Future care of a person with disability
The future care of a person with disability is an important issue for parents and carers. This can be of greatest concern to parents and carers of people with disability who have high support needs.
It’s important to plan for the future, for when parents and carers are no longer able to provide support and care themselves.
Visit the Carer Gateway website for helpful information, guidance and support services about preparing for the future.
Special Disability Trusts
A Special Disability Trust helps families and carers to provide funds for a family member with severe disability. This can be for their current or future care and accommodation needs.
The Special Disability Trust provides certain social security means test concessions for the beneficiary and eligible contributors to the trust. Families and carers have been able to establish a Special Disability Trust since 2006.
Visit the Services Australia website to learn more about Special Disability Trusts.
Services Australia Special Disability Trust team
Setting up a trust in your will
A Special Disability Trust can be a testamentary trust established through a will. This means it does not come into effect until after the death of the person making the will.
Model Trust Deed
The Model Trust Deed helps families who have decided to set up a Special Disability Trust. The Model Trust Deed contains compulsory clauses needed for accessing the social security concessions. It also contains non-compulsory clauses that provide options for the person with severe disability and their family.
Read the Model Trust Deed.
Statutory declarations
To comply with legislation, Special Disability Trust trustees must provide the trust's financial statements each year. As part of this, they need to sign a statutory declaration.
View the statutory declaration template.
Statutory Declarations reasons.
More information
Visit the Social Security Guide to learn more about the social security treatment of Special Disability Trusts.
Getting Things Sorted and Questions and Answers were developed in 2012, together with a model trust deed, to help families who are seeking additional information to set up a Special Disability Trust.
Read the Special Disability Trusts: Getting Things Sorted booklet on the Trove website archive.
Read the Special Disability Trusts: Questions and Answers booklet on the Trove website archive.