Under the Transport Accident Act 1986, the TAC is unable to pay for the physical building and maintenance of the accommodation itself or the “bricks and mortar”. People with extreme functional impairment and/or very high support needs may be eligible for Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) funding with the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) for this purpose. See NDIS SDA webpage for further details.

This policy refers to the delivery of shared care support while residing in a NDIS funded Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) property.

To be considered for approval, a client’s need for SDA must be:

• Directly related to their transport accident, and
• Due to the severity of the injuries/ impairment and the resultant need for high levels of care and/or accessible living environment.

Clients must have NDIS SDA funding approved to be eligible for the TAC to consider funding for the reasonable costs of care within this type of supported accommodation as a result of the client’s transport accident injuries.

If a client is an inpatient in hospital and there is yet to be a decision on a NDIS SDA application, the TAC may consider the funding of temporary shared supported accommodation if it is demonstrated that:

• All inpatient rehabilitation goals have been achieved.
• The hospital has recommended the person is safe for discharge.
• A continued hospital admission has resulted in detriment to the person’s mental and/or physical wellbeing.

In instances where a client has NDIS SDA funding approved and is residing in a SDA property, the TAC can pay for the reasonable costs of care within the shared supported accommodation as a result of the client’s transport accident injuries. This may include:

• Daily support fee.
• Daily living expenses.
• Program establishment fee.
• Attendant care for support needs above the level of support provided under the 24-hour shared support. This attendant care needs to be approved by the TAC and is based on clinical recommendations by a health professional
• If a client has SDA approved for a single dwelling and is NOT sharing care with other residents, the TAC may fund the reasonable attendant care support required to live independently based upon the Occupational Therapy assessment.

• Directly to the service provider, when the client has given the service their TAC claim number.
• The client can pay for the service and then using myTAC, send a copy of their receipt to TAC for reimbursement.

The TAC won’t pay for services that:

• Do not treat, or are not related to, a client’s transport accident injuries.
• Are not reasonable, necessary or appropriate.
• Are not clinically justified, safe and effective.
• Supported accommodation providers that do not have the required accreditation/registration specific to Specialist Disability Accommodation.
• Incidental items that may be provided to clients as part of their stay. This includes upgrading a standard room type and other services clients might request where there is no clinical need for the request that relates to the client’s transport accident injuries.
• Supported accommodation services for a person other than the injured client.
• Supported accommodation services for a condition that existed before a transport accident injury or that is not as a direct result of a transport accident injury.
• Supported accommodation services that are not consistent with the level of care that a client requires as a result of their transport accident injury.
• Supported accommodation services that do not have the required. accreditation/registration specific to that setting type (as specified by the TAC in the guidelines).
• Related costs such as rent, accommodation bonds and rates.
• The physical building development or maintenance.
• Room temperature controls/air-conditioning, unless deemed medically necessary and approved as reasonable by us.
• Capital expenses.
• Extra services (i.e. dry-cleaning, hairdressing, paid TV, room upgrade).
• Care provided to a client in the client's private home.
• Care provided in hospital.
• Additional attendant care services for the facilitation of community access and participation where approval has not been given by us.
• Supported accommodation services provided outside the Commonwealth of Australia.
• Treatment or services provided more than two years prior to the request for funding except where the request for payment is made within three years of the transport accident. Refer to the Time Limit to Apply for the Payment of Medical and Like Expenses policy.

Also see general items the TAC cannot pay for.

Providers of SDA properties must meet the TAC’s Shared Supported Accommodation Property Enrolment requirements for each SDA property in which shared support is provided.

The property where shared support is delivered must also meet the TAC’s Shared Supported Accommodation Property Enrolment requirements for each property in which shared support is provided.

SDA properties where shared support is delivered must also be enrolled with the TAC and meet the TAC’s Shared Supported Accommodation Property Enrolment requirements.

Supported accommodation services can support TAC clients with services that fulfil the following conditions:

• Are required as a direct result of a transport accident injury (not for a pre-existing condition).
• Are safe and effective.
• Promote recovery, functional independence, or self-management.
• Are reasonable.
• Comply with all responsibilities relating to the profession or service.
• Comply with all relevant legislative requirements, including the Transport Accident Act 1986, the Health Records Act 2001, the Disability Act 2006, the Income Tax Assessment Act 1997 and the Charter of Human Rights and Responsibilities 2006.

For specific registration requirements to be eligible SDA provider, please refer to NDIS SDA dwelling enrolment and vacancies.

Clients must have NDIS SDA funding approved to be eligible.

For details about authorisation, monitoring and how the TAC makes decision, please refer to strategic supported accommodation policy.  The main criterion is that the client must have NDIS SDA funding approved to be eligible.