1. Disability Allowance and Vocational Services for People with Disabilities Vocational service providers’ ability to access the DA of people using their services will stop from 1 July 2005.  There will be a nine month implementation period, starting in September this year, during which service provider contracts will be re-negotiated and then clients’ Disability Allowance payments will be reviewed. The Government is committing $8.2 million over the next four financial years to make the changes to Disability Allowance and vocational services.
2. Sickness and Invalids’ Benefit 15 hour rule:  The 15 hour rule and the stand-down rule for people receiving Invalid’s Benefit will be amended. From 1 December 2004 Invalid’s beneficiaries will be able to trial employment for 15 hours or more per week for up to six months, without losing their entitlement to benefit. They will also be able to leave benefit for employment and not face an automatic stand-down if they need to return to benefit for the same illness, injury or disability. These changes are part of a wider government strategy to support Sickness and Invalid’s beneficiaries move into employment.  (VASS has lobbied for this for some time, so it is very pleasing to see progress on this issue.)

Other Budget announcements of note include:

• From 1 April 2006 a new In-Work payment is introduced to ensure movement into employment is rewarded.
• The next stage of reform will focus on the structure of working age benefits, more support for people on the Invalids and Sickness benefits who want to work or increase their work hours, and changing rules and processes to make the benefit system easier to understand and deliver, freeing up Case Managers' time to provide more employment assistance.
• The Office for Disability Issues will receive an additional $390,000 per annum to meet an increased demand for policy advice and consultation with the disability sector. The additional funding will allow the Office to support progress on the Equity and Coherence, and Payment and Support of Family Caregivers work programmes.  The funding will also allow the establishment of a disability reference group to support the Office for Disability Issues in its work.
• The Government is investing $3.4 million over the next four financial years to strengthen capacity within the community and voluntary sector.  This funding will be directed through the community-based working groups Community Sector Taskforce and Te Wero as outlined in the Government-Community Relationship Steering Group's 2002 report He Waka Kotuia. 

This funding provides for:

• Annual regional and sector forums including a national hui to identify issues for discussion with Government
• A national regionally-linked structure and electronic information network to provide information and support to non-government agencies.
• Best practice examples for case studies and training on effective Treaty partnership models.
• Working with local government at a strategic level to engage the community and voluntary sector in community plans.
• Working with Pacific and ethnic minority communities to ensure they are able to participate in national and regional initiatives
• Raising an additional $170,000 within the first financial year from the philanthropic sector to support the sector’s partnership with Government.
  In addition, Te Wero will receive funding to:
• Develop an effective monitoring and reporting system for the performance of government agencies in engaging with tangata whenua groups.
• Develop tools and ways to facilitate engagement between government agencies and tangata whenua organisations
• Advise the Minister for the Community and Voluntary Sector on ways to improve engagement between the Crown and tangata whenua organisations.
  

DPEP Act Repeal
I notified you last week that the DPEP Act Repeal Bill had been introduced to Parliament.  The Bill had its first reading on Wednesday night (26 May) and made it through.  It has been referred to the Social Services Select Committee, who will call for and hear submissions.  As soon as I have more information I will let you know.

Special Education Stocktake
Parents of children with special needs are being invited to local meetings to give feedback about the provision of education for their children.  The Ministry of Education Group Special Education (GSE) is also conducting a stocktake of current special education resources to better inform future education practice and policy.  The objectives are to:

• make GSE practice more inclusive of parents and people with disabilities and to maximise the benefits of working with local communities to support children with special education needs.
• develop better ways of providing assistance and improve co-ordination and co-operation among special education providers."
  

The information from the stocktake and the meetings will be used to develop comprehensive local profiles.  These profiles will identify local population demographics and map the key services available in each district. A national special education action plan for future directions will also be developed.

The meetings will take place between August and October this year.  The service profiles and action plan will be completed by December.

Contact Christine Seymour, phone 04 463 8015.

NZ Housing Strategy
Housing New Zealand Corporation is currently consulting on a discussion document entitled "Building the Future: Towards a New Zealand Housing Strategy".  They welcome views from a variety of community groups, including the disability sector, and encourage you to make a submission so a wide range of perspectives can be considered.  For more information: http://www.hnzc.co.nz/nzhousingstrat/index.htm

Support Funds
Workbridge administers Support Funds on behalf of government and has asked us to provide VASS members with more information about them.   As you are thinking about the future of your organisation and Pathways to Inclusion it may be worth considering the use of Support Funds to support people working in your organisation.  Where a person or an organisation is using a minimum wage exemption there is no eligibility to Support Funds. But Support Funds can be used for a productivity allowance, below is some information about Support Funds, you can find this on the Workbridge website at www.workbridge.co.nz or talk to any of their offices. 

Job Support
Job Support aims to help people moving into work. It is available for people who will be employees, and also for people in self employment. It may be used for one or more services necessary to set up and support an individual in a job.
Examples of the most common uses of Job Support include:

• Workplace modifications
• Job coaching (both short-term and on-going)
• Mentoring
• Purchase of additional physical support necessitated by the demands of the job (including on-the-job physiotherapy or attendant care)
• Interpreter services
• Special equipment to accommodate a person's disability
• Additional costs of transport and parking
• Special induction training after placement into work
• Either a temporary or on-going wage subsidy
• Disability Awareness training for fellow workers
• Costs of productivity assessments for long-term wage subsidies.

The scheme is very flexible and there will be many other support services which may be funded.   Job Support can also be made available to people already in employment who are in danger of losing their jobs because of the sudden onset of a disability or a worsening condition.

The Job Support funding limit for each individual is $16,900 in any 12 month period.  The $16,900 limit is inclusive of any other Work and Income grants and subsidies being received for similar purposes e.g. Job Plus subsidies; Modification Grants etc.

Job Support is not available for people in the core public sector. This is because the State Services Commission already funds the Mainstream Employment Programme which is specifically designed to assist people with disabilities who are employed in the core public sector.  Participants in the Mainstream Employment Programme are not eligible for Job Support funds.

The criteria for accessing Job Support in open employment (i.e. employees working for an employer) are:

• An Employment Contract to be in place that meets the conditions of the current Employment Relations Act for the person applying and all staff within that workplace.
• Wages must be minimum rate or better for all staff within the workplace.

Intellectual Disability (Compulsory Care) Bill
The above bill and its companion legislation, the Criminal Procedure (Mentally Impaired Persons) Bill were passed by Parliament last October and are now being implemented.  The Ministry of Health is taking the lead on this work and there is some good information available in the latest Disability Services Directorate newsletter about how the new legislation will work.  You can download the newsletter from the Ministry’s website (www.moh.govt.nz and click on Disability).  If you don’t have access to the Internet I have a copy I can print off for you.

I look forward to seeing many of you at our Rotorua meeting on 16 – 17 June.

Tess Casey
Executive Officer
VASS

In this issue;

• MSD Meeting
• Disability Allowance
• ASENZ Conference
• DoL website and inspectors
• Treasury Guidelines for Contracting with NGOs
• Social Security (Long-Term Residential Care) Amendment Bill
• Oranga Ngakau – getting the most out of mental health services
• Charities Commission workshops
• Trustee Training Workshops Feedback
• Gaming regulations

Newsletter Monthly Newsletter Membership Members receive regular mailouts and newsletters covering specific issues and seeking member comment, notifying any significant Goverment policy changes. Annual Conference The 3rd Annual Conference of Workability International 12th – 15th October 2004 – Christchurch Convention Centre, Christchurch, New Zealand

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