The Government decision to strip Whaikaha of disability support services is a slap in the face for the disabled community.
“It’s irresponsible for the Government to shut the door on the concept of a single agency for the disabled community, an agency it wanted, barely two years after being set up,” said Kerry Davies, National Secretary for Public Service Association Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi.
“Whaikaha was never given a chance to succeed. Now the disabled community will lose its strong voice to ensure support services are well funded and a joined-up disability support system so thousands of people can lead ordinary lives.
“Whaikaha was supposed to be an operational and policy agency, ensuring a joined-up approach for the delivery of services and entitlements and the policies needed to make the system work well.
“Turning Whaikaha into a policy shop will water down the voice of the disabled community in government.
“This is another reckless and rushed decision where the disabled community was not adequately consulted, and the PSA, which represents the workforce, completely ignored.
“How can these decisions be made without talking to the very people at the coalface who need the support and who deliver it?
“We fear this is simply a recipe to save money and cut entitlements especially with the rising number of disabled people as our population grows. It comes in the same week the Government announced harmful and punitive traffic light sanctions on people on income support, which will make life harder for many disabled people using those services.
“The PSA is also concerned that today’s announcement states that residential disability providers will not be getting a cost-of-living funding increases this year. This comes at a time when disability support workers are largely now on the minimum wage while they wait for this government to deliver their pay equity settlement.”
Officials told the last government a single agency was ‘the best organisational structure to lead the realisation of a true partnership between the disability community and government to achieve ongoing transformation of the disability system.’
“Why make this change in the face of all the arguments for a better system from officials and the disabled community. But this is par for the course from a government which promised no cuts to frontline services. This is exactly what is happening.”
