Latest news with #DisabilityAllowance
Scoop
15-05-2025
- Health
- Scoop
'The Disability Allowance Is Broken – And It's Hurting The People Who Need It Most' (Part 4)
Press Release – NZCAST MSD staff apply inconsistent interpretations, with some clients being approved for support and others being told you dont qualify for the same medication, the same cost, depending on who they get. The Disability Allowance was designed to help some of the most vulnerable people in Aotearoa – those living with ongoing physical or mental health conditions that incur regular costs. But ask anyone who has tried to access it recently, and you'll hear the same story: it's broken. Every week, we speak to state care survivors, disabled people, and mental health service users who are trying to navigate this system. They're not asking for luxuries – they're asking for help with GP visits, counselling, transport, medication, gluten free products, or extra heating. Basic costs for daily survival, healing and wellbeing. Yet they are being met with suspicion, delays, inconsistent rules, and outright denials. It's Not the Criteria – It's the System The criteria for the Disability Allowance are already narrow: you must have a disability likely to last at least six months, and it must incur extra costs. But even when someone clearly meets these requirements, barriers are built into every stage. GPs are asked to fill out complex forms, sometimes requiring detailed medical notes, verification and financial estimates for every item. For trauma survivors, this means reliving their experience over and over again. Some one receiving gluten free products, or unsubsidized medication or even simply gym visits, must provide copious amounts of evidence, stretching an already over-whelmed health system. MSD staff apply inconsistent interpretations, with some clients being approved for support and others being told 'you don't qualify' – for the same medication, the same cost, depending on who they get. Reviews are demanded regularly, with little warning. Clients are forced to re-prove their disability as if it might have magically disappeared. We know of survivors whose claims were rejected because their trauma-related costs were not deemed 'essential,' despite being recommended by medical professionals. Our survivors know their healing, yet with the small amount extra a week, they have to provide so much, it isn't worth the hassle.. People with PTSD and chronic health issues produced by their abuse in state care have been told that they are not eligible for Disability Allowance, because they must first spend the money, they must first produce all the receipts, they must first get a specialist letter. And all of this happens while they are simply trying to survive. Why should someone go without food? Just to buy medication? That shows you how backwards the policy is. A Patchwork of Postcode Policies Perhaps the most insulting feature of the Disability Allowance system is how postcode-dependent it is. What's approved in Christchurch may be rejected in Porirua. What one case manager calls 'reasonable' may be dismissed as 'not covered' by another. This is not just unfair – it's unlawful. The Ministry of Social Development is a public agency. It is bound by Te Tiriti o Waitangi, the Human Rights Act, and the principle of equity. Yet it is administering a benefit that delivers different results depending on where you live, who you talk to, and how much you know how to fight. For State Care Survivors, It's Another Betrayal Many of the people we support are survivors of state abuse. They were harmed by the very institutions that were meant to protect them. The state failed them once – and it is failing them again. Being denied the Disability Allowance isn't just a bureaucratic inconvenience. For these survivors, it means going without counselling. It means deciding between heating and medication. It means staying isolated because they can't afford to travel to healing spaces. Every rejected form is a reminder that their wellbeing is still seen as a cost to be minimized, not a right to be protected. If the government is so risk adverse why don't the put the costs on the green card? That way they ensure that the person's health costs are going to the place, directly to the provider. What Needs to Change We're calling on the Government to overhaul the Disability Allowance system with urgency. This includes: Trauma-informed training for MSD staff; Standardised national guidance to end postcode-based decisions; Streamlined application processes, especially for those already in the healthcare or redress systems; Guaranteed access to interpreters and alternative therapies for those with specialist needs; And most of all, a shift in mindset – from gatekeeping to support. People shouldn't have to fight for the basics. They shouldn't have to beg, prove, or relive trauma just to get the help they are entitled to. The Disability Allowance was meant to uphold dignity. Right now, it is doing the opposite.
