Yesterday, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Associate Health Minister Julie Anne Genter announced partners and spouses would be paid between $20.50 and $25.50 an hour, depending on their years of service, to look after ill or disabled family members.
Disabled Persons Assembly (DPA) Dunedin representative Chris Ford said on the face of it the announcement appeared to be a good one.
"DPA has been at the forefront of the fight of recognising family carers. This is something that we have been waiting for for some time."
However, he would only truly know the impact once further details were announced.
Carers for people with disabilities had long been undervalued, he said.
Registered psychiatric nurse Kerry Hand, who ran mental health support agency Miramare, questioned why the measures did not cover mental health or elderly care.
"What about the person next door with a schizophrenic son, who is there all day. It's yet again another silo that the Government creates which makes everything a little disorganised."
It was part of the separation of mental health issues with intellectual, physical and sensory disabilities, he said.
The new policy will cost $32million over four years.
The changes come into effect in 2020, after select committee and public consultation processes.
They follow a Government announcement last September to repeal the Funded Family Care policy which prevented partners and spouses from being paid to look after their disabled or ill loved ones.
The Government will extend coverage to care for all children under 18, and would repeal part 4A of the NZ Public Health and Disability Act, which underpins the policy and also bans families from challenging it in court on the grounds of discrimination.
Ms Ardern said the Government heard "loud and clear" from families with disabled members about the need to change Funded Family Care.
"Today progresses a more compassionate government that addresses the needs of stretched parents and partners."
Ms Genter said it was important to repeal part 4A.
"This will restore people's human rights to be involved in decision-making, and have the right to complain about policies that affect them and their families."
