In a clumsy and desperate attempt to curb spending, Whaikaha the Ministry for Disabled People had suddenly imposed changes to purchasing rules for disabled people’s equipment and support services.
Information about the changes had been communicated in a Facebook post, despite Ms Simmonds and the ministry knowing before Christmas the money allocated for flexible disability support would likely run out before the end of the financial year.
Ms Simmonds’ inflammatory statements about what some of the flexible funding might have been used for added to the disability community’s outrage at the rule changes.
As confusion reigned over what would and would not be funded, the community showed its displeasure in public protests. A month after the controversy blew up, Ms Simmonds was dumped from the portfolio.
New minister Louise Upston soon announced an independent review of Whaikaha to examine what could be done to strengthen the long-term sustainability of the support services funded by the ministry and provide disabled people and carers with certainty about what they could access.
Well, that is what her media release on it said. However, the review report released last week shows it had a much narrower focus, only exploring the first of two questions posed by Cabinet.
It looked at the first phase question of what actions should be taken immediately in this financial year to better manage the increasing cost pressures.
The second phase of the review was to look at what should be done to ensure the future sustainability of disability support services.
However, the reviewers successfully suggested phase two should not proceed because it was not the highest priority.
The reviewers said time constraints, combined with the narrow focus of the first phase review, meant that engagement with the disability community was not possible.
Ms Upston seems unaware of the hypocrisy of railing about the previous government’s rushed and inadequate establishment of Whaikaha, saying much of the problems stemmed from that, and then herself moving rapidly to make sweeping changes to the agency on the basis of a rushed review, and without consulting the disability community.
There has already been an outcry from the community about the plans which include the Ministry of Social Development becoming responsible for disability support services by October.
Ms Upston is confident MSD has the controls and capability already in place to better manage this funding, although questions have been raised about the state of its information technology systems and how well staff will relate to the disability community.
It is easy to understand the huge disappointment of those who fought for years for Whaikaha to see it downgraded after a mere two years. Rather than stripping it of functions, could better financial controls and operational practices have been established to give it a chance to succeed?
It is difficult to tell how much of the pressure on Whaikaha’s budget is due to decades of woeful underfunding.
There is considerable nervousness about the pause to expanding Enabling Good Lives, the approach to funding (developed in 2011) designed to give disabled people greater choice and control over the supports they receive.
There will be public consultation on updating the assessment and allocation settings based on level of need and on criteria for access to flexible funding,with decisions to be made late this year.
Ms Upston says the government is determined to build a fair, sustainable, high-quality disability support system that delivers better outcomes for disabled people based on their needs.
"We must do better."
If she is serious about that, she could start by vastly improving communication and involvement with those her decisions will affect.
