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British Columbia Financing Options for Wheelchair Accessible Vehicles |
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Funding for wheelchair accessible vehicles varies across the country. In every province and territory, there are a number of groups who will provide financial aid if their requirements are met. The following groups are some of the sources who currently offer financial assistance to someone in British Columbia who is purchasing a wheelchair accessible minivan or equipment that will modify a minivan.
Bulletin SST 070 - Motor Vehicles Modified to Accommodate Persons with a Disability: Social Service Tax Act http://www.sbr.gov.bc.ca/documents_library/bulletins/sst_070.pdf. According to the Social Service Tax Act, the PST may be reduced when purchasing an eligible, modified, new or used passenger van which was altered to transport disabled individuals who use wheelchairs or wish to drive. This PST concession is for a leased or purchased van that was acquired through the first retail sale or lease of the vehicle since it was modified, manufactured, or had assistive devices (such as driving controls for those with special needs) installed in it. Calculations of how much the PST will be reduced by are based on whether the van has been leased or purchased. Telephone: 604-660-4524 Cerebral Palsy Support Foundation of Canada http://www.cpsc.ca/fundinfo.html. The Cerebral Palsy Support Foundation of Canada may provide funding for assistive devices in vehicles to people with Cerebral Palsy and other disabilities that affect their mobility. The Foundation’s support must be used as a last resort. The charity is also willing to become a co-funder when other financial resources have been obtained, but further assistance is needed. The maximum amount of support that a successful applicant can receive per year is $1,000. When funding is unavailable, a Funds Pending List acts as a waiting list for those who have the necessary qualifications for the charity’s aid. Cerebral Palsy Support Foundation of Canada Telephone: 905-259-3421 Chrysler’s Automobility Program has been extended for 2009. The manufacturer offers a $750 reimbursement if a person with disabilities purchases assistive devices for a wheelchair accessible van. Verification of the disability and of the modifications made to the purchased van are required. Please call Chrysler Automobility for more information prior to purchasing a van. Telephone: 1-800-265-6908 Federal Excise Gasoline Tax Refund Program http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/E/pbg/ef/xe8/xe8-09b.pdf. People with permanent mobility challenges who are medically certified as being unable to use public transportation are eligible to receive a refund on a portion of the federal excise tax on gas. The rate used to decide this refund is $0.015 per litre or $0.0015 per kilometre. The gasoline must be for your personal use only. Claims for less than $200 should be submitted by June 30 (if the gas was purchased between January to June 30) or by December 31 (if the gas was purchased between June 31 to December 31). Claims will only be accepted one month late. Refunds of more than $200 can be made at any time within the two years after the gas was purchased, though only one claim can be made per month. Refunds for less than $5 will not be honoured. Toll free telephone: 1-877-432-5472 Federal Income Tax: Eligible Medical Expenses (2008) http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/E/pub/tg/rc4064/ or http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/E/pub/tg/rc4064/rc4064-08e.pdf.
Telephone: 1-800-959-8281 http://www.ford.ca/app/fo/en/special_offers/mobility.do. For a limited time, the Ford Mobility program offers up to $1,000 in financial assistance to be put towards vehicle modifications when a new Ford is leased or purchased by someone with mobility challenges. Only specific modifications or equipment (like wheelchair lifts and adaptive driving equipment) are eligible to receive aid. All other alterations must receive Ford’s approval. Modifications have to be made to the vehicle within the six months following its delivery. Other conditions, such as the need for a doctor’s note verifying the disability, also apply to this offer. Telephone: 1-800-387-7944
http://www.givinginaction.ca/ourprograms/familyindependencefund.htm. Giving in Action’s Family Independence Fund may give financial assistance to families who have family members with developmental disabilities living with them, when they modify a vehicle for wheelchair access. This assistance would come in the form of a one time grant. The maximum amount of funding for vehicles in this program is $25,000. Preference is given to applicants who show that the funds are just one part of a plan that addresses the disabled individual’s future. This aid must accompany, not duplicate, government assistance. Application for Family Independence Fund:
