Fears aired over disability cuts

The Government’s recent cuts to the disability sector have left many scared they will not be able to access the support they need.

At a public meeting in Palmerston North yesterday, fears and frustrations were aired as disabled people, their whānau and carers spoke of the “trauma” they felt after the changes were announced on March 18.

The sudden news was posted to social media by Whaikaha, the Ministry of Disabled People, without any community consultation.

The changes impacted the purchasing rules for disabled people and their carers, limiting what they could buy.

Friday’s meeting, organised by the MidCentral Enabling Good Lives leadership team, began with a karakia and slideshow about why the changes happened.

Panel member Natt McLean said prior to Whaikaha becoming a standalone ministry, it had been part of the Ministry of Health.

If funds were overspent, the ministry was able to top them up. But after it transitioned to its own standalone organisation that was not possible.

She said in Budget 2023, $200m had been included for the disability sector, but an additional 3000 people were brought into the disability system and this money had gone to them.

These people had previously been living isolated and without support.

Peter Allen, who was part of the MidCentral regional leadership group for Enabling Good Lives, said Whaikaha was close to being $65m in the “red zone” at the end of the financial year.

Disabilities Minister Penny Simmonds said funding was set to run out in “days” after the changes were announced. She first knew of funding issues in December, but said the Government wasn’t going to increase funding to maintain support for disabled people and their families “because the Government’s coffers are not an endless open pit”.

But with services now on “pause” while changes were considered, those in the disability community told the meeting their lives were in limbo.

A microphone was passed around allowing people to “vent” their frustrations and many people opened up about the struggles they endured. One woman broke down as she told the crowd the restrictions would significantly impact her family. As a solo mum part of her disabled son’s budget was spent on a five-hour drive to his grandparents so he could stay there for a weekend.

It was the only place they could get some respite.

“I can’t understand how I can do that now ... my son deserves to have that.”

There was a lot of confusion about what people were allowed to buy, and many said there was a lack of clarity around the new rules. They were critical of the ministry and said the way the changes were rolled out had left them traumatised.

More than 26,000 people had signed a petition asking for the changes to be reconsidered. Allen said the ministry was “very aware of the chaos they have created in our community” and was working on creating clearer guidelines.

He was unsure when those would be released.

An email from Minister of Finance Nicola Willis was also shared with the room, which said it was “important to highlight” no disabled person would lose access to funding for essential items.

This was met with scepticism, with one woman asking: “Who decides what is essential?”

Willis earlier told media any future decisions by the ministry on funding would need to be signed off by Cabinet.

Another public meeting would be held at the Community Leisure Centre on Ferguson St on Monday at 6pm.