STOP DRIVING DISABLED CHILDREN INTO POVERTY
The state discriminates disproportionately against disabled people, including children, and locks them into poverty.
More than one in five disabled children are burdened with material hardship (poverty), and nearly one in ten experience severe hardship. These rates are much higher than for non-disabled children pointing to systemic discrimination – and this inequity has increased rapidly since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.
This hardship is not experienced equally across groups. Tamariki Māori have inequitably high reported disability rates. Moreover, it is likely that the rates of disability for both tamariki Māori and Pacific children are higher than is reported.
RECOMMENDED POLICY ACTIONS
Increase financial support for disabled children to adequate levels
Substantially increase financial supports for disabled children to fully cover the extra everyday living costs associated with having a disability.
That is, immediately increase
The Child Disability Allowance to restore its original (1978) value, fully indexed annually. In 2022, this would have lifted it from $52.76 to ~$82 per week.
The Disability Allowance to an adequate fixed rate ($72.10 retrospectively, fully indexed from when this amount was set), not requiring receipts, to all eligible people, and ensure it is fully indexed annually.
The National Travel Assistance Scheme (NTAS) from 28c/km to 83c/km (the current IRD self-employed guideline), and index it to the IRD rate in future.
Ongoing Resource Scheme (ORS) funding to cover adequately all children who are disabled, and extend this scheme to all disabled children in early childhood care and education (ECCE).
The Out of School Care and Recreation (OSCAR) subsidy rate for those children also receiving the Child Disability Allowance.
Mandate Whaikaha to commission independent research and focus groups to establish actual disability costs. Review this every 2 years.
Ensure all families have liveable incomes.
2. Ensure all whānau receive timely and adequate disability-related support appropriately tailored to them and their child. Simplify the mechanisms and improve accountability for identifying, finding and accessing supports for disability and for reducing inequities
Establish one disability centre within each relevant Ministry: Education, Social Development, Health, each reporting to Whaikaha. Resource Whaikaha to create an effective integrated data system supporting families with disabled children so that data on education, housing, health, and financial assistance are all together, to see what’s missing, and what might be needed in future.
Resource and mandate Whaikaha to be responsible for coordination for each whānau and family who needs it, including navigators to help families through diagnosis, needs assessment, and securing funding.
Resource and mandate Whaikaha to collect data and report annually on progress towards equity of uptake of tailored supports, by ethnicity, location and socioeconomic disadvantage.
Whaikaha and Te Whautu Ora to ensure needs assessment services are joined up across the country and use the same systems for assessing and allocating funding in each locality.
Resource and mandate Whaikaha to ensure all families get the Child Disability Allowance for their disabled children – via actively promoting it, prioritising appropriate targeted promotion for equity groups, and monitoring and reporting its provision.
Resource all disability support programmes (e.g. Respite, Carer Support, Enabling Good Lives) adequately and ensure equity of access throughout the country.
Whaikaha and Te Whatu Ora to engage in commissioning processes that privilege disabled people and disabled-led organisations.
3. Improve professional expertise and support
Mandate specialised training in disability needs for all professionals who have face-to-face interactions with families of disabled children, such as teachers in ECCE, schools, care-givers (including in after-school care), GPs and other community health professionals, social workers, Work and Income staff, etc. Ensure all are well informed about disability supports, and have a clear process for assisting families.
Establish clear and easy-to-access feedback procedures for families with disabilities to give feedback and complaints about their treatment – without retribution.
IMPACTS AND INDICATORS
If implemented, these actions would be steps towards moving Aotearoa to be a nation where all children and families flourish free from poverty.
Disabled children will be no more likely to experience material hardship than other children. Indicator: StatsNZ child poverty statistics.
Disabled children will have better life outcomes on average than they do currently. Indicators: StatsNZ Disability Surveys and NEET statistics.
Stopping the impoverishment of disabled children, whānau and families is an essential step towards:
The Crown addressing te Tiriti o Waitangi obligations
New Zealand meeting its obligations under the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
New Zealand meeting its targets for UN Sustainable Development Goal 1: “End Poverty in All Its Forms Everywhere”; Goal 2: “End Hunger”; and Goal 10: “Reduce inequality”.
The national vision “that New Zealand be the best place in the world for children and young people”.
Disability funding ‘pause’ causes confusion, trauma, and disbelief