Rehabilitation Appliances Program (RAP) decisions

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You can talk to us about a decision to not grant you a RAP item. We can help you to understand the decision and talk you through your next steps.

On this page

  1. The items you can get under the RAP
  2. The Acts
  3. Contact us

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The items you can get under the RAP

Under the RAP we may provide you with a range of medical aids, equipment and modifications (items) to improve your quality of life.

The decision to grant an item under the RAP is based on whether:

  • your clinical need for the item was assessed by an appropriate health professional
  • the item is safe and appropriate for your clinical need
  • the item is a cost effective option to treat your clinical need
  • the item forms part of your health treatment or rehabilitation plan.

If you hold a Veteran White Card, your items must also relate to an accepted injury or condition.

If you hold a Veteran Gold Card, some items such as assistance dogs, vehicle modifications and vertical platform lifts, must also relate to an accepted injury or condition.

You can read more about the program and eligibility on our RAP page.

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The Acts

Generally speaking, the decision whether or not to grant a RAP item is final. This is because the decision is based on the reasons mentioned in the previous section.

If you applied for an item under one of the following Acts, you may be able to appeal the decision to the Veterans Review Board (VRB) or to the Administrative Review Tribunal (ART):

If a decision not to provide you with a RAP item was made under the Treatment Principles, you cannot appeal to the VRB or the ART. This is because the VRB and ART only have jurisdiction to review decisions if a statute confers jurisdiction upon them.

If you are unsure under which Act the decision was made, you should contact us.

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Contact us

If you are unhappy with a RAP decision, you can contact us to talk about it.

Our staff will:

  • explain why your application was declined
  • talk you through the process to apply again, if you have additional evidence
  • tell you if the decision was made under the DRCA, the MRCA or the Treatment Principles.

Reapply

If you have new or updated supporting documents, you can reapply. You will need to submit a new application. Please note that we will not look at the same application twice.

Seek review in the Courts

If you do not have additional information for a new application, and you are still unhappy with our RAP decision, you may seek a review in the Courts.

For further information on applying to the Federal Circuit Court or the Federal Court, please see the Courts’ websites:

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