Financial assistance
Work and Income (WINZ)
You may qualify for a Supported Living Payment and/or a Community Services Card through Work and Income (WINZ). The Supported Living Payment is financial assistance for people who have, or are caring for someone with a health condition, injury or disability. A Community Services Card can help with the cost of prescriptions and other health services.
Needs Assessment & Service Co-ordination Services (NASC)
To access funded support services, you’ll need to talk to a Needs Assessment and Service Coordination Service (NASC). The goal of the needs assessment is to figure out how to maximise your independence so that you can participate as fully as possible in society. NASCs allocate Ministry-funded disability support services and help with accessing other supports. Please click here for more information and local contact details.
Individualised Funding
Individualised Funding is a very useful way of paying for disability support services such as support workers, carers and household assistance. Individualised Funding enables disabled people to directly manage the hours they are allocated for Home and Community Support Services, such as household management (e.g. cleaning, meal preparation) and personal care (e.g. getting dressed).
Individualised Funding can only be accessed via a referral from a NASC. A contracted Ministry of Health provider (e.g. Manawanui) will then provide the Individualised Funding.
Carer Support
If you’re the unpaid full-time (more than 4 hours per day) carer of a disabled person, then a Carer Support subsidy is available for you. Carer Support provides reimbursement of some of the costs of using a support person to care and support a disabled person, funded by the Ministry of Health. This means you can take some time out for yourself.
Residential Care Subsidy
If you need long-term residential care in a hospital or rest home, you may be able to get a Residential Care Subsidy from the Ministry of Health to help with the cost of care
Vehicle modification and other individual grants
The Lottery Individuals with Disabilities Fund makes grants to people with mobility-and communication-related disabilities. It may fund the purchase of a vehicle (such as a wheelchair accessible van), vehicle modifications, scooters and other mobility equipment that will provide outdoor mobility.
It also provides grants to people with communication-related disabilities for the purchase of equipment to facilitate communication. Click here for more information.
Housing modifications
The Ministry of Health provides information on the kind of house modifications that may be funded by Enable or Accessible, in order to help your home suit your needs. Please click here for more information.
Enable
Enable New Zealand funds the provision of equipment, housing alterations and vehicle modifications for people with a disability, on behalf of the Ministry of Health. Enable covers all of New Zealand below the Bombay Hills, south of Auckland.
Freephone: 0800 17 1981
Email:
Accessable
Accessable funds the provision of equipment, housing alterations and vehicle modifications for people with a disability, on behalf of the Ministry of Health. Accessable serves Northland and Auckland.
Freephone: 0508 001 002
Email:
National Travel Assistance Scheme
If you need to travel long distances to see a specialist, then you may be eligible for help with expenses under the National Travel Assistance Scheme. These expenses may include travel, accommodation and support person costs. Click here for more information.
MND Support Fund
The MND Support Fund provides additional support to people living with MND, their immediate families, whānau, and carers. This fund is generously sponsored by Fulton Hogan, and operated by MND NZ. To Find out more about the Support Fund, click here.