19-03-2024, 06:02 PM
From the Bastards R' Us govt. 
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/512...abour-says
"Labour says the government's move to narrow disability support funding criteria is "callous", and breaks a promise not to cut frontline services.
The government argues the amount of funding has not been cut - just what it can be spent on.
Whaikaha, the Ministry for Disabled People, unveiled changes on Monday to purchasing rules for disabled people's equipment and modifications supports and services.
This meant things that "would be considered something that every citizen has to pay for" would not be eligible, among a range of other restrictions.
The ministry said the changes - which took effect on the same day they were announced - did not reduce the amount of funding allocated to disabled people, and only made clear what could be purchased.
Labour's Disability Issues spokesperson Priyanca Radhakrishnan said the announcement was very unclear, but it was a cut.
"This is a cut to frontline services, let's be very clear about that," she said.
"This is support services that disabled people and their carers rely on ... it is narrowing the criteria to the funding to such an extent that parents who've contacted me say they won't be able to access anything through it. That's a cut."
She said the move flew in the face of the ethos of a 20-year programme that had pushed for greater flexibility for disabled people around the use of funding.
"This is unacceptable. This is taking flexibility and choice away from disabled people and their carers, and there is a lot of anger out there about the fact that there was no consultation or engagement around this. It came out really suddenly through a facebook post, I understand, yesterday - and it was implemented as of yesterday.
"The word that some parents have used that I completely agree with, is 'callous'."
"This whole conversation about the Enabling Good Lives appropach and the shift towards more flexiblity started 20 years ago ... successive governments have been implementing parts of that, we had committed to extending the support ... we were going to extend that to two more [sites] and extend it further.
"I've heard the comment that this is taking us back 20 years to the start of that, and I worry that it is."
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/512...abour-says
"Labour says the government's move to narrow disability support funding criteria is "callous", and breaks a promise not to cut frontline services.
The government argues the amount of funding has not been cut - just what it can be spent on.
Whaikaha, the Ministry for Disabled People, unveiled changes on Monday to purchasing rules for disabled people's equipment and modifications supports and services.
This meant things that "would be considered something that every citizen has to pay for" would not be eligible, among a range of other restrictions.
The ministry said the changes - which took effect on the same day they were announced - did not reduce the amount of funding allocated to disabled people, and only made clear what could be purchased.
Labour's Disability Issues spokesperson Priyanca Radhakrishnan said the announcement was very unclear, but it was a cut.
"This is a cut to frontline services, let's be very clear about that," she said.
"This is support services that disabled people and their carers rely on ... it is narrowing the criteria to the funding to such an extent that parents who've contacted me say they won't be able to access anything through it. That's a cut."
She said the move flew in the face of the ethos of a 20-year programme that had pushed for greater flexibility for disabled people around the use of funding.
"This is unacceptable. This is taking flexibility and choice away from disabled people and their carers, and there is a lot of anger out there about the fact that there was no consultation or engagement around this. It came out really suddenly through a facebook post, I understand, yesterday - and it was implemented as of yesterday.
"The word that some parents have used that I completely agree with, is 'callous'."
"This whole conversation about the Enabling Good Lives appropach and the shift towards more flexiblity started 20 years ago ... successive governments have been implementing parts of that, we had committed to extending the support ... we were going to extend that to two more [sites] and extend it further.
"I've heard the comment that this is taking us back 20 years to the start of that, and I worry that it is."
in order to be old & wise, you must first be young & stupid. (I'm still working on that.)