Firstly, Parent to Parent would like to acknowledge how difficult it has been for families over the past 18 months following the changes to purchasing guidelines introduced in March 2024.
The consequent changes to Disability Support Services (DSS), announced by Minister Upston on 3 September 2025, were informed by the DSS community consultation and intend to create greater flexibility for individualised funding and consistency for Needs Assessments across the country.
It is very welcome that feedback from the community has been taken on board, and the opportunity to decide on the support we need (guided by a support plan) will be reinstated. Parent to Parent also welcomes the news that families and carers will be included in assessments. This recognises whānau and parents’ vital role in supporting, planning and achieving positive life outcomes of their disabled family members.
Our support groups have always been a source of whānau peer-to-peer support, tailored information and a safe space for families to offload stress and share local resources. They have been particularly relevant during these times and will remain so, as we work together to understand how the welcome direction of these changes will affect individuals moving forward. We encourage our community to attend a Parent to Parent regional support group, workshop or event to discuss their family situation as we look to the future of Enabling Good Lives for our whānau.
(L) Ramona Dillon, Parent to Parent Regional Coordinator for Auckland South & East (R) Minister Louise Upston. Our Auckland Regional Coordinators met with Minister Upston shortly after the announcement. She showed her appreciation for the services Parent to Parent provides and the extent of outreach Parent to Parent achieves in our communities. (In 2024, 430,000 people sought support from Parent to Parent services in some way, either face-to-face or online.)
We include a brief overview of the changes below.
Please note that the announced changes will only apply to Disability Support Services and funding allocated by Needs Assessment Service Coordination organisations (NASCs). They do not affect other supports from Work and Income, ACC, Education or Health, nor include support and funding allocated by Enabling Good Lives (EGL) sites. Minister Upston stated the intent is “to stabilise the disability support system while longer-term work is done to strengthen it to reflect the Enabling Good Lives vision and principles.”
A summary of the new approach:
- All NASCs around the country will use a standardised assessment process.
- NASCs will work with support service users to develop personalised support plans.
- Families and carers will be considered as part of the assessment.
- The purchasing guidelines, including March 2024 amendments to them, will no longer apply from April 2026. Disabled people will receive a budget that they will manage to meet their needs best.
- Flexible funding users will have more choice and control, but will need to keep their spending within their budget.
- People can seek a reassessment if their circumstances have changed; otherwise, they will not receive more funding if they use their budget early.
- Reallocation of budgets will be based on June 2023 – June 2025 spending.
The new approach will be rolled out in stages:
- A pause in reassessments (unless urgent) from Feb to Oct 2026 to give NASCs time to implement the changes.
- Under the new approach, assessments of people entering the system for the first time will start on February 1, 2026.
- From April 1, 2026, existing flexible funding users will get access to a new budget under the scheme.
- From October 1, 2026, those receiving regular reassessment will do so under the new system.
As these changes will not happen until next year, please reach out to your NASC or Host if you would like to discuss the support you currently receive.
You can find more details on the upcoming changes here.
(L-R) Ramona Dillon, Regional Coordinator for Auckland South & East; Angela Ramos, Regional Coordinator for Auckland North; Chris Jones (Wilson Home Trust); Minister Louise Upston; Mike Potter (Disability Connect Transition Expo Organiser); Brendon Smith, Regional Coordinator for Auckland West & Central.
