Confirmation from a professional
The confirmation from a professional should broadly confirm the individual’s conditions, disabilities, or needs. It can only come from professionals.
For example, the confirmation may provide details on:
- a diagnosis, where an individual has been diagnosed
- a treatment being received, such as medication or physiotherapy
- steps taken to find out about the individual’s condition and make a diagnosis
- aids and equipment that an individual uses to manage daily life
- an individual’s needs where they do not have a diagnosis
The application process encourages every individual who applies for PADP to provide a confirmation from a professional.
If confirmation from a professional has not been provided with the application, you must decide whether either
- good cause can be established
- a confirmation from a professional should be requested.
Refer to the decision tree to guide your next steps.
Refer to the Good cause section to read about what qualifies as good cause in the context of PADP.
The role of a confirmation from a professional
The confirmation from a professional only needs to broadly confirm the individual’s conditions, disabilities, or needs.
It is not necessary for this piece of supporting information to confirm:
- every detail the individual has outlined in their form
- every condition or disability they might have
- the severity of the disability or condition, or their level of needs
- the individual’s formal diagnosis
The confirmation might also provide additional details on the impact the condition or disability has on the individual’s day-to-day life. You should not expect this. This level of detail would be expected from additional supporting information.
If the confirmation from a professional that is available contains additional details, you must not disregard these but should consider them separately when establishing the individual’s entitlement and needs