Not for Profits Welcome Government Decision To Improve Payment
for Family Carers

Media release
27 September 2018

The Government’s announcement to consider changes to its hated Funded Family Care policy, and repeal Act 4A of the New Zealand Public Health and Disability Act 2000, is a positive step for New Zealand, says the Carers Alliance of 46 national not-for-profits (NFPs).

Health Minister Dr David Clark and Acting Associate Health Minister James Shaw said when announcing their review of Funded Family Care that the policy, introduced by the National government, had been a “nightmare” for families.

“Today’s announcement is the first step towards a kinder and fairer agreement with carers.”

Co-chair of the Carers Alliance Janine Stewart says families and disabled people have led the charge with this issue for years through human rights and court action.

“Today’s progress for carers is a result of their determination and leadership,” says Stewart.

“Now we rely on the Government to deliver policy improvements that supports carers whose decision to do a good thing often affects them economically, as well as impacting their own wellbeing.”

There are more than 420,000 family carers of elderly, ill, and disabled New Zealanders. Two thirds are women, a third live in Auckland, and almost 90 per cent are of workforce age. Infometrics’ analysis of the last Census conservatively estimated the annual value of unpaid work of family carers at $10 billion.

Stewart says with more care responsibilities shifting from institutions and the formal system into the community, family carers must often choose between paid employment and caring, sometimes for decades.

“We need to look after these carers because we rely on them as never before.

“The Government’s announcement today is the first step towards putting right injustices that have concerned us for many years. Repealing the Act is one of the key actions we have been looking for.”

ENDS

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