12887 (2026). Debbie Ngarewa-Packer to the Minister for Social Development and Employment

12887 (2026). Debbie Ngarewa-Packer to the Minister for Social Development and Employment: What support, if any, is available for disabled people, kaumātua, or low income whānau who cannot afford transport to medical appointments?

Hon Louise Upston: I am advised that the Ministry of Social Development (MSD) offers a range of payments that may be able to assist with transport costs to medical appointments: • Disability Allowance (www.workandincome.govt.nz/products/a-z-benefits/disability-allowance.html) • Child Disability Allowance (www.workandincome.govt.nz/products/a-z-benefits/child-disability-allowance.html) • Temporary Additional Support (www.workandincome.govt.nz/products/a-z-benefits/temporary-additional-support.html) • Special Benefit, where clients are already receiving it (www.workandincome.govt.nz/map/income-support/extra-help/special-benefit/introduction.html) • Civilian Amputee Assistance (www.workandincome.govt.nz/products/a-z-benefits/civilian-amputee-assistance.html) • Special Needs Grant (www.workandincome.govt.nz/products/a-z-benefits/special-needs-grant.html) If clients do not qualify for any of the above types of assistance, MSD may consider granting a payment as an Advance Payment of Benefit, or Recoverable Assistance Payment. However, circumstances where this could apply would be limited and other forms of assistance would be the first consideration. There is also a range of other forms of assistance that people may be able to access: • MSD administers the Community Services Card (www.workandincome.govt.nz/products/a-z-benefits/community-services-card.html) and SuperGold Card (www.workandincome.govt.nz/eligibility/seniors/supergold-card/index.html) which can be used towards free or discounted fares on public transport • Health New Zealand can provide assistance through the National Travel Assistance Scheme https://www.healthnz.govt.nz/hospitals-services/eligibility-subsidies/national-travel-assistance • St John run the Waka Ora Health Shuttle (www.stjohn.org.nz/what-we-do/community-programmes/health-shuttles-stjohn/) • Regional councils contract and co-fund Total Mobility services as part of their regional public transport services. The scheme varies slightly from region to region to reflect local differences. As an example, information about what the scheme provides for the Wellington region is available here: www.metlink.org.nz/getting-started/total-mobility.