Disability Support Services Bill
This bill creates the first official set of rules for government-funded disability support services in New Zealand. It responds to a court case where the Supreme Court found that some family members paid to care for disabled relatives were Crown employees. The bill says that is not the case and closes off most court claims about it. It sets out how funding decisions are made, gives the Minister power to create support programmes, and says families are expected to help where they can before government funding kicks in. Existing support stays in place while new rules are worked out over three years.
What this affects
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The bill sets out the rules for how government money for disability care and support is managed and given to eligible disabled people
The purpose of DSS-funded disability support services is to contribute towards enabling eligible persons to live their everyday life by providing disability support services from within public funding available, having regard to their needs and circumstances.
Neither the Ministry nor a contracted provider may allocate DSS-funded disability support services other than in accordance with this Act and DSS funding policy.
Progress through Parliament
Have your say
This bill is open for public submissions to the Social Services and Community Committee. Anyone can tell the committee what they think, and you don’t need to be an expert. Submissions close 11 June 2026.
Bill text sourced from legislation.govt.nz (Parliamentary Counsel Office). Arapono’s summary and breakdown are drafted with AI grounded in that official text and reviewed by an Arapono editor for accuracy and neutrality before publishing. Arapono is non-partisan and takes no position on this bill.