• System overly complex
• People unaware of available support
• Frustration and distress common
• Community consultation important

One of New Zealand’s largest providers of Individualised Funding services for disabled people, Presbyterian Support Northern’s (PSN), is calling for greater clarity on what disability support is available for people with disabilities.

It is also encouraging people with disabilities and their carers to provide feedback on the Government’s community consulation on disability support services.

PSN is hearing of more and more people who are not aware of what disability funding they’re entitled to and therefore missing out on vital support.

A worst case scenario involved a client who had been financially supported by her parents for 52 years because they were unaware of what support was available to them and her.

PSN’s general manager for Enliven, Wendy Hoskin, says the disability system is complex with no single entry point for accessing the support information people need.

“Depending on your diagnosis, you may have to get different information from a Needs Assessment and Service Coordination organisation, Income Support, a behavioural service, paediatric services or educational services for example. Because there are so many organisations involved it is difficult for clients to get the full information they need.

“The system needs to be made as easy as possible for families to not only access funding, but also information on what the funding can be used for.”

PSN’s Individualised Funding service works with clients from as young as five-weeks-old right up to 80-years-old.

“Even when families have secured disability support funding, it can be challenging to understand exactly how it can be used due to unclear definition of criteria,” says Hoskin.

“This is adding to people’s distress. We need to have a simple, straight forward and easy to understand system.”

While the government has started a community consultation from February 10 until 24 March 2025 that’s focused on improving disability support services, Hoskin says it’s important that families get on top of any funding issues as soon as they can.

“We strongly advice that families reach out to organisations such as PSN’s Enliven Individual Funding service. We encourage people to sit with us and learn about how they can use their funding and use it in a way that best meets their needs.”

To help raise awareness of the Enliven Individualised Funding service, PSN is running a three-month campaign aimed at promoting the types of funding support disabled people are entitled to depending on their needs.

About Individualised Funding
Individualised Funding is a way of managing the payment of government-funded disability support services. An individual’s needs are assessed by a Needs Assessment and Services Coordination organisation, which allocates support.

This translates into an annual budget, which allows an individual to organise disability support funds in a flexible way that works best for them.

Individualised Funding allows disabled people, or their agents, to choose and employ the support workers they want to provide: personal care, household management, respite care and support that allows them to be involved in their community.

Enliven supports people with all aspects of managing personal budgets for personal cares, household management and respite care. It can also provide a support plan, budgeting, employment documentation and a comprehensive wages service.

About Enliven Northern 
Enliven Northern is a leading and innovative provider of at-home and community services for older people and people with disabilities. Most people want to stay at home as long as they can, which is a key focus for Enliven. Our focus is on working alongside people to achieve their independence goals. Enliven is the health and disability arm of Presbyterian Support Northern, a charity that also provides the well-known and trusted social services Family Works, Lifeline, and Shine.

For more, visit

https://www.enlivennorthern.org.nz/

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