http://www.givinginaction.ca/ourprograms/specialneeds.htm. This charity’s Children and Youth Special Needs Fund grants financial aid for vehicle modifications to children up to 19 years of age who live at home. The children or teens must have disabilities that affect their health, cognition, sensory motor skills, ability to communicate, and behavioural, social, and/or emotional development. The maximum amount that a client may receive for a vehicle is $25,000. This fund is intended to be used in addition to or instead of government assistance. It cannot be used to duplicate government aid. Please be advised that this organization is not accepting any more applications for this Fund for 2009. However, funding may be provided in the future. Toll free telephone: 1-866-523-3157 http://www.gm.ca/gm/english/corporate/offers/mobility-program/overview. The GM Mobility Program is a joint effort with Bridgepoint Community Rehab Drive Assessment and Training Center and Saint Elizabeth Health Care. The manufacturer may reimburse customers who adapt eligible GM vehicles up to $1,000, even if other funding has been secured. Please contact GM Canada Mobility for more information about receiving assistance. Telephone: 1-800-463-7483 GST/HST Specially Equipped Motor Vehicle Rebate http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/E/pbg/gf/gst518/README.html. The GST or HST that was paid or is owed on the modifications of a converted van may be reimbursed. The application for this rebate must be submitted within four years after the tax was paid or became due. Those individuals who have leased their modified vans then opted to purchase them may also apply. GST/HST Specially Equipped Motor Vehicle Rebate application: GST/HST credit telephone: 1-800-959-1953 People with physical disabilities may be reimbursed up to $600 by Honda Canada for the purchase of qualified adaptive equipment in select vans. Please contact a Honda dealership for an application and more information about the program, as well as customer, equipment, and vehicle eligibility. Find a Honda dealer: http://www.honda.ca/HondaCA2006/Dealers/default.htm?L=E. Customer Relations: 1-888-946-6329 http://www.kia.ca/offers/details/BC. Kia Canada’s Mobility Program offers up to $750 to people with disabilities to assist them with buying and installing adaptive equipment on their vans. Please contact a KIA dealer for more information. Find a Kia dealer: http://www.kia.ca/dealers. Kia Customer Assistance: 1-877-542-2886 Some Kin Canada clubs may provide funding for individuals who are buying wheelchair accessible vans. Please call your local club to determine if it can help. Kin Canada club listing (mailing addresses only): Kin Canada club and district website listings (Individual club websites will provide phone numbers): http://www.lexus.ca/lexus/experience/en/home/whatsnew/whatsnew_archive.jsp#mobility. The Lexus Mobility Program may assist people who have mobility challenges when they purchase or lease new Lexus vehicles. The program offers customers up to $1,000 for the purchase and installation of adaptive driving aids, a wheelchair lift, and more. The modifications must be made to the vehicle within the four months after it was delivered. This assistance can be combined with other valid Lexus consumer incentives. Please consult the manufacturer’s local sales departments for more information. Find a Lexus dealer: https://www.lexus.ca/lexus/experience/en/dealerSearch/findadealer/dealer_main.jsp. Telephone: 1-800-265-3987 Each chapter is different, but your local Lions Club may offer financial assistance to people purchasing a wheelchair accessible van. Lions Club locator: http://lionsclubs.org/EN/find-a-club.php. Ministry of Housing and Social Development: Special Transportation Subsidy http://www.mhr.gov.bc.ca/programs/other.htm#sts. The Special Transportation Subsidy is for people who receive disability allowances and are eligible to receive the province’s Bus Pass, but whose disabilities prevent them from using public transportation. This Subsidy is part of BC Employment and Assistance: Additional Assistance for British Columbians in Need, which is found under the Ministry of Housing and Social Development. In order to qualify for the program, you will need documents that verify that the individual’s disability does not allow him or her to use public transportation, as well as describe what kind of transportation he or she needs. Motor Fuel Tax Refund (provincial) The taxes that are paid on fuel for your vehicle may be eligible for a provincial refund if you are permanently disabled, over 16 years of age, and the owner or lessee of a van. The size of the refund will be determined by the amount of taxes paid, but an individual may receive up to $500 per year. Applicants have to register with the Fuel Tax Refund Program for Persons with Disabilities prior to making a claim. Receipts for each fuel purchase must be submitted with the refund application, but for the first claim only, the program will accept documents such as account statements and debit or credit card receipts. This claim can only be made for one owned or leased vehicle within four years of the fuel tax payment. Application form for registering in the Fuel Tax Refund Program for Persons with Disabilities: Toll free telephone: 1-877-388-4440 Insurance Corporation of British Columbia’s Autoplan Disability Discount http://www.icbc.com/Insurance/insura_savemo_disabl_howtoa.asp. After your application for the Motor Fuel Tax Refund has been approved, you can take the registration number that