Leaked document reveals further attacks on disabled community by the government
Please share our concerns with your local MP
A leaked document published by Parents of Vision Impaired NZ, indicates the government is seeking to severely restrict and reduce access to residential services for disabled people and increase the administrative burden of needs assessments.
The document - which you can see in full here - suggests that instead of residential care, there will be “community-based alternatives to residential care”. It isn’t clear what this means.
What is clear, is that disabled people and families WILL be having their allocations cut and reduced:
This sentiment is reiterated again at the end of the document:
If a NASC or EGL site is tracking above its indicative or fixed budget, it can bring annual reviews forward in order to reduce spending.
It is clear from this document that the government is looking to severely curtail disabled people’s lives and restrict and reduce allocated supports.
Additional risks have been identified by the advocates at PVI which we encourage you to read here.
At Awhi Ngā Mātua we agree that these risks are very valid and we stand against this worry change. At a time when parents and carers have suffered so many attacks by this government it seems particularly cruel to have to restrict respite even further than it already has been restricted.
We are genuinely very worried about severe burnout in the parent and carer community - we have raised this with Minister Louise Upston multiple times.
Given the cuts to mental health and counselling services and restrictions on respite we are very concerned that there are limited options for at risk families now.
We have further questions to add about the document that we hope will be answered by the minister -
Is this Government planning to cap the number of disabled people who will receive government support? If so, we believe it's time for them to come clean. How will they decide who gets support and who doesn't?
We also want to know who was (and is) on the review panel that will make important decisions around budgets and funding for residential care and community packages. Who appointed them and what are their credentials? Are any of the people on the panel disabled or carers or parents of disabled people?
Advocate Colleen Brown (Kai Tahu) has good advice, she says: "We must beware of the phrases in Section 1 of this paper – Managing residential care within fixed expenditure outcomes. What does ‘maximum possible control’ and people being ‘prioritised’ as well as disabled people being in environments that are no more ‘restrictive than is justified or appropriate’ mean?”
“This jargon speak is distracting and confusing. On the one hand this paper – written by unknown author - says disabled people will have control over their lives and then it follows on to talk about the financial constraints being imposed.”
It appears disabled people can have choices as long as it fits with what the government thinks you should have within the budget they determine.
The best way you can help is to contact your local MP and talk to them about this.
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Let’s talk about consultation
All disability and parent and carer advocates have been talking about the lack of dialogue and care this government has for the disabled community. Every decision made about us has been made without us.
The government has finally said they will consult with families - but we want to be clear about what consultation means to our community.
The government knows what we want.
Disabled people and families have for decades been clear about what we want.
There have been so many, many documents, reviews, consultation rounds and papers outlining what disabled people and their families want and need. We have been very clear about what we don’t want.
Reviews, reports and statements like the UN Convention on the Rights of Disabled People, the Abuse in Care Report and Enabling Good Lives principles all describe in detail what we need and what we want.
As has been stated by discussion papers - “Not only is what people want well described – but, how this can happen in practice has also been co-developed in the three EGL sites and in the high-level design process”.
We do not want to be tied up in years of consultation without support - it is unneeded.
This government knows what is needed very well. They also know what they need to do to implement what is needed. It’s up to them whether or not they listen.
Further reading:
has a A bumper edition of disability news.The crime of being intellectually disabled
Disabled people left reeling after shock restructure of Whaikaha - Ministry of Disabled People
NEGL guidance to leaders working for positive change at this challenging time
will have to update her post listing all of the attacks on the disabled community, and their parents, and carers. has a great post National’s Shame has two fantastic posts We didn't vote for this and The cruelty of punitive sanctions. has two perfect posts - Clamping down on the disabled community and The Lobby League vs Bottom-Feeding Beneficiaries.Finally, I think it would be useful to leave you with a comment by
at The Kākā:But I have begun to realise the constant barrage of outrages is not a bug within the current Government. It’s a feature. It is designed to distract, overwhelm and defeat those wanting to try or at least examine other policies, especially ones backed by actual evidence and that haven’t been tried before and failed before.
If you’re feeling overwhelmed it’s because it’s overwhelming.
It’s really hard right now. You are not alone and you are valued - no matter what messages you might be getting from this government.
Lifeline Aotearoa is a free support and mental health counselling service. Call them on 0800 Lifeline Or Free Text Help (4357). Our DMs are always open if you want to vent on the Awhi Facebook or Instagram page.
AS A SIGHT IMPAIRED PERSON, WITH 54 YRS WORKLIFE BEHIND ME,NEVER ASKING ONE TIME FOR HELP FOR EXPENSIVE SPECIALISED GLASSES, I AM OFFENDED TO THE CORE BY ALL THAT HAS BEEN EXPOSED HERE! WE ARE ON OUR WAY BACK TO 1990s, AND HAVING TO 'JUSTIFY OUR VERY EXISTENCE, TO PEOPLE WHO CAN NO MORE PRONOUNCE NOR SPELL THE COMPLEXITIES OF MEDICAL, PHYSICAL, INTELECTUAL, EMOTIONAL OR SPITITUAL COMPLEXITIES, LET ALONE 'ASSESS IN LIGHT OF THOSE OUTLINED IN DOCTORS CETIFICATES', WHAT ANY DISABLED PERSON IS CAPABLE OF, OR NOT! DO THEY NOT UNDERSTAND THAT SO MANY PEOPLE OF DISABILITY CANNOT BE 'ENGAGED WITH IN DISCUSSION TO 'PRIORITISE' THEIR NEEDS? DOES THE IMPLICATION I DRAW FROM THIS DOCUMENT WHICH SAYS, 'CONSIDER REMOVAL OF SUPPORTED LIVING ALOCATIONS WHERE A PERSON IS NO LONGER DEVELOPING OR MAINTAINING SKILLS.' READ THAT OUT LOUD, AND IT TELLS US HOW LITTLE THE WRITER OF THE DOCUMENT REALLY UNDERSTANDS ABOUT ANY SEVERE, OR EVEN MY DISABILITY.........IN THE WORDS OF EDWIN STARR, ABSOLUTELY NOTHING!! AM THE GUY BADGERED FOR 'MY DRIVER'S LICENCE' AT MSD. LORD HAVE MERCY ON A NON VERBAL, NO VOICE, AND NO CHOICE 'CLIENT"!!! FEEL FREE TO QUOTE THIS. NOTHING ABOUT US, WITHOUT US! WE CAN STOP THEM.
This is the result of the “fixed budget” National have imposed on disability services. Whaikaha was a new organisation and had not yet fully understood demand for the services it committed providing — in part because their establishment resulted in an increase of people seeking support as it was made more accessible and transparent. This was a success that was improving the lives of disabled people and facilitating them to participate in society, including as employees contributing tax. The NZACT government have tried to paint it as a financial failure of the previous government and due to their insanely burdensome tax cut commitments cannot afford to continue to expand things like health and disability to support our growing population.
As always, the most vulnerable people will suffer so the wealthy can prosper.