Can the NDIS pay for a holiday?
The NDIS won't pay for your flights, hotel or meals, but the disability support you need while you're away can be funded. Here's how it really works.
The honest answer is no — the NDIS won't pay for the holiday itself. Your flights, accommodation, meals and the everyday costs of a trip are the same costs everyone pays, so they aren't disability supports. But this is where the myth gets it wrong: the disability support you need to actually take the trip can be funded, and that's the part worth understanding.
The short answer
How the NDIS decides
What is and isn't covered
How to ask and what helps
A realistic wrap-up
Frequently asked questions
Can I take my support worker on holiday with me?
You can, and their genuine working time delivering your supports can be funded. In some cases the reasonable extra travel and accommodation cost of the worker can be covered too, but only where it's reasonable and necessary and can't be met another way. It never covers a leisure holiday for the…
Does the NDIS pay for respite holidays?
Short Term Accommodation (respite) can fund a supported stay away from home, including some accommodation, food and activity costs, because it's built around your support needs and gives your usual carers a break. It's assessed separately from a mainstream holiday and needs to be in line with your…
Why won't the NDIS pay for my flights and hotel?
Because they're ordinary living costs that everyone pays whether or not they have a disability. The NDIS funds disability-related supports, not the everyday cost of a trip. The support you need to travel safely can be funded even though the travel itself can't.
Can I use my Core budget for a holiday?
You can use Core funding for the support you'd normally receive, while you happen to be away. You can't redirect it to pay for the holiday's own costs like tickets or accommodation. Check with your plan manager or support coordinator before you commit to bookings.