SDA payments and rent

SDA payments are made to your accommodation provider to cover the costs of building and maintaining your home.

We will claim SDA payments from your NDIS plan in line with NDIA rules and guidelines, usually once a month.

If your SDA funding is agency-managed, we will handle these payments directly with NDIA. If your SDA funding is self-managed or plan-managed, we will invoice you or your plan manager.

The SDA payments will be the lowest amount of money out of the allocated funding in your NDIS plan or the price of the home.

If your funding changes, you must advise us of your new funding so that the SDA payments can be adjusted.

Your rent is the amount paid to occupy your bedroom in the SDA home and for use of common areas.

We calculate rent based on what is considered to be Reasonable Rent Contribution or what is recored in your Service Agreement.

Rent is set at:

• 25 percent of the maximum basic rate of the Disability Support Pension for people 21 years or older, or
• 25 percent of the sum of the maximum basic rate of the Disability Support Pension plus youth disability supplement for people under 21 years old.

And:

• 100 per cent of the Commonwealth Rent Assistance a resident receives.

A rent adjustment is an annual change to your rent that reflects increases to relevant Centrelink payments.

We will provide at least 90 days’ written notice before any rent adjustment.

This notice is sent to:

• the resident
• their financial administrator
• their primary contact.

When your rent changes:

• If you pay by direct debit, we will update the debit amount automatically. You do not need to sign a new direct debit form.
• If you pay by Centrepay, you or your financial administrator will need to update the deduction amount with Centrelink prior to the effective date.

Financial hardship is when you are unable to pay your rent without it seriously affecting your health and wellbeing. If you are experiencing financial hardship, the department may be able to reduce or not charge rent for an approved period of time.

You or your financial administrator can submit a financial hardship application with supporting evidence.

Commonwealth Rent Assistance is a payment made to low-income people to help them pay their rent.

We will give you written confirmation of the rent you pay. You need to provide this information to Centrelink when applying for rent assistance.

If your application for Commonwealth Rent Assistance has been unsuccessful, or you are approved for less than expected, contact us with evidence of Centrelink’s decision.