We continue to assess and allocate supports according to people’s needs

Recent media reports refer to plans to cut services and funding in the disability sector. We want to reassure our clients, their families and the community that we have not made any changes to the way we assess disability needs and allocate supports and services.

Funding landscape in the disability sector
The Ministry of Health says it has spent more on disability support each year for the last four years. This year it expects to spend approximately $101 million more than last year. The facts are that more people are needing support, and, for a range of reasons, the complexity of their needs and situations has become greater.

These changes have been occurring over a number of years, and ideally, support budgets would adjust in anticipation of those changes. The budgets haven’t kept pace with the changes but as a needs’ assessment service, we work according to those changing needs and do our best to work within the allocated funding.

The Ministry set some targets for each service and then asked us how we would achieve these targets. Each needs assessment service gave some scenarios. No decisions were made after that.

Principles of Enabling Good Lives
As well as the right resources, the support system needs to be a lot more flexible, so people and families can have real choices, and get the outcomes they want from the resources. We hope this Government’s first Wellbeing Budget will make it possible for disabled people and families to have the support they need to live the lives they choose.

We also hope for greater transparency across the health and disability system so that communities can have confidence that the available funding is being used as effectively as possible.

In the meantime, we will continue to allocate supports and services that best meet our client’s needs. If you’d like to talk about your current support package or there’s a significant change to your needs, please get in touch with us.