NDIS Pricing Changes 2026–27: What They Mean for Your Short-Term Respite and Tea-cup Events

The 2026–27 NDIS Pricing Schedule introduced one of the most significant structural changes to Short Term Respite (STR – previously Short-Term Accommodation (STA)) pricing in the scheme’s history.

If you’ve accessed respite services through Tea-cup Cottage before, you’ll know that our stays are about so much more than accommodation. They’re an opportunity to rest, build independence, connect with others, and enjoy new experiences in a warm, welcoming environment.

As the NDIS continues to evolve, we’re committed to helping you understand what the changes mean and supporting you every step of the way.

There are also updates to the way Tea-cup Events overnight stays can be funded. We want to make sure you understand what’s different, what it means for your plan, and that our team is here to support you whenever you need.

First: Some Context on STR in the NDIS

Short Term Respite – which most people simply call respite – is one of the most used and most valued supports in the NDIS. In the six months to December 2025, STR supports accounted for $271 million in total payments across more than 19,300 participants and nearly 8,600 providers nationally.

For many families, respite isn’t a luxury – it’s what makes the rest of life possible. The NDIA knows this, and the changes to STR pricing this year are designed to make the system fairer and more transparent, not to take anything away from participants. But it’s important to understand what’s changed.

The Biggest Pricing Change: STR Is Now Unbundled

This is the headline change for the NDIS Pricing Changes for 2026–27, and it’s worth taking a moment to understand.

Previously, STR was claimed as a single bundled daily rate. That one number covered everything – accommodation, food, utilities and your support worker’s time – all rolled together into one daily price.

From 1 July 2026, that’s no longer the case. The NDIA found that bundling food and utilities into the STR rate wasn’t consistent with Section 10 of the NDIS Act. That section limits NDIS funding to disability-related supports. Accommodation and personal support are disability-related; your meals and electricity aren’t. So, the two have now been separated – much the way Supported Independent Living (SIL) has always been structured.

The new STR pricing for 2026-27 has two distinct parts:

1. The Accommodation Component

This covers the cost of your temporary stay – the home itself. The national rate for Short Term Accommodation – Participant Accommodation is now $162.85 per day.

At Tea-cup Cottage, this covers your stay at any of our respite offerings, including Honeygem House – our beautiful lakeside STR home in Birkdale, uniquely designed and fully supported 24/7. This daily accommodation rate reflects the cost of maintaining this space specifically for participants with disability.

2. The Support Worker Component – Now Claimed by Time of Day

This is the more significant structural change. Instead of a fixed daily bundled rate, providers now invoice support worker costs separately:

• Actual hours of support delivered
• The time of day those supports occur
• The day of the week
• The intensity of support needed

The maximum national price limits for Standard Short-Term Respite (STR) support are:

A sleepover applies when a support worker stays overnight and is available if needed – but isn’t providing active support through the night. Where a worker does provide active overnight support, the weekday night hourly rate applies separately.

What This Updated NDIS Pricing Means in Practice

The unbundled model brings STR in line with how SIL and Medium-Term Accommodation (MTA) have always been invoiced. For families and participants, here’s what it actually means day to day:

More transparency. You and your plan manager can see exactly what you’re being charged and why – accommodation separate from support hours, with support hours itemised by time and day.

Fairer for every participant. The new pricing model separates accommodation from disability support, meaning support may be invoiced based on the assistance you actually receive during your stay. This creates a more transparent system that better reflects each participant’s individual needs, rather than applying one bundled daily rate to everyone.

Better recognition of complex supports. Participants with higher or more complex support needs also benefit from the new structure. Where specialised or high-intensity supports are required, providers can invoice the appropriate support rates, creating a funding model that more accurately reflects the complexity of the care being delivered.

Your invoices will look different. This is probably the most immediately noticeable change. If you’ve been with Tea-cup Cottage for a while, your STR invoices from 1 July 2026 will be structured differently from what you’re used to. Please don’t be alarmed – our team is happy to walk you through exactly what each line item means.

Good News for Participants with Higher Support Needs

Under the old bundled STR model, providers couldn’t easily claim high intensity loadings during a respite stay – even when a participant clearly had complex or challenging support needs. The new unbundled structure fixes this.

Where a participant requires eligible High Intensity Supports as defined within the NDIS Pricing Arrangements and Price Limits, and appropriately trained workers provide those supports, the relevant High Intensity pricing may apply where permitted under the Pricing Arrangements:

For families who’ve previously found it difficult to access appropriate respite for a participant with complex needs, this change matters. The support your loved one actually needs can now be properly funded and invoiced.

NDIS Pricing Changes 2026–27 for Tea-cup Events

This is where it gets particularly relevant for many of the families we work with.

Tea-cup Events runs supported social events and overnight adventures for young adults with disability. These events include Brisbane Bullets basketball nights, Supanova Comic Con, Top Golf days, farm stay weekends, and monthly getaways throughout the year. These events are about so much more than just a night out – they’re about making real memories, building independence, making friends, and experiencing the world with experienced support workers by your side.

How is Tea-cup Events funded?

