If the MRCC has previously subsidised the purchase of a motor vehicle for an eligible person, the person may be entitled to compensation for the purchase of a new or second-hand replacement motor vehicle.
The guidelines for replacement of a MVCS funded motor vehicle are contained in the MVCS legislative instrument. [2]
For a person to be eligible for a replacement vehicle, the following must apply:
It is suggested that as a first step, delegates liaise with the Driver Trained OT to explain the requirement for a mechanic to provide their advice about the suitability of replacing a vehicle. The OT may have a mechanic contact who they can refer the case to for their advice. Alternatively, the mechanic who normally services or maintains the client’s existing vehicle could be used. The mechanic will need to assess the car to provide their professional opinion about whether it is reasonable to consider replacing the vehicle. The mechanic should consider whether the vehicle is safe (taking into account its maintenance and service history) and also whether it is suitable to have any recommended modifications fitted.
A replacement vehicle can only be considered where a Driver Trained Specialist OT has:
All claims for a replacement vehicle are to be emailed for consideration to rapgeneralenquiries@dva.gov.au [3]. Please ensure that all relevant evidence, including the Driver Trained OT reports and all of their recommendations are included with the request. Requests for reconsideration of the original determination should also be emailed to the same mailbox.
Should a client wish to have a decision that has been made about a replacement vehicle under the MVCS reviewed, they should submit the request as per the normal review process outlined in section 13.4 [4] of this library.
Links
[1] https://clik.dva.gov.au/user/login?destination=comment/reply/21156%23comment-form
[2] https://www.comlaw.gov.au/Details/F2015L01245
[3] mailto:rehabilitation@dva.gov.au
[4] https://clik.dva.gov.au/rehabilitation-policy-library/13-rights-and-obligations/134-reconsideration-and-review-mechanisms-rehabilitation