Essential Needs

Special Needs Grants are available for clients with a qualifying immediate and essential need.

In general, these situations may be expected and do not come under the emergency criteria. An immediate need must be established in all cases before a Special Needs Grant is approved.

Special Needs Grants for Essential Needs are generally non-recoverable.

Essential Needs categories

Further details are listed under each category below:

Maximum amount payable in a 26-week period

Category		Maximum amount in a 26-week period unless exceptional circumstances exist	Status
Food	Single person	$200	non-recoverable
	Married, civil union or de facto person	$300	non-recoverable
	Married, civil union or de facto couple or sole parent with 1 or 2 dependent children	$450	non-recoverable
	Married, civil union or de facto couple or sole parent with 3 or more dependent children	$550	non-recoverable

Maximum amount payable in a 52-week period

Category				Maximum amount in a 52-week period unless exceptional circumstances exist	Status
Bedding				$200	non-recoverable
Dental treatment				$1000 per immediate family member	non-recoverable
Designated health practitioner assessment travel		client only		$200	non-recoverable
		if attendant required		$400	non-recoverable
Driver licence	Renewal	client 65 years or under		$32.40	recoverable
		client 66 or 67 years		$22.60	recoverable
		client 68 or 69 years		$19.00	recoverable
		client 70 or 71 years		$14.80	recoverable
		client 72 or 73 years		$10.80	recoverable
		client 74 years		$9.00	recoverable
		client 75 years or over		$21.50	recoverable
	New	Learner licence	Class 1	$96.10	recoverable
			Class 2, 3 or 5	$77.50
			Class 4	$27.10
			Class 6	$90.60
		Restricted licence	Class 1	$167.50	recoverable
			Class 6	$54.20
		Full licence	Class 1	$98.90	recoverable
			Class 1, 3, 4 or 5	$39.80
			Class 6	$47.40
	Re-sit fee (for new licence)	Learner licence	Class 1	$54.60	recoverable
		Restricted licence		$102.80
		Full licence		$71.90
	Driver licence test reschedule fee			$16.40	recoverable
	Reinstatement of driver licence			$48.00	recoverable
Health travel costs		client only		$300	non-recoverable
		if attendant required		$400	non-recoverable
Laser therapy for the removal of birthmarks				$300	non- recoverable
Vasectomies and termination of pregnancies (travel, accommodation and surgery)				$300	non-recoverable
Wigs and hairpieces				$300	non-recoverable

Maximum amount payable in a 104-week period

Category	Maximum amount in a 104-week period unless exceptional circumstances exist	Status
Effluent treatment system maintenance and repair	$300	non-recoverable

For more information see:

Emergency and essential needs not in client's name

Exceptional circumstances

Emergency needs

Payments to people in specific circumstances

Legislation

Need to be both Immediate and Essential clause 10 Special Needs Grants Programme
Non-Recoverable Grants for Essential Needs clause 11 Special Needs Grants Programme

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