Financial help when your child has a disability or chronic condition

Financial help when your child has a disability or chronic condition

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What financial help can you get?

Financial support may be available because of your child’s special needs. Information brochures and application forms are available from your nearest Work and Income branch – see their contact details below. Information and forms may also be available from your social worker, paediatrician, child development service or early intervention team.
 
The following are some of the types of benefits that may be available. You might wish to discuss your eligibility for these allowances with your health professional, social worker, or NASC (Needs Assessment Service Co-ordination) Service.
 
You may find the following fact sheet on this website helpful:

Child Disability Allowance

This is a non-taxable, non-means-tested allowance for the parent or guardian of a dependent child who has a serious disability. It is paid because of the extra care that may be needed by a child who has a physical, sensory, psychiatric or intellectual disability. To receive the allowance, parents / carers need to be New Zealand residents.
 
You need a Child Disability Allowance application form. Your doctor (general practitioner or paediatrician) should complete the medical section which includes questions on your child’s entitlement to the allowance.
 
For current rates or other questions, contact Work and Income on 0800 559 009. The Work and Income website provides the following:

Childcare Subsidy

This helps families to pay for their pre-school children to go to an Early Childhood Service, for example:

  • a child care centre
  • a creche
  • a Barnardo’s family day care caregiver
  • Te Kohanga Reo
If you get the Child Disability Allowance for your child, you can receive the Childcare Subsidy until your child reaches six years of age. You may be able to receive help with up to 50 hours of childcare a week.
 
This subsidy is paid on an income-related basis (it depends on how much you and your partner earn). Where one child in a family is receiving the Child Disability Allowance, the requirement for both parents to be working is waived.
 
Phone Work and Income on 0800 559 009 for more information or see the Work and Income website for:

Community Services Card

The Community Services Card allows you to get discounts on doctors’ fees and prescriptions. If you have not received one, and think you should have, please phone Work and Income on 0800 999 999.
 
You can also visit the Work and Income website for information on:

Disability Allowance

This is an allowance in addition to the Child Disability Allowance. It reimburses people for ongoing regular costs associated with having a disability that is expected to last six months or longer. The allowance is non-taxable and income tested. The amount you are paid depends on your costs. There is a limit to how much you can claim per week.
 
Some costs might be:
  • doctors visits - prescriptions
  • disposable nappies for a child who would normally be toilet trained
  • travel to medical services
  • special foods
  • part of the telephone account
  • counselling costs
You must be caring for the child who has the disability. The Disability Allowance requires your doctor to sign an application form. You will need to submit receipts for your ongoing costs with your application, and then annually after that.
 
Ask your healthcare worker for a form.
 
You can also phone Work and Income on 0800 559 009 or visit the Work and Income website for further information:

Mobility Parking Permit scheme

This scheme provides people with Mobility Parking Spaces. Information and application forms can be obtained from the CCS website or your local CCS branch. Call CCS free on 0800 227 200.
 

Other Work and Income assistance

Work and Income has a wide range of assistance available to people in a variety of circumstances. If you have costs that you can’t meet on your own, contact Work and Income on 0800 559 009. They may be able to offer further help.
 

Review rights with Work and Income

You can ask for a Work and Income decision to be reviewed if you don't agree with it. Work and Income have forms available for you to use or you can write to them (call 0800 559 009 for local contact details). You generally need to do this within three months of the decision that you would like reviewed. When there is good reason for a delay, a review may be possible after this time. For more information about the review process, contact Work and Income on 0800 559 009.
 

Travel and accommodation costs

Many of the costs you incur while attending treatment for your child National Travel Assisistance Scheme: Ministry of Health brochureare able to be reimbursed under the NTA (National Travel Assistance) Scheme. If eligible, you will receive assistance towards your travel and possibly your accommodation costs.
 
There is a Ministry of Health pamphlet (at right) which sets out the eligibility criteria for the Scheme and explains how to go about making a claim. You can also check the Ministry of Health website for:
For clarification of any aspects of this policy, or for information on claiming for travel and accommodation costs, please contact your hospital social worker or call the Ministry of Health’s travel assistance help line on 0800 281 222 (press 2).
 

