By: Alecia Rousseau
Manawatu Standard: 3:00pm, May 27, 2024
Tangi Utikere, left, and Priyanca Radhakrishan told the crowd they were doing all they could to help the disabled community.
ADELE RYCROFT / MANAWATŪ STANDARDThe Government’s cuts to disability services have left people desperate, frustrated and unable to access care, a meeting has heard.
A full house packed into the Community Leisure Centre in Palmerston North on Friday to hear from Labour’s Minister for Disability Issues Priyanca Radhakrishnan and MP Tangi Utikere.
The pair told the crowd they were aware of the devastating impact the changes to flexible funding had on people and said they were doing their best to challenge Whaikaha, the Ministry of Disabled People, on its decision.
The ministry announced in March it was changing purchasing rules for disabled people and their carers effective immediately.
This happened without consultation and was announced via Facebook.
People told the public meeting there is too much uncertainty and they are reaching breaking point.
ADELE RYCROFT / MANAWATŪ STANDARDSince then, the ministry had provided clarifications to what it says are “temporary” rules that impact things such as the purchasing of sensory items, respite care and the ability to use funding during school hours.
But Radhakrishnan said the “hurt and damage” was already done and families were reeling from the decision to take away their flexibility.
It also went against the approach of Enabling Good Lives, something that was mandated when National was previously in power.
Families had told her they were unable to pay carers to accompany them on trips or for therapy their children needed.
One woman’s story in particular stuck with Radhakrishnan.
A youth leader in Auckland had been unable to attend a gathering at Parliament because she could not take a support person with her.
Many who did go “couldn't access food, water or toilets”, she said.
The ministry had now ”walked that [restriction] back a bit” and anyone claiming those services prior to March 18 could continue doing so.
“There is a strong sense that people are just exhausted and at breaking point and this is almost pushing people over the edge frankly.”
The Minister for Disability Issues at the time, Penny Simmonds, who had since been replaced with Louise Upston, said the changes were because of financial pressures.
Pip Brunn, who is on the regional leadership group for Enabling Good Lives, says people are not getting access to the funding they’ve gone through huge processes to get.
ADELE RYCROFT / MANAWATŪ STANDARDBut Radhakrishnan said the Government should have topped up the funding, and there was a “timeline of inaction”.
“She [Simmonds] knew in December, signed a briefing on March 14 for these changes that were then announced on March 18.
“I think she dropped the ball on this and that's probably reflected in her losing her portfolio.”
Flexibility was introduced by Labour in 2022 and that saw demand increase because a number of people previously unable to access funding could now do so, she said.
“When you bring in flexibility, you then start to get the true measure or gauge of need.”
Toni ‘Ants’ Burgess told the crowd a flexible approach from Enabling Good Lives had helped her out of a wheelchair and off crutches.
Radhakrishan says the changes have impacted many people and all in different ways.
ADELE RYCROFT / MANAWATŪ STANDARDShe had gained independence and completed half-marathons, but her next four events were canned because she could no longer “koha” or pay a support person to accompany her.
She said there had been no consideration of the risk when making the changes, especially for those who were suicidal or suffering from mental health issues.
“The real life impact of this has become very very real in our city this week.”
She worked in the disability abuse sector and said they were seeing “more and more” people struggling with the ministry’s decisions.
“If people aren’t supported properly they are going to go through what I did in 2019 when I had a massive breakdown because they are not supported properly.”
The public meeting allowed disabled people to share the personal impact the chnages had on their lives.
ADELE RYCROFT / MANAWATŪ STANDARDShe “could not believe” some of the restrictions placed on whānau and their supporters.
“It’s absolutely insane. I spoke to Oranga Tamariki last year and we all know supported families are safe families.
“Here in MidCentral we had the least uplifts of disabled kids during lockdown, we know what works.”
Pip Brunn, who was on the regional leadership group for Enabling Good Lives, said people were not getting access to the funding they’d gone through “huge processes” to get.
“They’ve had to share their whole entire lives, they’ve had to justify why they should be able to leave their home.
“They’ve had to go through all of these things just to get the support they need just to survive [and] to be able to wake up the next day.”
Utikere said one thing he was hearing was the new rules “fly in the face” of Enabling Good Lives, which was about giving people greater choice and control over their lives.
“There's a fair bit of anxiety that this means that the pathway of the trajectory that we were on, which was to extend Enabling Good Lives, has now been derailed.”
Whaikaha has since admitted it had “a lot to learn” from the way it made the “confusing” announcement, and said it was committed to working with those in the sector.
An independent review into the disability support system was also under way and Upston said this was to strengthen its long-term sustainability.
- Manawatu Standard
Last Updated 27/05/2024
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