Rental equipment
Disability Allowance can be paid for necessary rental equipment when the client:
- has a need for the item or service but cannot get funding through Te Whatu Ora – Health New Zealand or another state funded agency and
- their life or health would be put at risk, or their disability aggravated if they could not hire the equipment because the expense was not included in their Disability Allowance
Examples of rental equipment that may be paid for are a closed-circuit television, or a computer, for vision impaired person, or a nebuliser for a severe asthmatic.
Equipment cannot be funded from another agency
Refer the client to the local hospital, health services or publicly funded equipment services first to see if they can get the equipment provided. If the hospital, health service or publicly funded equipment service won't provide the equipment, the person should get a letter stating why.
Exception
A vision impaired person may rent equipment from the Pacific Vision International, Lighthouse Trust, and the Blind Foundation through the Sir Arthur Pearson Memorial Fund that enables them to read or hear written material. In this situation they are not required to seek verification from the local hospital, health service or publicly funded equipment service. For more information see:
Disability Allowance not paid
Disability Allowance cannot be paid for prostheses (for example artificial limbs) or hearing aids as they are not a regular and on-going cost.
Note Disability Allowance can be used for hearing aid batteries, see Authorised Consumables
For more information see:
