Immediate changes to Disability Support Funding – Have your say

March 19, 2024 | Funding, Petition, Uncategorised

Yesterday, 18 March, Whaikaha, Ministry of Disabled People announced immediate changes to disability support funding purchasing rules. These rule changes impact those on:

• Carers Support (CS)
• Individualised Funding (IF)
• Enhanced Individualised Funding (EIF)
• Choices in Community Living
• Enabling Good Lives (EGL) personal budgets.

These changes remove much of the flexibility of funding which has been a welcome relief for many disabled people and their carers. Flexibility has allowed many families to make purchases which fit their unique circumstances, challenges and availability of services.

With these changes exclusions now include (depending on what your specific funding is available for):

• All purchases of items as a form of delivering respite (including, but not limited to, consumer electronics, sporting or recreation goods that may reduce the need to take a break).
• All self-care services such as massages, pedicures and other appearance or therapeutic care that are not for the direct benefit of the disabled person.
• All expenses that are not a necessary part of supporting the disabled person while the full-time carer is taking a break.
• Gifts and other forms of recognition for support provided voluntarily.
• Travel related costs for disabled people, whānau, and/or persons providing support, including:
  • Accommodation
  • Overseas and domestic travel
  • Food

Read more about the changes and how these may affect you:

Purchasing Guidance | Whaikaha – Ministry of Disabled People

Purchasing_rules_18_March_2024.pdf (mcusercontent.com)

How can you make a stand

As we work through how these changes will impact New Zealanders there are several ways you can help to add your voice:

• Send us a message about how these changes will affect you and your family whanau.
• Complete the Carers NZ short survey to share how these changes will impact you and your family whanau: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/fundingchanges . Several hundred people have already shared their stories but don’t let that deter you! Every story counts and will show how unique each situation is and the need for flexible funding.

We are particularly disappointed as MSNZ along with Carers NZ and the 57 members of the Carers Alliance are calling on the government to increase legislative, mental and financial protections for family carers. These changes will further disadvantage the thousands of family carers who are burnt out and struggling to get access to meaningful respite support.

• We’re hoping to reach over 10,000 signatures so please add your voice to our call for change here and share with your family and friends: Petition of NZ Carers Alliance: Recognise and protect New Zealand’s family, whānau and āiga carers (petitions.parliament.nz)
• A change.org petition has been launched yesterday to call on the Government to re-evaluate these new changes. Please also add your voice: Petition · Reevaluate the Recent Changes to Whaikaha Purchasing Guidelines for Individualised Funding · Change.org