Special Disability Trusts That Protect Your Child's Future
For parents of a child with severe disability, a special disability trust lets you provide financially without affecting their Centrelink benefits.
- Centrelink asset test exemption (up to threshold)
- Gift concessions for contributors
- Structured for reasonable care and accommodation
What's included
- Eligibility review (beneficiary + contributor)
- SDT deed drafted to Centrelink's standard
- Trustee appointment with succession rules
- Purpose clauses for care and accommodation
- Coordination with Services Australia for approval
- Annual compliance framework
A direct inheritance could cut off the benefits your child depends on
If you leave an inheritance directly to a child receiving the Disability Support Pension or NDIS funding, it's treated as an asset - and it can push them above the threshold that keeps their benefits flowing. A special disability trust, structured correctly and approved by Centrelink, avoids that.
- DSP and NDIS both have asset tests
- Direct inheritance can reduce or cancel benefits
- SDTs have a Centrelink-approved asset exemption
- Gifting to an SDT also has tax and Centrelink gift concessions
A clear process, not a legal maze.
Assess eligibility
Your child must meet the statutory definition of 'severe disability' under the Social Security Act. We help you evaluate eligibility with Centrelink.
Design the trust
Sam drafts the trust deed following the exact requirements for Centrelink approval - named beneficiary, approved trustees, purpose clauses, and distribution rules.
Establish and fund
The trust can be set up during your lifetime or through your will. Funding can come from gifts, bequests, or a combination. We coordinate Centrelink approval.
Here's what you get when you work with Sam.
After my father's stroke we needed to restructure quite a bit. Sam took the time to understand the full family picture, not just the legal documents. Felt like working with someone who actually cared.
Frequently asked questions
A special disability trust (SDT) is a trust recognised by the Social Security Act 1991 (Cth) that allows eligible contributors to fund reasonable care and accommodation for a person with severe disability - with significant Centrelink asset test and gift concessions.
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Learn morePlan for your child's future with confidence
Book a confidential conversation with Sam. SDTs are technical but the families they protect make it worth getting right.
- Free 20-minute initial conversation
- Fixed-fee quotes before any work begins
- Home visits available across Adelaide
- Typically 2-3 weeks to signed documents