Aids and Equipment Program Frequently Asked Questions

The Aids & Equipment Program (A&EP) is funded by the Department of Health Victoria. This program provides fundings towards the cost of Assistive Technology (AT) equipment for people with a permanent or long-term disability, as well as those who are frail aged.

You are eligible for funding if you:

• Are a permanent Victorian Resident or hold a temporary or permanent protection Visa or are an asylum seeker
• Have a long term disability and/or are frail aged
• Do not receive other government funding for AT equipment
• Are not an in-patient of a public or private hospital or residential care facility
• Cannot claim AT equipment through private health insurance
• Have not been released from hospital or an extended care centre within 30 days, where equipment required is related to the hospital admission to the hospital admission.

Please talk to your local health care professional (General Practitioner) about finding a SWEP registered AT Practitioner near you.

SWEP will receive, triage and process your application. Once your application is processed, a letter will be sent to you informing you of the status of your application. If you do not receive a letter within two weeks, please contact your AT Practitioner or SWEP on 1300 PH SWEP (1300 747 937).

Depending on the equipment, further documents may be needed to complete the application process. These will be sent to either you or your AT Practitioner. Please ask your AT Practitioner or call SWEP to clarify any questions you may have about these documents.

If the subsidy does not cover the full cost of the equipment, a gap funding form will be sent to you to complete. This form will advise SWEP how you wish the remainder of the cost of the equipment to be paid.

When funding is available, SWEP will call you to check if the equipment or customisation is still needed and then place an order.

Phone: 1300 PH SWEP (1300 747 937) and one of our friendly team members will organise to get the equipment repaired for you.

SWEP and Chemtronics provide an emergency after-hours service 24 hours per day, every day of the year including public holidays. When you call 1300 PH SWEP (1300 747 937) during normal business hours please press 1 to talk to a member of our repairs team. Outside normal business hours you will be directed to the After-hours Emergency Service which is manned by Grampians Health staff.

SWEP retains ownership of the equipment that is able to be reissued when SWEP has contributed more than 50% towards the cost of the equipment.

Please see the A&EP AT items & Available Subsidy section or call SWEP on 1300 PH SWEP (1300 747 937) or (03) 5333 8100 for further information.