Jan Tinetti Labour MP

With around 27 per cent of Tauranga residents living with a disability, the announcement in Budget 2020 that there will be a massive increase in funding for disability support services will be very welcome news.

Under the previous government support services funding failed to keep pace with rising demand. The system was put under significant financial pressure which resulted in reduced access to frontline support services.

Budget 2020 has provided the largest ever funding injection for disability support services:

• $833 million to take pressure off disability support services and to ensure access to services.
• $12 million to assess innovations that empower people with disabilities.
• $4.4 million to pay for in-between travel costs for disability carers.

This announcement comes on top of the increase in funding by $211 million in our first year in government and the further $348 million in the 2019 Wellbeing Budget.

This funding is about ensuring access to support for showering, cleaning, and hands-on care; accommodation for those with high needs; equipment for mobility and access; respite for family/whanau carers; rehabilitation for people following a serious illness; and secure court-ordered care. Twelve million dollars is allocated towards transforming New Zealand's disability support system, allowing us to assess the pilot schemes that have been happening around the country.

Adequately funding disability support is fundamental to rebuilding New Zealand to be a caring, inclusive society where people with disabilities are empowered to live fulfilling lives. Budget 2020's substantial increase represents real progress towards this.