Victorian Bushfire Appeal Fund
Permanently Impaired Gift
Fact sheet
The Victorian Bushfire Appeal Fund has announced a
gift to assist people with the most severe permanent
impairments (either physical or psychological) sustained
as a direct result of the 2009 Victorian bushfires and who
continue to experience financial hardship.
What assistance is available?
A total of $3.5 million has been committed to the
Permanently Impaired gift. The value of the grants that
individuals receive will be determined by both their
level of impairment and financial hardship. Successful
applicants will receive a minimum payment of $10,000,
however based on the eligibility criteria a small number
of individuals who are most severely impacted may be
eligible for larger gift amounts (which will be capped at a
maximum of $150,000).
Any gift amount above the minimum payment will be
determined on a case-by-case basis and will be available
to individuals for whom the bushfires have had the most
devastating effect, leaving them with a substantial and
severe permanent impairment and with the most extreme
level of financial hardship.
Am I eligible?
To be eligible for this gift, as a direct result of the 2009
Victorian bushfires, you must:
• have sustained physical or psychological injuries that
have resulted in a permanent impairment; and
• be experiencing financial hardship.
The application form and supporting documentation for
this gift will be used to determine whether you meet the
criteria.
What is a permanent impairment?
Physical Injuries
You must meet all of the following criteria to be eligible for
this gift in relation to your physical injuries sustained as a
direct result of the 2009 Victorian bushfires:
• You previously received the Severe Injury payment or
you were admitted to hospital as an inpatient (inpatient
means you were admitted to a hospital or clinic for
treatment that requires at least one overnight stay)
within 12 months of the fires;
Authorised by the Victorian Government, 50 Lonsdale Street Melbourne
• The injury requires ongoing medical treatment (medical
treatment means any treatment or procedures carried
out by a medical practitioner in the course of medical
or surgical practice and includes the prescription or
supply of drugs);
• The injury is having a severe impact on activities of
daily living; and
• You are experiencing financial hardship.
Psychological Injuries
You must meet all of the following criteria to be eligible for
this gift in relation to your psychological injuries sustained
as a direct result of the 2009 Victorian bushfires:
• You were admitted to hospital as an inpatient (inpatient
means you were admitted to a hospital or clinic for
treatment that requires at least one overnight stay)
within 12 months of the fires or required intensive
treatment, requiring both prescribed medication and
therapy with a psychiatrist or psychologist at least
weekly for a minimum of 12 weeks;
• Treatment requires regular and ongoing prescribed
medication and therapy with a psychiatrist or
psychologist;
• The injury is having a severe impact on activities of
daily living; and
• You are experiencing financial hardship.
Note: For the purposes of this gift a permanent impairment
is assessed based on either physical or psychological
injuries (it cannot be a combination of both).
What information do you need to provide
to determine whether or not you have a
permanent impairment?
As part of your application you will need to provide the
following information:
• supporting documentation regarding your permanent
impairment (for example a hospital invoice/report or a
letter from your treating physician); and
• a completed application form, including signing the
statutory declaration.
If you are unsure whether the level of documentation you
currently have in relation to your injuries will be sufficient
for your application, and you need help obtaining an
up to date summary of medical information about the
See page 2 for further information
treatment provided to you for your injury/s, you may decide
to discuss this with your treating physician or a General
Practitioner (GP).
Note: It is not necessary for your treating physician or GP to
undertake a medical examination. The decision to perform
a medical examination is at the discretion of your treating
physician or GP.
In these cases, your treating physician or GP may assist
you to complete Part A or Part B of the application form.
Alternatively, they may prefer to write a letter containing the
relevant information. If so, you should attach this letter to
your application.
Note: The Fund has sought advice from the
Commonwealth Government which has advised that
consultations with a GP can be claimed for this purpose
under Medicare. However, the benefits you receive from
Medicare are based on a Schedule of fees set by the
Australian Government. Your GP may choose to charge
more than the Schedule fee.
What is financial hardship?
You will be required to complete the financial hardship
section of the application form. Determining your financial
hardship involves consideration of a range of factors,
including your financial resources and your financial
burdens. Your eligibility for this gift will be determined
through the answers you have provided in this application.
How will my application be assessed?
When your application is received, your stated injury/s
and supporting documentation will be reviewed by a
specialist medical assessor. You or your treating physician
or GP (if you have provided the necessary consent) may
be contacted to clarify information submitted with your
application or to obtain further details pertaining to your
injury/s.
If it cannot be determined whether or not you have
sustained a permanent impairment, you may be required
to undertake an independent expert medical assessment.
This expert medical assessment will be at no cost to you.
However, the assessment may delay the processing of your
application. The outcome of the expert medical assessment
will assist in making a final determination regarding your
permanent impairment.
What other information do I need to
provide?
If you have previously claimed assistance from the Fund,
your identity will have been confirmed in the earlier
application and you will only be required to provide the
following information:
• supporting documentation regarding the injury/s you
sustained;
• any supporting documentation regarding the financial
hardship you are currently suffering; and
• a completed application form, including signing the
statutory declaration.
In addition, if you have not had a previous claim with
the Fund, you will be required to provide the following
evidence:
• proof of identity; and
• proof of permanent address.
If you have previously claimed from the Fund you may
have already provided some of this material. However, for
some people, their circumstances will have changed and
it is important for the application to reflect your current
situation.
Who can witness a statutory declaration?
People authorised to witness statutory declarations include
lawyers, police, pharmacists, school principals, ministers
of religion, bank managers, doctors, vets and Housing
Services Officers.
How long do I have to claim?
You have until 28 February 2011 to lodge a claim for the
Permanently Impaired Gift. Applications beyond this date
may be considered under exceptional circumstances.
For further information
For further information or advice on this gift, please contact
the Victorian Bushfire Appeal Fund on 1800 180 213 or via
e-mail on vicbushfireappealfund@dhs.vic.gov.au.
Application Forms for this gift, and advice on other support
available through the Victorian Bushfire Appeal Fund, are
available at www.dhs.vic.gov.au/bushfireappeal.