NDIS Medium Term Accommodation Usually Stops at 90 Days, So Plan the Exit

This article provides general information only about Medium Term Accommodation (MTA) under the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS). It does not constitute legal, financial or medical advice, and it does not take account of the circumstances of any individual reader. Decisions about funding are made by the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA).

The position taken here is that MTA is best understood as a bridge, not a destination. It is designed to cover a gap between one living arrangement and the next. A participant who treats it as a bridge is better placed to plan for what follows it.

1. What MTA is

1. MTA is temporary accommodation that may be funded for a participant who needs somewhere to live while waiting for a longer-term arrangement.
2. The NDIS describes circumstances such as a participant who is waiting for home modifications to be completed, for a long-term home to become available, or who is leaving hospital without a suitable place to go.
3. The NDIS generally funds medium term accommodation for up to 90 days, and may fund longer in limited situations where there is evidence the person needs it. The reader should confirm the current rule on the NDIS page, because arrangements may be updated.
4. MTA is a support within the participant’s plan. It is included only where the NDIA considers it reasonable and necessary, and it is not an automatic entitlement.

2. How MTA differs from other arrangements

Three points follow from the table.

1. MTA is not respite. A participant who needs a break from home is generally in the territory of short-term accommodation instead.
2. MTA is not a long-term home. A participant who needs a permanent specialised dwelling is in the territory of SDA or another housing arrangement.
3. The three can sit in the same plan. A participant might use short-term accommodation at one time, MTA at another and aim for a long-term home throughout.

3. Who pays for what

This is the part that most often causes confusion, and it is the one where the reader is advised to rely on the official page and the plan, not on a general article.

1. The NDIS funds disability-related supports that the NDIA considers reasonable and necessary. It does not generally fund the ordinary living costs that a person without a disability would also have.
2. The NDIS says medium term accommodation covers only the cost of the accommodation, up to the daily maximum in its pricing arrangements. The participant pays for food, internet, electricity and other usual living costs, and for any charge above the daily maximum. The NDIS page and the participant’s plan are the authority.
3. The participant is advised to ask the NDIA or their planner, before a stay begins, what is funded, what is the participant’s own responsibility and how any charges will be invoiced.
4. A written statement of costs, in advance, avoids surprises. It is reasonable to request one.

4. How a request is usually made

The order differs from case to case. A common sequence is as follows.

1. The participant, with a support coordinator or allied health professional where one is involved, identifies the transition that creates the need. Examples include a modification schedule or a hospital discharge date.
2. Supporting evidence is gathered. It might include a report from an occupational therapist, a discharge plan from the hospital or a schedule from the person completing the modifications.
3. The need is raised with the NDIA at a planning meeting, a plan review or a change request, together with the evidence.
4. If MTA is included in the plan, the participant seeks accommodation that meets their access and support needs.
5. The participant confirms the dates, the costs and how supports will continue during the stay.

5. Questions to raise with a prospective provider

1. Are the rooms and bathrooms accessible in the way that the participant requires?
2. Can existing supports, such as support workers or equipment, be used in the accommodation?
3. What are the start and end dates, and what happens if the long-term arrangement is delayed?
4. What is charged, how often and to whom?
5. Is the provider registered with the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission, if the participant’s plan management type requires a registered provider?

6. Planning for the end of the stay

Because MTA is time-limited, the more useful question is what comes after it. The reader may wish to consider the following.

1. If the destination is a home that is being modified, what the schedule is and who is responsible for any delay.
2. If the destination is an SDA home, whether the eligibility and funding in the plan have already been settled. The article on SDA eligibility explains the tests.
3. If the destination is a different long-term arrangement, what other housing options are available. The comparison of SDA, SIL, STA, MTA and ILO places these side by side.
4. Whether supports during the transition are already arranged.

7. The other view

A reasonable counter-position is that MTA should be seen as useful in its own right, since it often prevents a participant from remaining in an unsuitable or unsafe environment while a long-term solution is found. That is correct, and the position taken here does not contradict it. The point is that its value is greatest when the arrangement that follows it is already being worked on.

8. Matters to raise with the NDIA

1. Whether MTA is appropriate in the participant’s circumstances.
2. What evidence will support the request.
3. How the stay will be funded and what costs remain with the participant.
4. What arrangements apply if the long-term solution is delayed.

A reader who requires advice on a tenancy or on a dispute is advised to consult a legal practitioner registered in the relevant State or Territory.

Sources: NDIS, Medium term accommodation (https://www.ndis.gov.au/participants/home-and-living/types-home-and-living-supports/what-medium-term-accommodation-mta); NDIS, Short term accommodation (https://www.ndis.gov.au/participants/using-your-funding/other-types-support/what-short-term-accommodation); NDIS, Specialist Disability Accommodation (https://www.ndis.gov.au/participants/home-and-living/types-home-and-living-supports/what-specialist-disability-accommodation-sda)