Arrow Right Arrow Left Bsky Calendar Close Facebook Home Instagram LinkedIn Members Hub Newsletter Plus Search Toggle X

Submissions

Ministry of Social Development Disability Support Services Community Consultation

Posted 38 days ago by Samuel Less than a minute to read

Print

To: Ministry of Social Development
Date: March 2025

 

Purpose

This submission’s purpose is to address significant concerns regarding recent changes to disability support provision, which have led to reduced choice and participation for disabled people. DPA advocates for a fundamental shift in how needs are assessed and support is allocated, emphasising person-directed, flexible, and rights-based approaches grounded in Te Tiriti o Waitangi, the UNCRPD, the New Zealand Disability Strategy, and Enabling Good Lives Principles.

Summary of DPA submission

DPA highlights that since March 18 last year, disabled people have reported experiencing reduced choice and ability to participateand be fully included in their communities due to cuts to disability support provision. The 2023 New Zealand Disability Survey statistics further emphasise this concern, showing high levels of unmet need (62% of disabled New Zealanders had unmet needs in at least one of eight areas), indicating the situation was already serious before the recent restrictions. DPA reiterates that government obligations under the UNCRPD are not just about keeping disabled people alive, but also about upholding their rights to fully participate in society as citizens.

DPA does not support either Option 1 or Option 2 for flexible funding (linking funding to a plan with oversight or adjusting lists of what can/can't be funded), arguing these are not genuinely flexible and imply that disabled people and their families cannot be trusted to spend wisely. DPA states that prescriptive lists remove the necessary flexibility for disabled people to live their lives freely, and that disabled people should have the same rights as other government funding recipients to spend their budgets responsibly with limited auditing.

DPA does not support the introduction of strict criteria for receiving flexible funding, advocating instead that funding should be based on principles of trust, autonomy, and dignity, with the aim of enabling disabled people to live good lives without additional bureaucracy. They also disagree with the premise that the cost of flexible funding should not be more expensive than other ways to get support, arguing that wider fiscal costs and the negative downstream impacts of inadequate support (e.g., disabled people remaining in hospitals or prisons) must be factored into the equation.

DPA recommends a shift in assessment processes and practices to be person-directed, relationship-enhancing, Te Tiriti-based, and recognising diverse needs. Assessors should be highly skilled in the social and human rights models of disability.

DPA recommends that support budgets reflect the aspirations and choices of the individual, family, or carer, and be flexible and person-centred. They advocate that disabled people must have the final say about what 'good support' looks like, in partnership with their family/whānau or carers where appropriate.

DPA supports the needs of carers being specifically assessed alongside disabled people, believing this can greatly enhance and value their role, and recommends respite be available to all carers as a right.

 

Key Recommendation/Finding:

DPA's central recommendation is that all decisions taken by government around this consultation reflect the principles and values of Te Tiriti O Waitangi, the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, Enabling Good Lives, and the New Zealand Disability Strategy.

 

Supporting Statement 1:

The right of disabled people to fully participate in society as citizens forms the foundation not only of the UNCRPD but also of the New Zealand Disability Strategy and Enabling Good Lives principles of individual autonomy, dignity, self-determination, choice, and control.

 

Supporting Statement 2:

The changes announced on March 18 last year severely undermined and impacted the ability of tangata whaikaha (disabled Māori) to enjoy the full rights conferred to them and their whānau under Te Tiriti, and there are high levels of unmet need in several areas of life for disabled New Zealanders.

 
 

Download

DPA Submission 2503 Ministry of Social Development Disability Support Services Community Consultation (DOCX)

Related submissions

Related content