Planned funding cuts paint a grim picture for disabled care – IHC
IHC is incredibly relieved Ministers have intervened to block the Ministry of Health going ahead with $30 million of funding cuts for people with disabilities.
Documents obtained by the New Zealand Disability Support Network (NZDSN) reveal the Ministry was planning to cut up to $10 million from disability support services by June as an initial step towards addressing a $90 million deficit.
IHC Director of Advocacy Trish Grant says it shows the Ministers recognise the impact of cuts on the most vulnerable people with intellectual disabilities as a group that has been left behind for too long.
“We know from evidence the link between quality support and having a valued life in the community,” says Trish.
“Quality support does cost money, but investment in the sector is long overdue.
“The Government’s wellbeing agenda has included people with intellectual disabilities and IHC welcomes that.
“This group of New Zealanders deserve a fair go, and this begins with appropriate support that is adequately funded.
“We look forward to seeing how the Government plans to tackle this in next Month’s Budget announcement.”
I have been disabled for 27 years and always been left without “quality support and having a valued life in the community,” as Tish rightly suggests.
It seems that we disabled are considered not worth saving or caring about any more over the last thirty years.
I was severely chemically expose in 1992 and have suffered from brain injuries, nervous system damage, and immune system dysfunction ever since.
These injuries all occurred after exposure at my workplace and since after a seven year Workers Compensation claim no-one has ever been blamed, so I have fallen right through the social safety net.
It’s disgusting the level of attack disabled people have had over the last decade+.
ACC, DHBs and Work and Income have no doubt shortened the lives of many. Deliberately hard to access resources, vague information and a team of sycophants making sure to run those flithly blights on society down so they themselves can profit is all it’s taken to make IHC gush with gratitude over what any normal NZer would consider a few stale crumbs.
Hope you are well Cleangreen.