Scoop
15-05-2025
- Health
- Scoop
"The Disability Allowance Is Broken – And It's Hurting The People Who Need It Most" (Part 4)
The Disability Allowance was designed to help some of the most vulnerable people in Aotearoa – those living with ongoing physical or mental health conditions that incur regular costs. But ask anyone who has tried to access it recently, and you'll hear the same story: it's broken. Every week, we speak to state care survivors, disabled people, and mental health service users who are trying to navigate this system. They're not asking for luxuries – they're asking for help with GP visits, counselling, transport, medication, gluten free products, or extra heating. Basic costs for daily survival, healing and wellbeing. Yet they are being met with suspicion, delays, inconsistent rules, and outright denials. It's Not the Criteria – It's the System The criteria for the Disability Allowance are already narrow: you must have a disability likely to last at least six months, and it must incur extra costs. But even when someone clearly meets these requirements, barriers are built into every stage. GPs are asked to fill out complex forms, sometimes requiring detailed medical notes, verification and financial estimates for every item. For trauma survivors, this means reliving their experience over and over again. Some one receiving gluten free products, or unsubsidized medication or even simply gym visits, must provide copious amounts of evidence, stretching an already over-whelmed health system. MSD staff apply inconsistent interpretations, with some clients being approved for support and others being told 'you don't qualify' – for the same medication, the same cost, depending on who they get. Reviews are demanded regularly, with little warning. Clients are forced to re-prove their disability as if it might have magically disappeared. We know of survivors whose claims were rejected because their trauma-related costs were not deemed 'essential,' despite being recommended by medical professionals. Our survivors know their healing, yet with the small amount extra a week, they have to provide so much, it isn't worth the hassle.. People with PTSD and chronic health issues produced by their abuse in state care have been told that they are not eligible for Disability Allowance, because they must first spend the money, they must first produce all the receipts, they must first get a specialist letter. And all of this happens while they are simply trying to survive. Why should someone go without food? Just to buy medication? That shows you how backwards the policy is. A Patchwork of Postcode Policies Perhaps the most insulting feature of the Disability Allowance system is how postcode-dependent it is. What's approved in Christchurch may be rejected in Porirua. What one case manager calls 'reasonable' may be dismissed as 'not covered' by another. This is not just unfair – it's unlawful. The Ministry of Social Development is a public agency. It is bound by Te Tiriti o Waitangi, the Human Rights Act, and the principle of equity. Yet it is administering a benefit that delivers different results depending on where you live, who you talk to, and how much you know how to fight. For State Care Survivors, It's Another Betrayal Many of the people we support are survivors of state abuse. They were harmed by the very institutions that were meant to protect them. The state failed them once – and it is failing them again. Being denied the Disability Allowance isn't just a bureaucratic inconvenience. For these survivors, it means going without counselling. It means deciding between heating and medication. It means staying isolated because they can't afford to travel to healing spaces. Every rejected form is a reminder that their wellbeing is still seen as a cost to be minimized, not a right to be protected. If the government is so risk adverse why don't the put the costs on the green card? That way they ensure that the person's health costs are going to the place, directly to the provider. What Needs to Change We're calling on the Government to overhaul the Disability Allowance system with urgency. This includes: Trauma-informed training for MSD staff; Standardised national guidance to end postcode-based decisions; Streamlined application processes, especially for those already in the healthcare or redress systems; Guaranteed access to interpreters and alternative therapies for those with specialist needs; And most of all, a shift in mindset – from gatekeeping to support. People shouldn't have to fight for the basics. They shouldn't have to beg, prove, or relive trauma just to get the help they are entitled to. The Disability Allowance was meant to uphold dignity. Right now, it is doing the opposite.
