Frequently Asked Questions

+ What is Specialist Disability Accomodation (SDA)?

SDA is housing designed for people with very high support needs. SDA homes are designed to be more accessible so you can live more independently, while receiving the living supports you need. SDA describes the physical home, as well as the funding in your NDIS Plan.

There are four SDA categories depending on your level of need:

• High Physical Support

• Fully Accessible

• Robust

• Improved liveability.

The types of SDA homes include: units, villas, townhouses, houses and apartments.

+ Will I be eligible for SDA?

People who live in SDA homes have an ‘extreme functional impairment’ and/or ‘very high support needs’. NDIS will ask how SDA will support you to reach your goals and live more independently.

To assess your eligibility for SDA, NDIS will look at your:

• Functional Ability - this is your ability to manage your daily tasks around your home, your personal care, meal preparation, or looking after yourself. This is on top of any additional assistive technology or home modifications you may need.

• Support Needs - if you have high support needs you will need lots of person to person support, for a lot of the day from paid support workers. You may have lived in a supported accommodation or a group home previously

If NDIS approves you for SDA, you will be able to choose your SDA housing.

If you are not eligible for SDA, Ability WA can support you with other Home and Living options.

+ How do I apply for SDA?

To apply for SDA you will need to prepare and submit the following documents to NDIS:

• An NDIS "Supporting Evidence Form - Home and Living"

• An NDIS "Change of details or change of situation form" OR

• An NDIS "Request for a review of a decision form" OR

• Usually you also need to submit a Function Capacity Assessment Report from a qualified Allied Health professional.

Ability WA’s experienced Therapy team can prepare your Home and Living Supports Functional Impact Assessment for SDA for the NDIS SDA Panel. The assessment is a comprehensive report for the NDIS SDA Panel about how you meet the eligibility criteria for SDA and your housing and living arrangement preferences.

You will need funding available in your NDIS Plan to use for your functional assessment, or to ask for a Plan Review.

+ What is the difference between SDA and SIL?

SDA describes the physical home, as well as the funding in your NDIS Plan. SDA homes are designed to be more accessible so you can live more independently while receiving the living supports you need.

Supported Independent Living (SIL) is paid support to assist you with your daily tasks to help you develop the skills to live as independently as possible. These are the supports provided to people with disability in their home, and can be in a shared or individual living arrangement.

+ Can I choose who I live with?

Yes you can, and we understand how important it is to choose who you live with in a shared home.

Ability WA’s Home and Living team is experienced at matching people to live together. The friendly team will work with you towards a living arrangement that suits you and the people you will be sharing your home with.

+ How long before I move into my new SDA home?

Moving into a new home takes time to plan. You can find more information here about the steps towards move into a new SDA home.

Ability WA offers short term and medium term housing solutions while you are waiting for your Home and Living SDA decision or for your new SDA home to be ready.

+ Who will be my service provider?

NDIS has separated funding for homes from what they fund for your Home and Living Supports to ensure that you have more choice about where you live and with who.

Ability WA will be your in home support provider if you choose, and you will have a separate provider (called an SDA Provider) who supports you with your tenancy arrangements.

You will have now have separate service agreements. One with Ability WA and one with your SDA provider.

+ How much will it cost?

Your NDIS Plan will show your SDA eligibility and how much funding you have each year for your SDA home.

NDIS will pays this funding directly to your SDA Provider once you have moved into your SDA Home.

You will also need to pay:

• a reasonable rent contribution to your SDA Provider
• a housekeeping allowance to Ability WA to cover shared living expenses such as: food, water, gas, electricity and other general household items shared by the housefold
• personal items you may need on a day to day basis