What counts as a short notice cancellation
A short notice cancellation is when you cancel a booked support without enough notice, or you do not show up. It also counts if you are not at the agreed place within a reasonable time when the worker arrives.
There are two notice periods, depending on the type of support:
- Support worker supports, the ones priced under the disability support worker cost model: less than 7 days notice
- Most other supports, including therapy: less than 2 clear business days notice
When a provider can charge
A provider can claim up to 100% of the agreed fee for the cancelled support, but only if all of these apply:
- The support item allows cancellation claims in the NDIS pricing documents
- Your service agreement sets out the cancellation terms, and you agreed to them
- The provider could not find other billable work for the worker
- If the provider is not a sole trader or partnership, they still had to pay the worker for that time
How many cancellations can be charged
There is no hard limit. But providers have a duty of care, so if you are cancelling often they should talk with you about why, and whether the time, place or type of support needs to change. The NDIA monitors cancellation claims and may contact providers about unusual patterns.
Providers can always choose to waive a fee, for example when you missed a session because you were unwell, and can offer a shorter notice period than the NDIS allows.
Group supports and programs
For group supports, if you cancel at short notice and the provider cannot fill your place, they can charge you at the rate you would have paid, and the rest of the group is billed as if everyone attended.
Supports delivered as part of an agreed program of supports work differently. They are claimed as though everyone attended, as long as the provider had capacity to deliver them, and are not subject to the short notice cancellation rules.
Where the rules come from in 2026/27
These rules were set out in the NDIA's Pricing Arrangements and Price Limits. Since 24 September 2026 prices are set in the Minister's pricing determination and the NDIS pricing schedule, and the NDIA has said updated claiming guidance will follow. Until then the existing rules continue to guide claiming.
Cancellations are claimed against the same support item as the planned support, using the cancellation claim type. In the 2026/27 schedule many therapy items have their own cancellation item code ending in CA.
Tips for participants and families
- Read the cancellation clause in every service agreement before you sign, and ask for it in plain words
- Give notice as early as you can, in writing or by text so you have a record
- If a provider charges a cancellation you think is wrong, ask for an explanation first, then talk to your plan manager
- Self managed participants can negotiate their own cancellation terms, because they are not bound by the price limits
Tips for providers
- Put clear notice periods in your service agreement and explain them before the first session
- Keep records showing you tried to fill the time and paid the worker
- Never add separate cancellation fees, gap fees or late fees outside the NDIS rules if you are registered
- Treat repeated cancellations as a sign something needs to change, not only as income