Financial Care Services Newsletter
Volume 11 Edition 10 – 30 October 2021
Financial Care Services, the specialist adviser to seniors in transition to new lifestyles
Accessible Parking Permit
Accessible Parking is the newly painted signage on the old Disabled Parking spaces in the shopping centre carpark.
If you have a significant disability or injury, you may be eligible for an Accessible Parking Permit.
The Accessible Parking Permit scheme replaces the Disability Parking Permits of old.
What is different about Accessible Parking Permits?
You could qualify for an Accessible Parking Permit because you are not good at walking.
Qualified applicants for the new Accessible Parking Permits might be so challenged at walking that they need to use a wheelchair, walking frame or four pronged walking stick. These people need parking spaces close to the shopping centre entrance plus extra space beside the vehicle to fully open the car door and immediately transfer to the wheelchair or walking frame.
Other qualified applicants might not use a physical aid but require frequent rest stops just to traverse 100 metres into the shops. These people need parking spaces close to the shopping centre entrance.
You or your carer, could apply for an Accessible Parking Permit because you act impulsively and are unreliable around moving traffic and in unfamiliar spaces.
People who need constant attention from another adult to ensure their safety while entering or exiting a parked vehicle could also apply for the new Accessible Parking Permits.
These passengers might have neurological conditions such that they could need the extra wide parking space to have a carer standing beside the car door to prevent ‘escapes’ into danger.
This is a new reason for qualifying for the new style Accessible Parking Permits.
Who needs to apply for an Accessible Parking Permit?
Anyone who wishes to be allowed to park legally in the Accessible Parking spaces will need to apply for the new Accessible Parking Permit.
Your old Disability Parking permit will not automatically transform itself into a new Accessible Parking Permit.
You must qualify for the new type of Accessible Parking Permit under the new eligibility rules.
What are the benefits of Accessible Parking Permits?
Accessible Parking Permits give parking concessions to those with impaired mobility.
There are two types of Accessible Parking Permits available to individual Victorian residents:
An Australian Disability Parking (ADP) Permit (for individuals) allows for your vehicle to occupy an accessible parking bay.
You could use this ADP when you are travelling interstate.
A Victorian Double Time Permit (for individuals) allows you to park for double the maximum time in a regular parking bay.
Remember that you need to pay for all of the time that your vehicle occupies that bay.
This permit is for use in Victoria only; it is not valid for extended parking in other States.
Organisations with physically challenged clients can apply for an Australian Disability Parking (ADP) Permit for the organisation to use when transporting clients.
How to apply for an individual Accessible Parking Permit
You can find the form to apply for a new Accessible Parking Permit or transfer from a Disability Parking Permit to the new Accessible Parking Permit .
You, or your carer, needs to complete the first sections of the form.
This part requires your name, residential address and contact details.
Then you must have the ‘functional assessment’ in second part of the form completed by an Occupational Therapist or your local doctor.
Only a medical practitioner could assess you for qualifying for the Accessible Parking Permit because you have a neurological condition.
Once you form is completed the OT or doctor, sends it direct to VicRoads for assessment.
Australian Disability Parking application outcomes
Your functional assessment could qualify you for the Australian Disability Parking (ADP) Permit or just the Victorian Double Time Permit.
If you qualify for one of the new style Accessible Parking Permits then VicRoads would authorise your local Council to issue your Accessible Parking Permit.
But your incapacity as demonstrated in your functional assessment might not qualify you for any form of Accessible Parking Permit.
Not everyone who had the old Disability Parking Permit is expected to be assessed as qualifying for one of the new Accessible Parking Permit.
You would be notified if your functional assessment does not qualify you for an Accessible Parking Permit.
Can I challenge my ‘functional assessment’ or be reassessed for the Accessible Parking Permits by a different medical practitioner?
No, the rules for the new style Accessible Parking Permits do not allow for any form of ‘doctor shopping’.
An additional security feature is that the OT or doctor, must include their AHPRA registration number in their identification details. Your health team do not generally disclose their AHPRA registrations to their patients.
If your walking ability deteriorates significantly or your neurological condition worsens then you could reapply for the Accessible Parking Permit next year but not the next week after your application was rejected.
What about my ‘spare’ Disability Parking Permits?
The ‘spare’ Disability Parking Permits that you had issued to your holiday house address and your former home address on the other side of town and that one of Aunt Mabel’s, are now void and worthless.
The new Accessible Parking Permits are strictly one per qualified person.
If you move to another municipality then next time you renew your Accessible Parking Permit the new permit will be issued by your new local Council for your new residential address.
Now you will need to take your Accessible Parking Permits with you whenever you travel in a private vehicle.
The Accessible Parking Permit belongs to you as an individual not to your vehicle.
Financial Care Services is open for business.
Actually Christine Hopper of Financial Care Services did not close down.
Christine has continued to work as a ‘home based’ business providing assistance to clients via ‘technology’.
Now that Victoria is reopening for retail business, Christine is ready to welcome clients for real in person meetings.
Christine Hopper’s office is large enough to accommodate at least six people with four square metres of space each.
Victorian law requires that participants in client meetings must be fully vaccinated and wear masks.
The Victorian QR Check-in code is here ready waiting for you.
Christine at Financial Care Services your independent adviser
Financial Care Services is an independent advisory service specialising in retirees of modest means and aged care entrants.
Our core values include working with clients in claiming DVA and Centrelink entitlements.
The team at Financial Care Services are here to answer your Age Pension questions and guide your understanding of aged care costs.
Help with Centrelink challenges is available from Christine Hopper at Financial Care Services, the specialist adviser to seniors in transition to new lifestyles.
Christine has neat handwriting just right for inserting your data into small printed spaces. She helps clients complete Centrelink forms.
Christine could help you with collating your supporting documents and then mailing your form to Centrelink.
Assistance with completing Age Pension Claims and the Commonwealth aged care means testing forms is available to clients of Financial Care Services.
Christine charges fees based on the work involved in advising you about pensions and aged care fee solutions.
To make an appointment for confidential, independent and professional advice about aged care, retirement lifestyle costs, granny flat or Age Pension issues please contact Christine Hopper or call +61 3 9808 0338.
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Christine Hopper
Financial Care Services Pty Ltd
Independent aged care, strategic lifestyle and Social Security advice for seniors in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Telephone – call +61 3 9808 0338
Email – contact info@financialcareservices.com.au
Address – mail to 172 Warrigal Road, Camberwell Victoria 3124
Website – visit financialcareservices.com.au
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Past newsletters – see http://financialcareservices.com.au/newsletters/
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Disclaimer: The information contained in this newsletter is of a general nature only and does not constitute “financial advice”.
All eligibility for Commonwealth benefits will be determined by Centrelink or DVA, based on your personal position as documented and the legislation and Regulations in force at that time.
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