SDA Eligibility: Who Can Get SDA Funding?
To be eligible for SDA, an NDIS participant needs an extreme functional impairment or very high support needs, an SDA needs requirement, and SDA has to meet the NDIS funding criteria for them. The NDIA decides, using evidence such as occupational therapy and housing reports. People already living in SDA when they joined the NDIS stay eligible.
What Are the Three Questions the NDIA Asks?
The NDIA's SDA guideline sets out three questions. All three have to be answered yes.
- Does the person have an extreme functional impairment or very high support needs?
- Do they have an SDA needs requirement? That means SDA, together with their other supports, would lead to better outcomes than other options.
- Does SDA meet the NDIS funding criteria for them?
The NDIA also looks at the person's other supports and how they would work together in an SDA home. For example, sharing support with other residents can change which building type suits best.
What Counts as an Extreme Functional Impairment?
Needing a lot of help from another person with daily tasks, on top of any assistive technology or home modifications already in place.
| Area | Examples |
|---|---|
| Mobility | Walking, climbing stairs, getting in and out of bed or a chair, carrying things, getting out of the house |
| Personal care | Washing, going to the toilet, getting dressed, eating, drinking, talking, taking medication |
| Self-management | Housework, following routines, making friends and relationships, managing behaviour |
Looking for an SDA Home?
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What Counts as Very High Support Needs?
Needing a lot of person-to-person support for a significant part of the day, either with you or available straight away, plus one of two other things.
- Family or friends can't give, or keep giving, the support needed. For example, the informal support network can't support the person any more.
- SDA would reduce safety risks to the person or others, such as needing help straight away to leave the home in an emergency.
Behaviours of concern
If the person has behaviours of concern that are a safety risk to them or others, the NDIA asks for a current behaviour support plan or a restrictive practice plan.
Someone who has lived in a place like SDA for a long time may also have very high support needs, because moving to other housing can be hard.
What Are the NDIS Funding Criteria for SDA?
The same criteria every NDIS support has to meet, applied to housing.
- It helps the participant pursue their goals
- It's effective and beneficial, more than other supports on their own
- It's value for money compared with other options, over time
- It's an NDIS support for them, with a direct link between their disability and the specialist housing
- It isn't likely to cause harm to them or other people
The NDIA compares SDA with options like home modifications or assistive technology that could let the person stay where they live now. If those would work as well, SDA is unlikely to be funded.
What Evidence Helps an SDA Application?
Recent reports from treating health professionals, usually including an occupational therapist, that explain daily support and housing needs.
- How often and when support is needed each day
- What the person can and can't do because of their disability, and how that affects their housing needs
- Which other home and living options have been tried or looked at, and why they don't meet the person's needs
- A current behaviour support plan, if behaviours of concern are part of the reason for SDA
If the NDIA needs more information, it can fund an assessment of home and living needs in the plan first. Our guide to getting SDA funding walks through the steps.
What If You Were Already Living in SDA?
You're still eligible. If you stay in the same home, the NDIA keeps funding the same kind of SDA.
If you want to move, the NDIA works with you to decide the design category and building type for the new home.
Questions People Ask
Who decides if someone is eligible for SDA?
The National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA). SDA providers, support coordinators and occupational therapists can help with evidence, but they don't decide.
Do you need an occupational therapy report for SDA?
The NDIA asks for recent evidence from a relevant treating health professional, and an occupational therapist is the example it gives. The report should cover daily support and housing needs.
Is there an age limit for SDA?
SDA is an NDIS support, so it's for NDIS participants. The NDIA's guideline suggests people turning 18 in the next year or two start talking about their home and living goals early.
Do you have to prove eligibility again at every plan?
No. Once SDA is in the plan and working well, the NDIA says you won't need to prove you still meet the criteria at every plan reassessment.
What if the NDIA says no?
You get written reasons. You can ask for an internal review within 3 months of getting your plan.
Keep Reading
- What is SDA?What specialist disability accommodation (SDA) is, who it's for, the four design categories, building types, what it doesn't cover and what residents pay.
- How to get SDA fundingHow to get SDA funding in an NDIS plan: the home and living goal, the evidence the NDIA wants, how to send it, what the decision covers and what if it's no.
- SDA design categoriesThe four SDA design categories: Improved Liveability, Fully Accessible, Robust and High Physical Support.
- How SDA funding worksHow NDIS SDA funding works: which budget it sits in, how the NDIA sets the amount, what the SDA pricing arrangements cover and how providers get paid.
- How it worksHow we connect you with an SDA provider, and what happens to your details.
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