you are given and apply for the Autoplan Disability Discount. You will also need your vehicle licence (i.e. ownership) and your Owner’s Certificate of Insurance when applying. This discount can be applied retroactively. Please discuss this refund with your Autoplan broker. Telephone: 1-800-663-3051 Muscular Dystrophy Canada – Mobility Equipment Program http://www.muscle.ca/western-canada/services/mobility-equipment-program.html. Muscular Dystrophy Canada helps their registered clients by providing funds for the modifications made to their vans that cost under $5,000. The organization asks that clients apply for this financial assistance and include with their application documents such as a letter from an occupational or physical therapist explaining why the van or its conversions are needed, two quotes from separate vendors, and information about other funding that the client has secured. Toll free telephone: 1-800-366-8166 President’s Choice Children’s Charity http://www.presidentschoice.ca/ChildrensCharity/HowToApply.aspx. President’s Choice Children’s Charity aids families with children under 18 who have developmental or physical disabilities. Household income (must be under $70,000), diagnoses of the disabilities, and vendor quotes are among some of the criteria that will determine the level of support granted. The average amount of funding received by successful applicants is $9,000; the most that may be granted is $20,000. PC Children’s Charity requests that other funding sources be found prior to requesting their financial assistance. President’s Choice Children’s Charity financial assistance form: Telephone: 1-866-996-9918 Religious organizations may provide funding. Please discuss this possibility with someone who may be able to help at your place of worship. Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus Association of BC (SBHABC) Members of the Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus Association of BC can apply to their Equipment Fund for the vehicle modifications (such as lifts) that they require as a result of their condition. Successful applicants to the Fund may receive up to $1,000 per year, but must have tried to obtain financial assistance from all possible funding sources prior to applying. SBHABC will not provide funding for expenses that are covered by insurance or medical plans. Application form for SBHABC’s Equipment Fund: Telephone: 604-878-7000 http://www.toyota.ca/cgi-bin/WebObjects/WWW.woa/21/wo/ The Toyota Mobility Program offers $1,000 in financial assistance to people who have disabilities when they purchase qualified Toyotas that are modified for accessibility. This allowance is intended to fund the cost of installing mobility aids or adaptive driving equipment inside the vehicle. Applications for assistance can be requested from Toyota salespeople when the vehicle is delivered. Official documentation about the disability and proof that the modifications were completed are required. The completed application must be returned to the manufacturer within twelve months of purchase. Find a Toyota dealer: Telephone: 1-888-869-6828 Variety – The Children’s Charity http://www.variety.bc.ca/our_beneficiaries.php?page=icanprogram. Variety - The Children’s Charity offers grants for children up to 19 years old who have disabilities and live in British Columbia. Vehicle ramps, lifts, and tie-downs are some of the equipment covered under their Heart of Variety Fund: Wheelchairs and Hydraulic Wheelchair Lifts. An applicant for Variety’s funding is required to provide information such as family income, a diagnosis of their disability, and quotes on the accessibility equipment that they need. Income will be one of the factors which determine the amount of funding that will be provided. Toll free telephone (BC): 1-800-381-2040 Veterans who have disabilities may be able to receive funding from Veteran Affairs Canada depending on their coverage and an assessment. Please call this government department for more information. Toll free telephone: 1-866-522-2122 Volkswagen Mobility Access Program Volkswagen Canada offers up to $1,000 back to customers with disabilities who purchase new adaptive equipment, such as wheelchair lifts and pedal extenders, for their 2008-2009 models. Clients are required to complete application forms and send them to the company within 120 days of purchasing the vehicle. Please call Volkswagen’s Information Centre for more details about the program and whether the specific equipment and vehicle that you are interested in are eligible for financial assistance. Telephone: 1-800-822-8987 Workers’ Compensation Board of B.C. (also known as WorkSafeBC) Volume II – Chapter 10: Medical Assistance: Policy 77.27 - Home and Vehicle Modifications; page 19: A worker who has suffered a serious injury may receive compensation if he or she requires modifications, such as lifts or hand controls, to a vehicle. He or she may also receive funding to help purchase a vehicle if their disability requires it. This financial assistance will either be considered rehabilitation or health care benefit expenses. More conditions apply. Vehicle Modifications Assessment claims form: Toll free telephone: 1-888-967-5377 |
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