Understanding the NDIS
NDIS Support for Carers: What the Scheme Can and Cannot Fund
Family members and carers often provide important informal support. The NDIS considers the participant’s support network, but NDIS funding is for the participant’s disability-related supports—not a general carer allowance.
How the NDIS considers informal support
When deciding what supports a participant needs, the NDIA considers the participant’s circumstances, including living arrangements and assistance from family, friends, carers and the community. It considers what it is reasonable to expect informal supports to provide, while recognising that each person and family situation is different.
Be specific about the support currently provided: tasks, hours, frequency, safety responsibilities, overnight needs and the effect on the carer’s wellbeing or other responsibilities. Explain whether support is voluntary, sustainable and chosen, or whether circumstances have changed. Do not assume that a family member can continue a level of care indefinitely.
The participant’s preferences matter. A carer can provide information with the participant’s consent or formal authority, but should not replace the participant’s voice in planning.
What NDIS funding is for
NDIS funding is for supports that meet the scheme’s rules and relate to the participant’s disability needs. It is not usually a wage, carer allowance, payment for a family member’s time, general respite budget or funding for a carer’s own health treatment, transport or household expenses.
A participant may receive funded support worker assistance or other supports that make daily life safer and more sustainable. The plan should describe the participant’s needs and the support purpose. A provider’s choice to employ a family member is subject to specific NDIS rules and should be checked before any arrangement begins.
Keep the discussion focused on the participant’s support needs and the role of informal care. Do not assume a support is funded simply because it would give a carer time away.
Can short-term accommodation help?
Short-term accommodation (STA) may be funded for an eligible participant in specific circumstances. It is a support for the participant, not simply a carer holiday or automatic respite payment. Current NDIA guidance describes eligibility factors such as living with primary informal supports or receiving daily drop-in support and receiving disability-related assistance from that primary informal support for more than six hours a day.
Funding depends on the participant’s plan, needs and current rules. The intended support should relate to the participant’s disability needs and goals. Check the current STA guidance before booking, and confirm what the funding includes; ordinary holidays or travel expenses may not be covered.
Support for carers outside the NDIS
Carers can seek help through services designed for carers, including Carer Gateway, local carer organisations, peer support, counselling and respite programs. Eligibility and availability depend on the service and location. These services are separate from NDIS participant funding.
If a carer is at risk of burnout, has health concerns or cannot continue the current level of support, seek help early. Contact a GP or relevant support service for the carer’s own health needs. If the participant’s support arrangement is no longer safe, contact the NDIA about urgent changes and use emergency services when necessary.
Prepare for a planning conversation
- Write down what the participant wants and how they communicate preferences.
- List informal support tasks, frequency, overnight responsibilities and limits.
- Describe what has changed and what would happen if the current support stopped.
- Identify disability-related supports the participant needs and evidence available.
- Ask how funded supports could complement—not assume or replace—informal care.
- Record the NDIA’s response and next steps.
Use concrete examples: “My sister helps me shower three mornings a week and cannot continue after her surgery” is more useful than “we need more help.”
Frequently asked questions
Does the NDIS pay a family member to be a carer?
Usually the NDIS does not pay family members for ordinary family care. Specific paid family-member arrangements are restricted and need to be checked against current NDIA rules.
Can a carer get respite funding from the NDIS?
The NDIS may fund participant supports such as STA when current criteria are met. It is not a general carer respite entitlement; check the participant’s plan and STA guidance.
Where can carers get help for themselves?
Carer Gateway provides information and support for carers, separate from the NDIS. Local services and health professionals may also help.
Official sources and further reading
- Would we fund it?—informal support considerations
- What is short-term accommodation
- What are NDIS supports
- Carer Gateway
A practical next step
Describe both the participant’s support needs and the limits of informal care, then ask about NDIS and carer-specific supports separately. Keep the participant involved, check the current plan and record any decision or agreement that affects service delivery.
