NDIS Cancellation Fees Explained

An NDIS provider may be able to charge a cancellation fee when an appointment is cancelled at short notice or the participant does not attend.

That does not mean every missed appointment can automatically be charged. The support must be eligible for short-notice cancellation claims, the fee must meet the current rules, and the cancellation terms should have been agreed before the appointment.

In Short

Check the notice period, the service agreement, the support being claimed and whether the provider could replace the cancelled work.

What is an NDIS short-notice cancellation?

A short-notice cancellation happens when a participant:

• Cancels within the notice period that applies to the support
• Does not attend a scheduled appointment
• Is not at the agreed place within a reasonable time when the provider travels to deliver support

Under the current pricing arrangements, an eligible provider may be able to claim up to 100% of the agreed fee for the cancelled support.

The key word is eligible.

The provider must meet the relevant claiming conditions. A cancellation fee should not simply be added because the provider has a general cancellation policy.

Current NDIS Pricing Arrangements and Price Limits explain the detailed short-notice cancellation rules.

The notice period depends on the support

The current NDIS pricing rules use two main short-notice cancellation periods.

Two clear business days

This generally applies to supports that are not delivered by disability support workers, including many therapy and professional supports.

“Clear business days” means weekends and public holidays can affect how the notice period is counted.

Seven days

This generally applies to disability support worker-related supports.

The NDIS support item should indicate which cancellation rule applies.

Do not assume the same notice period applies to an occupational therapist, support worker, support coordinator and every other provider.

The provider may also offer a shorter or more flexible notice period than the maximum allowed under the NDIS rules.

Several conditions must be met

A provider can generally only claim a short-notice cancellation when:

• The support item allows cancellation claims
• The amount complies with the applicable pricing rules
• You agreed to the cancellation terms in advance
• The provider could not find alternative billable work for the relevant time
• Where relevant, the provider still had to pay the worker
• The claim is recorded as a cancellation

Providers can choose to waive the fee based on the circumstances or offer more generous terms in their own policy.

This is why a provider saying “our policy is seven days” is not the end of the check. The support item, agreement and current pricing conditions still matter.

Check your service agreement

The cancellation policy should be easy to find and understand before you begin support.

Look for:

• The amount of notice required
• How notice must be given
• Whether weekends and public holidays affect the calculation
• What happens if you do not attend
• Whether the full agreed fee may be charged
• Any circumstances where the fee may be waived
• What happens if the provider cancels
• Whether different supports have different notice periods

Current NDIA service agreement guidance says a good agreement should include the provider’s cancellation policy, fees and other charges.

If the wording is unclear, ask the provider to explain it before signing.

NDIS Service Agreements: What to Check Before You Sign covers the wider costs, notice periods and exit terms worth reviewing before support begins.

Cancelling an appointment is different from leaving a provider

An appointment cancellation policy applies when a particular session does not go ahead.

A notice period for ending a service agreement applies when you want to stop working with the provider altogether.

These terms are sometimes both described as “cancellation,” which can be confusing.

Before leaving a provider, check:

• How much notice the service agreement requires
• Whether future appointments must be cancelled separately
• Whether any work is already underway
• Whether invoices remain unpaid
• Whether the provider is claiming an exit or cancellation fee

Current NDIS guidance says service agreements should explain how the arrangement can be ended. Any cancellation-related charge claimed from the plan must be allowed under the current pricing arrangements and match the service agreement.

Do not assume an appointment cancellation rule automatically gives the provider the right to charge for the entire remaining notice period.

Check how the fee appears on the invoice

A cancellation should be clearly identified on the invoice.

Check:

• Which appointment was cancelled
• The date and time of the appointment
• When notice was provided
• Which notice rule applies
• The support item used
• The rate charged
• Whether the fee matches the service agreement
• Whether travel or other charges were also added

A provider should not describe a cancellation as though the support was actually delivered.

The claim should use the cancellation option connected to the same support item that would have been used for the appointment.

If the invoice is unclear, How to Check an NDIS Invoice Before You Approve It provides a wider process for checking service dates, rates and extra charges.

What if the cancellation was unavoidable?

Illness, emergencies, hospital admissions, transport problems and caring issues can all affect attendance.

The pricing rules do not automatically require a provider to waive a fee because the reason was outside the participant’s control. However, providers may choose to waive the fee or offer better terms.

It is reasonable to explain what happened and ask whether the charge can be reconsidered.

You could write:

I understand the appointment was cancelled within the notice period. The cancellation occurred because of [brief reason]. Could you please confirm whether the fee can be waived or reduced under your policy?

A good provider should also look at why cancellations keep happening rather than repeatedly charging without addressing the underlying problem.

Possible solutions might include:

• Changing the appointment time
• Using reminders
• Adjusting how appointments are booked
• Discussing telehealth where suitable
• Reviewing whether the support arrangement is still workable

What if the provider filled the appointment?

One of the key conditions is whether the provider could find alternative billable work for the relevant worker.

If another participant filled the appointment or the worker completed other billable work during that time, ask whether a cancellation claim is still appropriate.

You could say:

Can you please confirm whether alternative billable work was available for the cancelled appointment and which cancellation condition allows this fee to be claimed?

You do not need to accuse the provider of doing something wrong. You are asking them to explain how the charge meets the current conditions.

Repeated cancellation charges can affect your plan

One cancellation may have a small effect. Repeated charges can use a noticeable part of the budget without any support being delivered.

The current rules do not set a hard maximum number of cancellation claims. However, providers have a duty to understand unusual patterns and consider why cancellations are happening.

If missed appointments are becoming common, the answer may not be another cancellation fee.

The support time, delivery method, provider fit or communication process may need to change.

What to check before approving a cancellation fee

Ask:

1. What appointment was cancelled?
2. Which notice period applies?
3. When did I give notice?
4. Was the cancellation policy agreed in advance?
5. Is this support item eligible for cancellation claims?
6. Could the provider find alternative billable work?
7. Does the fee match the agreed rate?
8. Is the charge clearly shown on the invoice?
9. Could the fee reasonably be waived or reduced?

The NDIS Funding Plan Guide helps you check cancellation terms, service agreements, invoices and other provider charges before they quietly reduce the funding available for actual support.