programme specifically for people who provide unpaid care to someone with disability, mental health needs, a chronic condition, or age-related frailty. It is separate from the NDIS and provides free services directly to carers — not to the participant.
What Carer Gateway offers
Can a family member be paid to provide NDIS support?
Generally, no. The NDIS operates on the principle that family members provide support as part of a family relationship — not as paid workers. In most cases, the NDIA will not approve payments to family members or partners for supports that a family member would typically be expected to provide.
There are limited exceptions, particularly for self-managed participants. If no qualified provider is available locally, if the family member holds relevant formal qualifications, or if there are extraordinary circumstances, the NDIA may consider it. These situations require direct discussion with the NDIA on 1800 800 110 and specific approval — they are not automatic.
Signs a carer needs more NDIS support in the plan
If any of the following apply, it is worth requesting a plan review to discuss whether the participant's formal support needs are adequately covered: