Individualised funding - Guidance and Good Practice

Date of publication: September 2003

ISBN 0-478-25802-X (Book)
ISBN 0-478-25803-8 (Website)
HP 3691

Individualised funding (IF) is an administrative arrangement for some disabled people that enables them to hold, manage or govern their own needs-assessed budgets.

IF provides the opportunity for some disabled people to manage the personal support services they require in the way that they believe meets their needs best. It is an opportunity that, up to now, most disabled people assessed as needing support services in New Zealand have not been offered.

IF is not an additional service but is a development of existing services within current Disability Services Directorate policy and budgets.

This system requires that a disabled person possesses the competence and confidence to manage their own support budget. In certain circumstances a relative or appointed person may manage the budget on their behalf. In these circumstances the ‘budget manager’ will be assessed on their ability to manage for the disabled person.

IF has enjoyed a successful history over 20 years in many OECD countries. In general it has been applied to disabled people with degrees of disability requiring extensive or complex personal support requirements.

• Around the world IF is not uniform in its application or scope.
• Some schemes exclude certain disabilities, and children or older people.
• Some schemes provide vouchers rather than cash in the bank to the IF budget-holder.
• There is a variety of forms of IF organisation ranging from voluntary and co-operative groups of disabled people to local municipalities and state-wide schemes.
• The funding used in IF schemes is from diverse sources: philanthropic foundations, state or federal funds and some is insurance-based.
• Some schemes are means tested.
• The numbers of disabled people participating in IF programmes vary from a few hundred to many thousands.

Contents

1. Introduction
How IF works
New Zealand’s IF programme and the Disability Strategy

2. IF in New Zealand Now and in the Future

3. Developing IF the New Zealand Way

4. Principles and Operational Rules

Principles underpinning the proposed IF programme for younger disabled people
Operational rules governing IF

5. Assessments

Making IF an option for younger disabled people
Setting and assessing levels of complexity
Setting New Zealand’s IF needs threshold
Assessment guidelines: helping disabled people make their choice

6. Working Together to Achieve the National Programme

The IF Agency and its responsibilities
Training responsibilities of the Agency
The NASCs and their responsibilities
The IF budget-holders and their responsibilities
The Disability Advisory Group and its responsibilities

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Individualised Funding (PDF, 430 kB)

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Related information

Funding and health expenditure