The Napthine government is expected to pass a bill in the lower house to raise rents for disabled people two months after promising to scrap a planned 50 per cent rent hike for those in supported accommodation.
The government initially backed down after more than 2000 residents with disabilities began legal proceedings in the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal
Among them were South Kingsville couple Peter and Georgina Mountford, whose son Julian would be $5000 short if forced to pay 75 per cent of his disability pension on rent. The changes also affect Stephen Lennon and his son, Declan, in Altona Meadows.
The government bill introduced this month will stop families challenging higher rents at VCAT unless the rises are above the consumer price index.
Mr Mountford, who had predicted September’s turnaround was just “round one” in a battle, said he and his wife wanted to ensure their adult son could have a reasonable life when they weren’t around.
In September, a spokesman for Disability Services Minister Mary Wooldridge said the Department of Human Services withdrew the initial fee increase bid because it was unwilling to put families through litigation.
Ms Wooldridge said the new changes would provide residents with a single, transparent fee.
“The changes also enable people living in government-managed disability residential services to access and contribute Commonwealth rent assistance towards the cost of their residential charge.’’
The bill is expected to pass through the upper house with the support of Coalition MPs.