The funding pathway depends on what the event involves:

• Day events and community outings are typically funded under SCCP (Social, Community and Civic Participation) – the Core Supports category that covers community access, group activities and social participation. Tea-cup Cottage is a registered NDIS provider, which means our pricing stays at the published maximum and is indexed annually, giving you stability and continuity.
• Depending on the purpose of the support and the participant’s plan, overnight events may utilise a combination of Community Participation supports and Short Term Respite supports where appropriate.

Under the new unbundled pricing model, this actually works in your favour for overnight events. The accommodation component is now a clear, flat daily rate, and support hours are invoiced based on what’s actually delivered during the event.

So, if your overnight event involves daytime group activities plus an evening out plus overnight support, each component is invoiced at the appropriate rate. This is better than a bundled figure that may or may not reflect the actual shape of your support.

What this means for planning: If you’re booking an overnight event with Tea-cup Events, it’s worth checking with your plan manager that you have sufficient STR funding alongside your SCCP budget. Our team can help you understand the likely cost structure of a specific event so you can plan ahead.

Support Worker Rates Have Also Increased

Across all DSW-related supports – including STR – hourly rates have increased from 1 July 2026, following the Fair Work Commission’s Annual Wage Review and updates to the SCHADS Award. This is the right outcome for the disability support workforce, and we’re proud to employ a team whose skills and dedication deserve fair recognition.

The practical implication is that if your plan was calculated on 2025–26 rates, your budget may not stretch quite as far. This is the case across the entire NDIS, not just respite, and it’s the most important reason to check your plan funding before your next booking or event.

What About the Costs That Aren’t Funded?

The unbundling of STR also means something important is now made explicit: food, meals and utilities are not funded by the NDIS. They were never meant to be, but the old, bundled structure blurred the line.

Under the new structure, things like meals during a respite stay or Tea-cup Event are not included in what the NDIS funds. If this affects how you’ve previously understood what’s covered, we want to be upfront about it so there are no surprises. Our team can clearly explain what is and isn’t included in your STR claim, and what you might need to contribute separately.

As a Registered Provider, We’re Ready for This

Tea-cup Cottage is a fully registered NDIS provider and has been from the beginning. That means we meet the NDIS Practice Standards, pass regular audits by the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission, have mandatory worker screening in place for every team member, and maintain the quality systems and governance that registered providers are required to uphold.

That’s especially important during a respite stay or an overnight event – when participants are away from their home environment and their families. Registration isn’t just paperwork. It’s the assurance that every single person supporting you during your stay has been screened, trained and holds the right qualifications, and that our practices are regularly reviewed to make sure we’re doing things properly.

It also means our pricing stays at the published maximum and continues to be indexed each year. For you, that means pricing stability and confidence that what we charge is exactly what the NDIS says is appropriate for a registered provider.

How the NDIS Pricing Changes 2026–27 Affect Your Plan

The most important practical question is whether your current NDIS plan has enough STR funding to cover your bookings and events under the 2026-27 NDIS pricing structure. Here’s what to think about:

Check your plan with your plan manager. Ask them to review your STR budget against the new rates – both the accommodation component and expected support hours – and flag if a plan review might be worth requesting before your next booking.

Update your service agreement. The pricing structure has changed significantly. Providers are required to discuss changes with you before applying updated rates. If you’re a Tea-cup Cottage guest, we’ll reach out to you directly to walk through your agreement. Please don’t hesitate to start that conversation with us if you’d like to do so sooner.

Plan ahead for Tea-cup Events overnight bookings. If you’re eyeing a supported getaway with Tea-cup Events, talk to your plan manager about the STR funding you’ll need alongside your SCCP community participation budget. Get in early – our event spots fill up quickly!

Request a plan review if you need one. If you are concerned your current funding may no longer meet your support needs, speak with your Support Coordinator, Plan Manager or the NDIA about the options available under your plan.

We’re Here Every Step of the Way

At Tea-cup Cottage, our respite offering is about providing a genuine home away from home – a place where participants feel safe, cared for and truly themselves, and where families can breathe knowing their loved one is in great hands. That doesn’t change with a new pricing schedule.

What we can promise is this: we will never let a pricing change become a surprise for our guests and their families. If something is changing in how your stay or event is funded, we’ll tell you, explain it clearly, and work through it with you – before anything appears on an invoice.

Whether you’re a long-time Tea-cup family with questions about how these changes affect your next booking, or someone exploring respite or Tea-cup Events for the first time, we’re happy to have a chat.

Contact Us

Call us: 1800 832 287

Email us: info@tea-cupcottage.com.au

Visit us: tea-cupcottage.com.au

Drop in: Shop 39 (near BIG W), 38–62 Moreton Bay Rd, Capalaba QLD 4157

Our team is happy to explain exactly how the new pricing applies to your situation, walk through what a stay or event would cost under the updated structure, and make sure your service agreement is up to date and right for you.

Important information: This article provides general information about the 2026–27 NDIS Pricing Changes. Individual funding arrangements vary depending on each participant’s NDIS plan and approved supports. If you have questions about your specific circumstances, please contact Tea-cup Cottage or speak with your Support Coordinator, Plan Manager or the NDIA.

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