NDIS Funding Guide • 2026–27 claiming rules

A sleepover is a continuous period of eight hours or more spanning midnight where the worker is allowed to sleep between periods of support. It is different from an awake worker actively supporting the participant all night.

Reviewed 20 October 2026 • Pricing Schedule effective 24 September 2026 • Australian dollars • Guidance may change.

What must happen for a sleepover to qualify?

Under the 2026–27 schedule definition, the support must begin before midnight and finish after midnight, last at least eight continuous hours, and permit the worker to sleep when they are not providing assistance. The worker's presence alone is not counted as continuous active care. These conditions matter regardless of whether the service falls on a weekday, Saturday, Sunday or public holiday.

Sleepover codes: personal care, supported living and STA

Do not choose a code only because these amounts are identical. The actual accommodation or care setting and the participant's applicable funding must match.

Are the first two hours of active support included?

Part 4 says that if more than two hours of active support are provided during the sleepover, the provider may claim for the third or additional hour at Saturday rates on weekdays or at applicable rates on Saturday, Sunday or public holidays. That wording does not permit billing a separate additional first and second hour simply because the worker got out of bed.

Example: a worker completes a qualifying 10 pm–7 am sleepover and provides 70 minutes of documented active assistance. The national sleepover maximum is $311.79 and the schedule does not describe an additional hourly charge for those first two active hours. If there are three hours of active assistance instead, consider the additional third hour under the precise rule and appropriate item. Keep the individual start/end times of interventions.

When is an awake overnight worker more suitable?

If risk, clinical tasks or supervision needs mean the worker must stay awake throughout the night, an active night model may be appropriate. The relevant hourly item and actual care level must be selected rather than billing a sleepover for convenience. Document why asleep/on-call support would not meet the participant's assessed needs. This is especially important where the participant requires monitoring, repeated high-intensity assistance or active implementation of a behaviour plan.

Shared overnight support and double billing

In a shared home, determine whether the worker is supporting multiple participants simultaneously, the funded arrangement and the relevant group or shared support price rules. Do not automatically charge each resident a separate full sleepover fee for one shared worker when the actual support was joint.

A quality service record specifies overnight start/end, sleep permission, interventions (not just 'participant unsettled'), staffing ratio, any handover and the basis for the item billed.

Common questions

Sources and related articles

The official NDIA pricing schedules and 2026–27 support catalogue should be read together. The detailed charging rules for some services are not in the 96-page price schedule. Where prior 2025–26 arrangements are explained, this is labelled as historical information, not presented as a confirmed new 2026–27 rule. Start with the full price guide.

Independent general information prepared by Beyond Health Services. It is not NDIA advice or an individual funding decision.