How to apply for Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) funding.

Continuing our SDA Blog series: How to apply for SDA funding

We are excited to continue our SDA Blog series with our next topic: "How to Apply for SDA Funding." In this blog, we will provide valuable information to help you navigate the application process for Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) funding. Learn about eligibility requirements, essential documentation, and tips for a successful application. Our aim is to equip you with the knowledge and resources you need to secure the funding necessary for suitable housing solutions. Stay tuned for comprehensive insights and practical advice.

What are the reasonable and necessary criteria considered when applying for SDA Funding?

All NDIS supports need to meet the reasonable and necessary criteria, this includes SDA.

A quick review of the Reasonable and Necessary criteria and how this may fit within an application for SDA funding.

• The support will help the participant pursue their goals in their Plan. It is vital that home and living are goals in the participants' NDIS plans if they are to be considered for SDA Funding.
• The support will help the participant undertake activities to facilitate their social and economic participation. This means the support will help reduce disability-related barriers that prevent participation in social outings, recreation, work, and study. For example, living in an SDA may help a participant live more independently outside an aged care or hospital facility.
• The support represents value for money, meaning the costs are reasonable relative to the benefits achieved and the cost of alternative supports. The NDIS considers the costs and benefits of the support and alternative supports. For example, a home modification may reduce the need for other support. When planning to fund a home modification, the NDIS will consider its impact on other supports, such as the amount of care needed at home. If the home modification reduces care needs, the amount of funded care may be adjusted to ensure the support package is reasonable and necessary.
• The support is effective and beneficial for the participant, based on current good practice. The NDIS considers evidence showing the support works for someone with similar disability support needs. Expert reports may only sometimes be required, as other information or evidence can be relied upon. The participant's lived experience is also considered.
• The funding for the support considers what is reasonable to expect from families, carers, informal networks, and the community. The NDIS considers the level of support that is reasonable for the participant's family, friends, and community to provide.
• The support is most appropriately funded or provided through the NDIS and not through other general systems of service delivery or support services, such as:
  • State or Territory Statutory Schemes
  • Universal service obligations (e.g., health or education systems)
  • Services required under discrimination laws (e.g., employer-provided support)

Who is eligible for SDA Funding?

The NDIS will only fund specialist disability accommodation if it’s a better option for the person's disability support needs than other supports alone. You will need to have a home and living goal in your Plan. The NDIS will ask the following questions.

• Do you have an extreme functional impairment or very high support needs?
• Do you have a specialist disability accommodation needs requirement?
• Does specialist disability accommodation meet the NDIS funding criteria for you?

Let's dig deeper into these questions.

The NDIS will determine an extreme functional impairment if an individual experiences significant difficulty performing daily tasks independently or is sometimes unable to perform them at all. This assessment includes considering the necessity for substantial support from another person beyond the use of assistive technology or home modifications. The daily tasks evaluated include:

Mobility: Activities such as walking, climbing stairs, getting in and out of bed or a chair, carrying or moving items, and leaving the house.

Self-care: Tasks such as personal hygiene, using the toilet, dressing, eating, drinking, speaking, and taking medication.

Self-management: Responsibilities such as housework, following routines, forming and maintaining relationships, setting boundaries, and managing behavior.

The NDIS reviews various information to determine if a person has an extreme functional impairment or very high support needs. This evaluation helps the NDIS understand the person's current circumstances, strengths, barriers, and daily support requirements. You are not expected to have all the information immediately, the NDIS will assist in gathering the necessary details.

Additional assessments may be requested if more information is needed for the NDIS to make a decision. These can include:

• Reports from allied health professionals
• Reports detailing daily support and housing needs

The NDIS will also include funding in the individual's Plan to assess their home and living situation.

The NDIS needs to confirm specialist disability accommodation combined with other supports will lead to better outcomes. For example, whether it will:

• improve, maintain or prevent your functional capacity from getting worse
• reduce your future support needs
• create better connections with your family, community, health services, education, and employment.

The NDIS requires evidence that a person has very high support needs for a significant part of the day. This support must be readily available or quickly accessible when needed. Additionally, it is necessary to demonstrate that:

• The individual's family or friends cannot provide or maintain the required level of support. This might be due to insufficient informal support or the inability of the usual support network to continue offering assistance.
• Specialist disability accommodation will help mitigate safety risks to the individual or others around them. For instance, the individual may need immediate assistance to evacuate their home in an emergency. If behaviors of concern pose a safety risk, the individual must provide a current behavior support plan or a restrictive practice plan.

The NDIS will also need to ensure that the funding for specialist disability accommodation and other supports meets the funding criteria better than other options.

In particular, the NDIS will need to know if specialist disability accommodation:

• helps you pursue your goals
• is effective and beneficial for you
• is value for money
• is most appropriately funded by us
• won’t likely cause harm to you or other people.

Eligibility Checking Tool

SDA Services have created an eligibility tool that is accessible and easy to navigate. It will walk you through a series of questions and prompt answers to assist in collating information for an application with the NDIS. if you would like to check your eligibility for SDA funding follow the link here 

How do I apply for SDA Funding?

If you have a home and living goal in your NDIS Plan, the NDIS will help you explore your options to pursue this goal, which can include SDA Funding. Speak with your Support Coordinator or the LAC/ NDIS (if you don’t have Support Coordination). It is essential to start thinking about your future housing options and ensure your home and living goals are in your NDIS plan. If you’re turning 18 in the next year or two, the NDIS suggest it is never too early to start thinking about whether you want to move and what this might look like for you in the future.

Will I get to choose where I want to live?

The NDIS generally funds specialist disability accommodation based on where a person tells them they would like to live. They will consider whether the location works with other required supports and meets the NDIS funding criteria.

To decide what specialist disability accommodation location to include in your Plan, the NDIS will look at the following:

• the location you want to live in and if it helps you pursue your goals.
• where you live now and where you’ve lived before, including any recent changes.

How long does it take to get funding approved?

It can be a very long process. It can take years to gain SDA into an NDIS plan. Therefore, we recommend that you and your informal supports consider what you want the future to look like and start planning!

What happens with the SDA Funding?

SDA funding is paid directly to SDA providers to cover the building and maintenance costs of the home. You will be responsible for other day-to-day living costs such as rent., electricity bills, food and personal phones. The maximum reasonable rent contribution is 25% of the Commonwealth Disability Support Pension, as well as 100% of any Commonwealth Rent Assistance you get. You will negotiate this with the SDA provider and have it put into a Service Agreement.

The SDA Funding does not include the services or support you might need in your home related to your disability support needs.

Will I have to reapply for SDA whenever I have a new plan?

When the NDIS decides to include specialist disability accommodation in your Plan, you won't need to prove that you still meet the criteria at every plan reassessment.

Who can help me through this process?

Your Support Coordinator, a Local Area Coordinator (LAC)  SDA Services and Barossa SDA

 Resources

How do you get SDA in your plan.

Does the support meet the reasonable and necessary criteria?