Scoop
12-05-2025
- Politics
- Scoop
Survivors Call Out MSD For Redress Inaction, Travel Chaos, And Deep Harm – One Week Before National Wānanga (Part One)
Press Release – NZ Cast This isnt an isolated failure. NZCAST says its part of a larger pattern: a redress system that isnt working, and an agency that claims to care about survivors but wont even show up. With less than a week to go before a national wānanga for survivors of state abuse in Christchurch, the Ministry of Social Development (MSD) has still not confirmed consistent travel support for those trying to attend. Many have been left waiting, others have been declined outright, and some have received offers so low they feel like an insult. 'It's heartbreaking,' says Karl Tauri, spokesperson for NZCAST – the New Zealand Collective of Abused in State Care. 'We've had survivors calling us in tears, unsure if they'll be able to attend. Some have said they don't want to live anymore. And what's MSD's response? Silence, deferral, or ten dollars for a 5-hour round trip.' This isn't an isolated failure. NZCAST says it's part of a larger pattern: a redress system that isn't working, and an agency that claims to care about survivors but won't even show up. Travel support that harms more than it helps Survivors attending the upcoming Whare Tapu Wānanga in Christchurch (23–25 May) have reported: Receiving no confirmation of travel support Being told they're ineligible because their 'claim is closed' Being offered as little as $10–$20 for multi-hour journeys Hearing different rules depending on the person who answers the phone. 'This is redress?' Tauri asks. 'Survivors are retraumatised just trying to attend an event that could help them heal.' Deaf survivors excluded The situation is no better for Deaf survivors. MSD has refused to fund New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL) interpreters for wānanga, redirecting organisers to Deaf Aotearoa who have no mandate or funding to cover redress-related events. 'This has left Deaf survivors completely shut out,' says Tauri. 'Or, again, the burden falls on us, a grassroots, unpaid organisation to try and find the money.' Disability support that doesn't support Survivors living with chronic pain, PTSD, or long-term illness are facing yet another barrier: the broken Disability Allowance system. NZCAST reports survivors being forced to repeatedly prove their trauma by obtaining letters from GPs and specialists, a system over-stretched on its own, even when their conditions are permanent and well documented. One mother cannot access basic allergy-safe food and unsubsidized medication for her and her children. They live with serious gluten and dairy allergies yet are denied support. 'She skips rent once a month just to feed her kids and buy her medication' says Tauri. 'What kind of system makes a woman choose between food and housing?' Case management by postcode In some parts of the country, Work and Income allows survivors to request dedicated case managers, a much needed and wanted advancement, so survivors don't have to relive their trauma with a new person every time. In some regions, this request is refused. 'It's postcode-based discrimination,' says Tauri. 'The system you get depends entirely on where you live. That's not justice.' No dignity in death In one recent case, MSD refused to fund the headstone for a survivor's father, who was buried in an unmarked grave. He was a veteran of World War Two, and the only adult who supported and loved his daughter, before he passed away. Despite clear grounds for compassion and support, she has been left scrambling to piece together funding on a benefit. 'This was a man who stood by his daughter through everything,' says Tauri. 'And MSD told the whānau no. No help, no honour, no acknowledgment. That tells you exactly how broken this system is, when even the dead, a veteran at that don't get dignity.' MSD: Present in some places, absent in others Perhaps the most galling failure, NZCAST says, is MSD's refusal to attend the Christchurch wānanga, despite attending similar events in Wellington and Palmerston North. 'Christchurch has hundreds of MSD staff and multiple offices,' Tauri says. 'They claim it's due to 'conflicting commitments,' but the message survivors hear is: you're not important enough for us to show up. ' This matters, he says, because when MSD WINZ and Historic Claims does attend, it works. Survivors are able to connect with case managers, claims, ask questions, get real-time support, and rebuild trust with the public service. NZCAST: Doing the work the Crown won't NZCAST is running the entire three-day Christchurch gathering including food, accommodation, transport, wellness sessions, peer support, and facilitation entirely unfunded. The trust receives no Crown funding, and relies on community aroha, fundraising, and lived experience. 'We're holding people who are in crisis while MSD sends emails telling us to refer survivors to the website,' says Tauri. 'We are doing their job. Unpaid. And still doing it better.' What NZCAST is calling for: A consistent national travel support policy for all survivors, open claim or not NZSL interpreter funding for all Crown-linked survivor events A trauma-informed Disability Allowance process that stops punishing people Equal access to case managers, no matter the postcode A survivor-led inter-agency wellbeing and redress taskforce Proper funding for survivor-led groups who are carrying the system's failures Implentation of the recommendations provided by the Royal Commission. 'We're not asking for favours. We're asking for justice.' At the heart of it, Tauri says, is a simple truth: redress is not money. Redress is showing up. It's access. It's care. 'MSD says it supports survivors, but survivors are not feeling supported. They're exhausted. They're retraumatized. And they're being left behind.'
