Living on your own or with a flatmate can be a very fulfilling time of life with so much freedom and happiness. During my time on placement at the Spina Bifida Association, I spoke to ten adults with spina bifida who were living on their own. Some had units, others were renting places from the Department of Housing, either units or town houses. The adults I spoke to said when moving out of home, it was important to consider the following issues - location, access and closeness to shopping centres and public transport.

It is a good idea to go and see the area that you intend to move into. Familiarise yourself with the local shopping centre and public transport before you sign a lease agreement. Cost of rental accommodation varies according to the price on the free-market, and the location and type of accommodation are all issues to consider. Another option is to apply for accommodation through the Department of Housing, which will either accommodate you in an existing unit, or build a place specific to your needs and requirements. The cost of rent is based on 25% of your income. This would be approximately $75-00 per fortnight if you were on the pension. However, there is a waiting list for Housing Department accommodation of up to three years in advance. Therefore, planning ahead is the key to successfully moving into Department of Housing accommodation.

Equally important to planning ahead is to practice a range of life skills such as living according to a budget, for food, the phone bill, the electricity bill, transport costs, on an income as little as $360-00 per fortnight, if you are on a pension.

There is also shopping, cooking and cleaning. All of these are skills that you can begin to practice at home in preparation toward the goal of moving out. If for one reason or another, you have difficulty yourself, Bill and Jodie of the Adult Services Team can put you in touch with a number of community support services, that can support you in a number of ways to live independently. An advantage of getting support is the improvements to the quality of life that it brings.

A surprising message from the people I spoke to, was concern with being assertive in relation to living with flatmates. Issues which may arise are setting boundaries and negotiating living together. A point to remember is to be clear about what you need and want and be assertive. Be open minded and remember to listen to the person you are living with.

Another result of my research showed that the interviewee expressed an improvement in the quality of the relationship with their parents and siblings, especially if they were seen to be coping on their own. The results also showed the importance of friendship. Friends provide a range of social options, encouragement and help with problem solving and advice. This can be especially helpful to a person with a disability.

These results are drawn from a range of people living in suburban Brisbane. It is hoped that this provides assistance on most issues for those who are considering moving out of home but donŐt know where to start. David Swift

Note: The formula for calculating rent by Department of Housing is now a little more complex than the straight 25% of income.

We have recently been contacted by a member whose 16 year old son was ruled ineligible to receive the Disability Support Pension. The parents are now having to spend a lot of time and money to go through the appeal process.

Government benefits and concessions are more difficult to obtain now than they have ever been before. If you are thinking about applying for a government benefit, then you should -

• 1. Find our what the eligibility criteria are for that particular payment.
• 2. If you think you are eligible, get as much supporting documentation as you can from medical practitioners, therapy assessments etc. before you apply.
• 3. Try to get the supporting documentation to address the eligibility criteria, e.g. if a criteria for Disability Support Pension is inability to work 30 hours per week, then have documentation to show why this is the case.