Grants

Application may be made to organisations such as the New Zealand Lotteries Commission, Halberg Trust and the Variety Club for assistance for vehicle modification, sporting activities or specialised equipment. Please contact your needs assessment facilitator, health professional, social worker in the community, or ward social worker if your child is an inpatient, for information on these options.
 

Respite care and carer support

You may be eligible to have some relief care for a number of days each year. Usually, this is money paid to an informal carer that you choose. This is called carer support.
 
In some cases, where there is severe disability, there may also be access to some respite provided for your child in a facility. This is called respite care and needs to be assessed by a NASC (Needs Assessment and Service Co-ordination) Service. Ask your social worker for assistance or call HealthPAC, the Ministry of Health’s help line on 0800 281 222 (press 2).
 
YOu may find the following fact sheet on this website helpful:

Spectacles Subsidy

Some children with a disability may receive some help towards the cost of glasses.
 
Spectacles Subsidy BrochureIf your child has a vision problem, there is a Spectacles Subsidy which can help with the costs of your child's:
  • eye (vision) test
  • glasses (frames and lenses or repairs) or eye patches
The subsidy is available for:
  • any of your children, aged 15 or under
  • but only if you or your child has a current Community Services Card or a High Use Health Card
For more information about this subsidy:

Total Mobility scheme

You may be able to apply for travel assistance, in the form of a discount on taxi fares, through the Total Mobility scheme. This service is provided by local and regional councils. To find out if you qualify, speak to your social worker or contact your local or regional council. You can also call Enable free on 0800 171 981 for contact details for your local council.
 

Extra Assistance

Check the following kidsheath fact sheet to see if there's any other help you may be entitled to:

Where to go for more information

On this website
 
Disability Funding Info website www.disabilityfunding.co.nz
Provides information about Ministry of Health funding for people with disability related needs. Includes information on specialised equipment and housing modifications including eligibility, how to apply, what is funded and how the funding process works. The Disability Funding Info website is maintained by Enable New Zealand. Call Enable free on 0800 171981.
 
Enable New Zealand www.enable.co.nz and www.weka.net.nz
A multiservice organisation assisting disabled people and their families.
Call free on 0800 171 981
 
Inland Revenue www.ird.govt.nz
Contact Inland Revenue to find out if you qualify for any payment under the Working for Familes package.
Call free on 0800 227 773
 
Contact Work and Income to ask what financial support you are entitled to.
Call free on 0800 559 009.
 
Your health professional
Information and forms may also be available from your GP (general practitioner), needs assessment facilitator, social worker, paediatrician, or an early intervention centre.
 

Acknowledgements

Enable New Zealand. “Parenting special needs children: Manawatu, Horowhenua, Tararua.” Enable New Zealand 2004.
 
Thanks to Maureen Anderson and Robyn O’Neill for permission to reproduce some of the content from their booklet “Waikato specialist services for special kids: A directory for carers of children with special needs”. Hamilton Printing Works 2005. 
 
Attached Files: 
Subsidy for glasses and vision tests (Spectacles Subsidy) Cook Island Māori
Subsidy for glasses and vision tests (Spectacles Subsidy) English
Subsidy for glasses and vision tests (Spectacles Subsidy) Hindi
Subsidy for glasses and vision tests (Spectacles Subsidy) Korean
Subsidy for glasses and vision tests (Spectacles Subsidy) Māori
Subsidy for glasses and vision tests (Spectacles Subsidy) Samoan
Subsidy for glasses and vision tests (Spectacles Subsidy) Simple Chinese
Subsidy for glasses and vision tests (Spectacles Subsidy) Tongan
Subsidy for glasses and vision tests (Spectacles Subsidy) Traditional Chinese
Content endorsed by the Paediatric Society of New Zealand 01 July 2012
© Paediatric Society of New Zealand and Starship Foundation 2005 – 2013
Printed on 20 May 2013. Content is regularly updated so please refer to www.kidshealth.org.nz for the most up-to-date version