The Irish Sun
12-05-2025
- General
- The Irish Sun
Rejected social welfare applications for €244 cash DOUBLE amid ‘broken system' fear & new survey for thousands of Irish
THE number of applications for a €244 social welfare payment that have been rejected has doubled over the past five years. The amount of people applying for the assistance has increased by over 40 per cent since 2020 - but approvals have not kept pace, rising just 19 per cent in the same time period. Advertisement 1 The number of rejected applications for Disability Allowance has doubled since 2020 Credit: Getty Images New figures on Disability Allowance applications reveal rising demand. And Sinn Fein's spokesperson on Social Protection, said "too many" people are being turned down at first assessment and being forced go through a weeks-long appeal process to access payments they are entitled to. Louise O'Reilly said: "Last year, over 9,000 people had to appeal a rejection. More than a third of those appeals were then granted. "This is the sign of a broken system, one third of people with disabilities whose applications have been rejected are being forced go through this appeals process to access the payments they are entitled to. Advertisement READ MORE IN MONEY "Too many people are being turned down at first assessment and have their application granted on appeal. "This is a burden on the most vulnerable of our society. "It leaves people without any income, reliant on emergency funds if they can access them for up to six weeks while they prepare paperwork to launch an appeal and wait for a final decision." O'Reilly said that the appeals process is "incredibly anxiety-inducing" for the people in need of the assistance and can "force people into poverty and debt" Advertisement MOST READ ON THE IRISH SUN Exclusive Disability Allowance is a weekly means-tested payment for people with a disability that are aged 16 and over. Major warning over emergency social welfare scam texts as thousands could be targeted The maximum personal rate of the payment currently sits at €244. An increase for an adult dependant €162 while an increase for a child who is under 12 years of age is €50 at full-rate and €25 for half-rate. The payment increases for a child is 12 years of age or under by €62 at full rate and €31 half rate. Advertisement Sinn Fein's O'Reilly had launched a national survey in response to the "concerning statistics" surrounding the number of applications being denied. DISABILITY ALLOWANCE ELIGIBILITY THERE is a number of criteria that must be met to qualify for Disability Allowance. Those eligible must: Have an injury, disease, or physical or mental disability that has continued for at least one year, or is expected to continue for at least one year Be substantially restricted from doing work because of their disability, that would be suitable for a person of their age, experience and qualifications Be aged between 16 and 66 Pass a means test - an assessment of any income you have Live in Ireland and meet the habitual residence condition A doctor must also complete a report - which will be reviewed by a DSP medical assessor - on the applicants medical condition. The medical report will allow the DSP to determine if the person Have an injury, disease, or physical or mental disability that has continued for at least one year, or is expected to continue for at least one year, and Are substantially restricted from doing work because of their disability, that would be suitable for a person of their age, experience and qualifications. A spokesperson said: "Deputy O'Reilly has launched a national survey to gather the experiences of people applying for any and all social welfare income payments. "The survey focuses on waiting times, appeal durations, and the human impact of navigating a broken system. 'This survey will give a voice to the people behind the statistics. Advertisement "We want to hear directly from those who've been forced to wait, forced to appeal, or forced to give up." The survey, which can be filled out by anyone in Ireland who has applied for social welfare assistance, can be
Scoop
12-05-2025
- Politics
- Scoop
Survivors Call Out MSD For Redress Inaction, Travel Chaos, And Deep Harm - One Week Before National Wānanga (Part One)
