Short-Term Respite (STR): What NDIS Participants Should Know

If you’ve been using Short-Term Accommodation (STA) in the past, you may have heard there has been an important change. In October 2025, the NDIS officially replaced STA with

Short-Term Respite (STR).

For many people, STR will simply be known as respite. It exists to give participants, and the people who support them, a short break when it’s needed most.

At Orion Care, we know how important these breaks can be for families, friends and unpaid carers who support someone day-to-day. Below, we explain what STR is, who it’s for, and how it can be used.

What Is Short-Term Respite (STR)?

STR may be funded in an NDIS plan to give both participants and their informal supports a temporary break.
Informal supports are the people who help you without being paid, often a parent, sibling, partner, family member, friend or another trusted person.

STR is designed to:

Give carers time to rest, recharge, or attend to their own needs
Ensure participants continue receiving the support they need in a safe, temporary environment
Provide short stays that help maintain wellbeing for everyone involved

Who Is STR For?

STR is usually funded for people who:

Receive more than 6 hours per day of informal support
Receive less than 18 hours per day of formal paid support
Do not live alone
Are not funded for Supported Independent Living (SIL) or Individualised Living Options (ILO)

Every plan is different, so these are general guidelines rather than fixed rules.

How Can STR Be Used?

Since the change from STA to STR, the NDIS has tightened how this support can be used. STR is typically approved for:

Short stays

Up to 14 days at a time
Up to 28 days per year

Standard accommodation

For participants and (if required) a support worker. This may include:

Motels
Short-stay rentals
Cabins or cottages
Hostels
Accessible respite accommodation

Support similar to what you receive at home

STR is not about learning new skills, it’s about rest, routine and safety.

Local respite only

STR must be used within your home state or territory, except in border-town areas such as:

Albury / Wodonga
Coolangatta / Tweed Heads

What costs can STR cover?

STR may cover:

Accommodation
Assistance with personal care
Community access
Food and other reasonable expenses (in centre-based respite)

Because STR sits within the flexible Core Budget, it can also be used to pay support workers to support you in your own home while your informal supports take a break.

What STR Cannot Be Used For

STR cannot pay for:

Long-term respite
Crisis accommodation
Holidays, cruises or interstate/overseas trips
Luxury or therapeutic features you don’t normally have access to at home
Building your independent living skills
Trialling a new long-term living arrangement

Its purpose is short-term rest, not capacity building or exploration of new homes.

STR vs Medium Term Accommodation (MTA)

People sometimes confuse STR with Medium Term Accommodation (MTA), but they serve very different purposes.