A charity supporting people caring for disabled family members says changes to support funding means they will be able to spend the money on spa pools and respite travel.
From next April, the government is removing controversial purchasing guidelines as part of changes to the disability support system.
Carers NZ chief executive Laurie Hilsgen said that will give families autonomy to pay for things they need, within their allocated budget.
"They'll be able to have more choices about how they can use the support funding that they're allocated. It's been quite restricted for a while now and some of the options that they've had to spend funding on don't work for everyone," Hilsgen said.
"The trust is restored with disabled people and families, they know what they need. They know how best to run their lives and with the support that they're allocated they're going to be trusted to do that."
Hilsgen said carers will have the flexibility to use the support funding for items like spa pools, which provide therapy, and respite-related travel.
"A spa pool has therapeutic value. Disabled people live with pain, they have chronic conditions, joint issues, mobility issues and if you're a whanau carer you're often doing some heavy lifting and managing equipment, you might be up all night supporting someone," she said.
"Without them, community based care wouldn't work so sure if they choose to spend their money on a spa pool then we should trust them that that's for the best."
Carers NZ chief executive Laurie Hilsgen. Photo: SUPPLIED
In March last year, as the Ministry of Disabled People's support services budget lurched toward another blow-out, it attempted to stem the flow of cash by limiting what disabled people could spend their money on.
The changes caused anguish within the disabled community, with a petition opposing them attracting more than 10,000 signatures in 24 hours.
It set off a series of changes, including the then-Minister for Disability Issues Penny Simmonds losing the portfolio to Louise Upston.
Upston commissioned an independent review into the system, which found the delivery of support services was inconsistent, policy settings were inappropriate and there was inadequate control of the budget.
On Wednesday, she defended Simmonds' move to introduce limits on how support funding could be spent.
"When you have a budget that's out of control, spending that's out of control and if you breach the Public Finance Act, you're breaking the law. We had a responsibility and had to act with urgency. Those are the decisions that were required and necessary at the time," Upston said.
"Literally from the day I became the Minister, it was clear to me that some of what we have announced today around consistency, around transparency, most importantly choice and control was what the disability sector wanted."
Hilsgen said carers' disability support funding would be calculated based on what they have used in the last two years - which could mean a reduction as many had been limited by the purchasing guidelines.
"We are watchful of that. Because of the restrictions, people haven't been able to necessarily use their full budgets. They haven't had enough choices, so will they only have a budget based on the restrictions they've had to live with?" she said.
"I think there's a bit of fairness and shaping that needs to happen that we all need to be part of."
Earlier this year, disabled people and their carers have reported their funding allocations being slashed by as much as 50 percent - with Carers NZ saying they are often told this is due to budgetary constraints.
Minister for Disability Issues Louise Upston. Photo: RNZ / Marika Khabazi
New Zealand Disability Support Network chief executive Debbie Hughes said the changes would give disabled people more flexibility to spend their support funding.
"The announcement today from the Minister is good news - it should lead to equitable and consistent access to disability support services throughout New Zealand," Hughes said.
"A clear process where disabled people and their families can have their needs consistently assessed, put a plan together and access the funding they need is very welcome."
She said they will be working through the detail to see how our Disability Support Provider members can work within the new system.
Labour responds
Labour's disability issues spokesperson Priyanca Radhakrishnan said National has finally reversed some of its damaging changes to disability funding.
"Disability communities fought long and hard for the return of flexible funding that was cruelly taken away by National," she said.
"Labour has been calling for flexibility to be reinstated and so while this news might offer some reprieve, I question why the Government put disabled people and their families through such pain in the first place."
Radhakrishnan said disability communities have been telling the government for years that they want better choice and control over the services they access.
"While the Government has been dithering, disabled people have been suffering unnecessarily because of its cruel changes," she said.
"Christopher Luxon should apologise for the pain he has put disabled people and their families through with his flip-flopping on flexible funding."
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