With less than a week to go before a national wānanga for survivors of state abuse in Christchurch, the Ministry of Social Development (MSD) has still not confirmed consistent travel support for those trying to attend. Many have been left waiting, others have been declined outright, and some have received offers so low they feel like an insult. 'It's heartbreaking,' says Karl Tauri, spokesperson for NZCAST – the New Zealand Collective of Abused in State Care. 'We've had survivors calling us in tears, unsure if they'll be able to attend. Some have said they don't want to live anymore. And what's MSD's response? Silence, deferral, or ten dollars for a 5-hour round trip.' This isn't an isolated failure. NZCAST says it's part of a larger pattern: a redress system that isn't working, and an agency that claims to care about survivors but won't even show up. Travel support that harms more than it helps Survivors attending the upcoming Whare Tapu Wānanga in Christchurch (23–25 May) have reported: Receiving no confirmation of travel support Being told they're ineligible because their 'claim is closed' Being offered as little as $10–$20 for multi-hour journeys Hearing different rules depending on the person who answers the phone. 'This is redress?' Tauri asks. 'Survivors are retraumatised just trying to attend an event that could help them heal.' Deaf survivors excluded The situation is no better for Deaf survivors. MSD has refused to fund New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL) interpreters for wānanga, redirecting organisers to Deaf Aotearoa who have no mandate or funding to cover redress-related events. 'This has left Deaf survivors completely shut out,' says Tauri. 'Or, again, the burden falls on us, a grassroots, unpaid organisation to try and find the money.' Disability support that doesn't support Survivors living with chronic pain, PTSD, or long-term illness are facing yet another barrier: the broken Disability Allowance system. NZCAST reports survivors being forced to repeatedly prove their trauma by obtaining letters from GPs and specialists, a system over-stretched on its own, even when their conditions are permanent and well documented. One mother cannot access basic allergy-safe food and unsubsidized medication for her and her children. They live with serious gluten and dairy allergies yet are denied support. 'She skips rent once a month just to feed her kids and buy her medication' says Tauri. 'What kind of system makes a woman choose between food and housing?' Case management by postcode In some parts of the country, Work and Income allows survivors to request dedicated case managers, a much needed and wanted advancement, so survivors don't have to relive their trauma with a new person every time. In some regions, this request is refused. 'It's postcode-based discrimination,' says Tauri. 'The system you get depends entirely on where you live. That's not justice.' No dignity in death In one recent case, MSD refused to fund the headstone for a survivor's father, who was buried in an unmarked grave. He was a veteran of World War Two, and the only adult who supported and loved his daughter, before he passed away. Despite clear grounds for compassion and support, she has been left scrambling to piece together funding on a benefit. 'This was a man who stood by his daughter through everything,' says Tauri. 'And MSD told the whānau no. No help, no honour, no acknowledgment. That tells you exactly how broken this system is, when even the dead, a veteran at that don't get dignity.' MSD: Present in some places, absent in others Perhaps the most galling failure, NZCAST says, is MSD's refusal to attend the Christchurch wānanga, despite attending similar events in Wellington and Palmerston North. 'Christchurch has hundreds of MSD staff and multiple offices,' Tauri says. 'They claim it's due to 'conflicting commitments,' but the message survivors hear is: you're not important enough for us to show up. ' This matters, he says, because when MSD WINZ and Historic Claims does attend, it works. Survivors are able to connect with case managers, claims, ask questions, get real-time support, and rebuild trust with the public service. NZCAST: Doing the work the Crown won't NZCAST is running the entire three-day Christchurch gathering including food, accommodation, transport, wellness sessions, peer support, and facilitation entirely unfunded. The trust receives no Crown funding, and relies on community aroha, fundraising, and lived experience. 'We're holding people who are in crisis while MSD sends emails telling us to refer survivors to the website,' says Tauri. 'We are doing their job. Unpaid. And still doing it better.' What NZCAST is calling for: A consistent national travel support policy for all survivors, open claim or not NZSL interpreter funding for all Crown-linked survivor events A trauma-informed Disability Allowance process that stops punishing people Equal access to case managers, no matter the postcode A survivor-led inter-agency wellbeing and redress taskforce Proper funding for survivor-led groups who are carrying the system's failures Implentation of the recommendations provided by the Royal Commission. 'We're not asking for favours. We're asking for justice.' At the heart of it, Tauri says, is a simple truth: redress is not money. Redress is showing up. It's access. It's care. 'MSD says it supports survivors, but survivors are not feeling supported. They're exhausted. They're retraumatized. And they're being left behind.'
