Disability in New Zealand

Ministry-funded Services

Disability Services, part of the Health and Disability National Services Directorate, is only one of a number of agencies providing support and services for disabled people.

Ministry-funded service include:

Needs Assessment and Service Co-ordination services (NASC)
NASCs are organisations contracted to the Ministry of Health to work with disabled people to help identify their needs and to outline what disability support services are available. They allocate Ministry-funded support services and assist with accessing other supports.

Disability Information Advisory Service (DIAS)
The Ministry of Health funds a number of organisations throughout the country to provide disability information and advice in the form of a DIAS. Some of these services are individual regional organisations while others provide information through a national network.

Environmental Support Services (ESS)
Environmental Support Services are a range of services funded by the Ministry of Health.
Equipment and Modifications Service (EMS) – Equipment such as wheelchairs, hoists, hearing aids, cochlear implants, spectacles; housing modifications such as door widening, ramp access and level access showers; vehicle purchase and modifications
Hearing Services - Children’s Hearing Aids, Cochlear Implants, Hearing Aid Subsidy
Vision Services – Children’s Spectacle Subsidy, Contact Lens Subsidy,
Specialised Assessment Services - Wheelchair and Seating, Assistive Technology / Specialist Communication
Specialised Assessor Training - Wheelchair and Seating
Other supports - Wigs and Breast Prostheses, Artificial Eyes

Information on equipment and modifications

Disability Services manages a number of services in this area. The two service providers for equipment and modification services are:

Accessable for people living in the Auckland/Northland region
Enable New Zealand for people living in the rest of New Zealand.

Home and Community Support Services (HCSS)
Home and Community support services are one of a range of support services paid for by the Ministry of Health to help disabled people to live at home. HCSS include household management and personal care.

Respite and Carer Support
Respite services are one of a range of support services paid for by the Ministry of Health. Respite services are available to disabled people and to carers, family and whanau whose primary role involves the care and support of a disabled family member. Carer support is a subsidy funded by the Ministry of Health to assist the unpaid, full-time carer of a disabled person to take a break from caring for that person.

Child Development Services
Child Development Services are non-medical, multidisciplinary allied health and community based services. They focus on early intervention for pre-school children who have disabilities or who are not achieving developmental milestones. They also encourage and help each child to achieve their potential. They work with other agencies involved in providing services to children to ensure that the Child Development Service is integrated, easily accessible and that service links and boundaries are clear. The service provides specialist assessment, intervention and management services to ensure good rehabilitation/habilitation results for children who have an intellectual, sensory or physical disability.

Child Development Services: Service Specification

Community residential support Services
Community residential support services are one of a range of support services funded by the Ministry of Health. These services assist disabled people to live in a supported community environment.

How can I access these services?
You can access most disability support services through NASC services. NASCs are agencies contracted to the Ministry of Health to assess the needs of disabled people, and co-ordinate services as required.

However, some services, including Disability Information and Advice Services , Environmental Support Services (equipment and other items), Child Development Services, and Inpatient Rehabilitation Services and can also be accessed directly.

Who is eligible and who pays for these services
The Ministry of Health funds disability support services for people with a physical, intellectual or sensory impairment or disability (or a combination of these) that is likely to continue for a minimum of six months and result in a reduction of independent function to the extent that ongoing support is required.

For specific information on eligibility for Ministry of Health disability funding, see the Ministry’s eligibility website or your local needs assessment and service co-ordination service.

Client contribution
Disability support services are largely free to those assessed as needing them, although consumers may pay part charges for some services. For example, there is a charge for some items of equipment and a person may be required to make a contribution to home modifications. Consumers do not pay for services such as needs assessment and service co-ordination, or personal care services.Disability support services are generally free for children up to the age of 16 or until they qualify for an invalid’s benefit. Some services are income and asset tested, for example people who have a Community Services Card do not pay for home help.

Which services are not funded by the Ministry of Health?
The Ministry of Health does not generally fund disability support services for people with:

personal health conditions such as diabetes or asthma
mental health and addiction conditions such as schizophrenia, severe depression or long-term addiction to alcohol and drugs
conditions more commonly associated with aging such as Alzheimer’s disease.

Disability support services are also not funded for most people with impairments such as paraplegia and brain injury caused by accident or injury. ACC has been responsible for funding these support services since 1974.

In most cases, District Health Boards fund disability support services for older people, including people with disability aged 65 and over assessed as requiring aged residential care, and those with mental health needs.

Page last updated: 1 July 2009