From 1 April 2026 onwards, the purchasing rules for flexible funding have been removed and no longer apply to sensory equipment. These changes affect those who receive Individualised Funding, Enhanced Individualised Funding, Carer Support and hosted Enabling Good Lives Personal Budgets.
Everyone who receives flexible funding will require a My DSS Funding Plan, making the purposes of your funding clearer. The rationales and reasoning for requiring sensory equipment have not changed and need to be stated on your My DSS Funding Plan. This will happen at your next reassessment with your NASC or Enabling Good Lives site. The new My DSS Funding Plan and the information guide is shown below.
We know that trying to use funding can be difficult and stressful, especially with all the other demands and pressures that daily life brings. In order to help support your ability to make explicit your reasoning for requiring sensory equipment in your My DSS Funding Plan, we have put together some examples that could apply to your situation. Feel free to use the examples. The equipment and reasonings are examples only and are not limited to those described. Please see our Sensory Equipment Funding Plan Example as a guide.
Further information can be found at the Disability Support Services website