50397 (2024). Debbie Ngarewa-Packer to the Minister for Disability Issues

50397 (2024). Debbie Ngarewa-Packer to the Minister for Disability Issues: Does the Minister think the Ministry of Social Development should be responsible for commissioning services for people with disabilities, if yes, why?

Hon Louise Upston: Yes, the Government decided that MSD should be responsible for the management of disability support services because MSD has the controls and capability to better monitor and manage this funding. A Taskforce will oversee the transition to MSD. The independent review into disability support services found: 1. Delivery of Disability Support Services is inconsistent. 2. The Disability Support Services 2024/5 appropriation will be breached if spending is not controlled. 3. There is inadequate budgetary control and commercial rigour. 4. The two areas of largest cost growth are flexible funding provisions and residential facilities-based care. 5. The Ministry of Disabled People-Whaikaha is not set up in a manner that enables it to manage effectively the nature and scale of its appropriation. 6. Current policy settings and services design do not allow the Ministry to administer and deliver DSS effectively. The Government made a series of decisions to begin the task of turning this situation around and stabilising the disability support services system in the short-term: https://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/government-acts-disability-review-findings