Health and disability costs

Allowable health and disability costs are based on the actual costs arising from a disability of:

• the client and/or any member of their family and
• any child for whom an Orphan's Benefit or Unsupported Child's Benefit is being paid

These costs must be essential to meet the family's daily living needs and could not be readily avoided or varied when the expense was incurred.

A registered medical practitioner or nurse practitioner must complete a Disability Allowance medical certificate confirming the client's disability and need for treatment. The certificate must also confirm the treatment is beneficial and of therapeutic value and that the costs are:

• additional and
• ongoing and
• directly related to the client's disability

Note when a medical practitioner or nurse practitioner indicates on the client's Disability Allowance medical certificate that treatment by another registered health practitioner is necessary, that practitioner must verify the costs of their services.

MSD must check if the client qualifies for Disability Allowance for the health and disability costs.

If the client qualifies for Disability Allowance, it must be granted before Temporary Additional Support can be paid for those costs.

If the client has a deficiency of income based on other allowable costs, they can get Temporary Additional Support. However, the health and disability costs must not be included until Disability Allowance has been granted.

A client may not qualify for Disability Allowance because:

• they or any member of their family have a disability which is likely to last less than 6 months or
• they do not meet the Disability Allowance income test or
• they are certain refugees, protected persons or residence applicants or
• the health and disability costs are not allowable costs for Disability Allowance (e.g. repayments for the purchase of a dryer)

If the client does not qualify for a Disability Allowance (for the reasons above), MSD can still include these costs in the assessment of Temporary Additional Support if:

• the cost is an allowable cost for Temporary Additional Support and
• the disability and need for treatment have been verified by a registered medical practitioner or nurse practitioner.