Payments

The amount of a Recoverable Assistance Payment should be the least amount required to meet the client's particular immediate need.

Note the maximum payment must be reduced by the client's MSD debt balance unless exceptional circumstances exist.

Recoverable Assistance Payments should not generally be approved if the amount available is insufficient to cover the full cost of the item or service. Recoverable Assistance Payments should not be approved to pay a deposit on an item.

Any payment made must be recovered. MSD cannot make a Recoverable Assistance Payment non-recoverable. If MSD thinks a payment should be non-recoverable, a Special Needs Grant may be considered instead.

When a preferred supplier arrangement is in place the payment must be made directly to the preferred supplier by direct credit or payment card.

MSD currently has preferred supplier arrangements in place for whiteware and optical goods and services.

Except where exceptional circumstances exist, a payment must not exceed:

• 6 weeks of the appropriate rate of Supported Living Payment the client would be entitled to get or
• the maximum amount stated in the payment categories

whichever is the least amount.

A client can get more than one Recoverable Assistance Payment as long as the outstanding balance does not exceed the maximum limits.

The maximum limit is not restricted to a 52-week period. The maximum limit is assessed at each Recoverable Assistance Payment application.