Telephone rental costs - disability

MSD must check whether the client qualifies for Disability Allowance for telephone rental costs or mobile phone plans directly related to their disability.

If the client qualifies for Disability Allowance, it must be granted before MSD assess if the client qualifies for Temporary Additional Support.

The client may have allowable health and disability costs for Temporary Additional Support where they do not qualify for Disability Allowance because:

• they do not meet the Disability Allowance income limit or
• their disability will last less than 6 months or
• they are certain refugees, protected persons or residence applicants

Allowable costs for Temporary Additional Support can include rental of a basic telephone and telephone line rental costs (including wiring maintenance charges) or a basic mobile phone plan (prepay or monthly) for a client with a disability only when the ongoing cost of the telephone or mobile plan is directly related to the client's disability.

A registered medical practitioner or nurse practitioner must complete a Disability Allowance medical certificate confirming the client's disability, the need for treatment and that a telephone or mobile phone is necessary. 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

The telephone rental and line costs can be accepted as being directly related to the client's disability if MSD is satisfied that they did not previously have a telephone connected, and has had to have one connected due to their disability.

Mobile phone plans

The ongoing cost of a mobile phone (e.g. pre-pay call time or monthly plan charges) should only be allowed in exceptional circumstances when this is the most cost-effective solution.

This may be when the client does not have a landline at their residence or there are no telephone lines available. The maximum cost paid, should be no more than the cost of the standard monthly landline rental in the area.

Note mobile phones would not be considered an additional expense if the medical alarm needs a telephone line to operate.

Allowable costs for Temporary Additional Support do not include:

• the costs of buying a phone or having it installed as these are not ongoing costs (consider the possibilities of an Advance Payment of Benefit or Recoverable Assistance Payment for installation costs) or
• extra costs such as toll calls, call minder, or call waiting (unless it can be shown that it is an additional expense, necessary and directly related to the client's disability)
• the cost of purchasing a mobile phone through a plan, e.g. paying for the phone in instalments under a monthly plan.

The client must provide a:

• Disability Allowance medical certificate completed and signed by a registered medical practitioner or nurse practitioner and
• copy of their telephone account proving they have a telephone and showing their telephone and line rental costs (including wiring maintenance charges) or
• copy of their mobile plan account showing plan charges (charges should be no more than a landline in the area)