Cancellations

NDIS short-notice cancellations: what a support worker can charge

A participant cancels the night before, or isn't home when you arrive. Whether you can charge for it, how much, and what has to be in place first.

Updated 25 October 2026. Checked against the sources at the end of the page.

The short answer

For support worker supports, a cancellation with less than 7 days' notice, or a no-show, can be claimed at up to 100% of the agreed fee.

Only if your service agreement sets out your cancellation terms, and you couldn't fill the time with other paid work. It's claimed on the same item number the shift would have used.

The rule

The NDIS Pricing Arrangements and Price Limits 2025-26 (pages 26 and 27) set two short-notice rules. The one for support worker supports, which the NDIA calls DSW supports, is 7 days. The other, 2 clear business days, typically applies to other supports, like therapy.

You can claim a short-notice cancellation from the participant's plan when all of these are true:

The participant gave less than 7 days' notice, didn't show up within a reasonable time, or wasn't at the agreed place when you travelled there.
The support item allows a short-notice cancellation. The everyday support worker items do.
You couldn't find other billable work for that time.
Your cancellation terms are in the participant's service agreement.

The NDIA's own guidance for 2026-27 claiming isn't published yet. Until it is, these 2025-26 rules are the current ones.

Counting the notice

Count whole days between the day they told you and the day of the shift, leaving both of those days out. Fewer than 7 is short notice.

What your service agreement needs

The notice period, said plainly: for example, "less than 7 days' notice".
That you'll charge up to the full agreed fee for a short-notice cancellation or a no-show.
That you'll only charge when you couldn't fill the time with other work.
Go through it with the participant before supports start, so it isn't a surprise.

You can agree better terms for the participant than the NDIA's, like 48 hours, and you can waive a fee whenever you choose. George writes the cancellation terms into the service agreement it makes for you, with a worked example of how the days are counted.

Putting it on the invoice

Use the same item number the shift would have used, at the agreed rate. A cancelled Saturday shift goes on the Saturday number.
Date it the day the shift was booked for, and say it was a short-notice cancellation.
Plan-managed: it goes on your invoice to the plan manager like any other line. NDIA-managed: a registered provider marks the claim as a cancellation in the NDIA's portal.
Bill each cancelled shift once. Keep a note of when and how they cancelled.

See how to invoice the NDIS for the rest of the invoice, and NDIS time bands for which number a shift uses.

Common questions

How much can I charge for a short-notice cancellation?

Up to 100% of the fee you agreed for that support. You can charge less, or waive it, and many workers do when there's a good reason.

Is it 7 days or 48 hours?

For disability support worker supports, the NDIA's rule is less than 7 days' notice. You can agree a shorter period with a participant, like 48 hours, which is better for them, and then that's what you can charge by. The 2 clear business days rule is typically for other supports, like therapy.

Can I charge if they weren't home when I arrived?

Yes, a no-show counts: the participant didn't turn up within a reasonable time, or wasn't at the agreed place when you travelled there, as long as the other conditions are met.

Is there a limit on how many cancellations I can claim?

There's no set limit, but the NDIA watches for an unusual number, and a provider's duty of care means asking why they keep happening.

Do I need a service agreement to charge a cancellation?

Yes, in practice. The NDIA says providers should document their cancellation terms in the service agreement, and a plan manager can ask to see them.

Sources

Read on or before 25 October 2026. This is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice: your service agreements and the participant's plan decide what applies to you.