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Whaikaha Ministry of Disabled People

Individualised Funding

What is Individualised Funding (IF)

IF is a type of person directed funding from Whaikaha which gives disabled people and their family, whānau more choice in how they are supported to live their lives fully. It is available throughout New Zealand for eligible people who have been assessed to receive either:

IF increases your choice and control about who provides this support, and how and when you use it. Your options range from engaging support workers to directly work with you and the person in your care or purchases which support you living a good life. 

What you can use IF for

IF is linked to the Enabling Good Lives external URL principles of person centred, mana enhancing and self determination, giving you more control of your life and ensuring your supports are tailored to your needs and goals. Working with a host, we want to make sure you feel confident to use your funding in the best way so here are some guidelines to help. 

You can use IF to:

  • Get help with household management and the personal care of your disabled person by engaging a support worker (called "employees" these can include family members, contracted people or organisations) and pay costs relating to the engaging of support workers
  • Take a break through engaging a support worker or other suitable alternatives so that the full-time carer can have time out (including school holiday programmes or facilities) and your disabled person can also have a good time doing something away from you whilst you do. 

You can spend your IF on any disability support or service that:

  • helps you to live your life or makes your life better, and
  • Specific to your disability, you would not need this item or support if you were not disabled and
  • the use of funding if it is reasonable and cost-effective, and
  • not funded through other funding options such as a Disability Allowance.

It's worth noting your funding cannot be used for illegal activities, gambling or alcohol or things that are not disability supports, such as health services provided by a hospital or income support.

IF also doesn’t cover costs related to medical supplies, equipment, home renovations, leisure, recreation and personal or family costs.

If you are still unsure what you can use your funding for, please either contact your host or you can ask us by emailing contact@whaikaha.govt.nz and put IF Question in the subject header. We will get back to you as soon as we can.

Who can get IF

IF is something you need to have an assessment for so contact your Needs Assessment Coordinator Service nearest you to talk about this funding.

You can get IF when you:

  • are eligible for Ministry funded services and support
  • have talked to a NASC to see whether IF is suitable for you
  • have been allocated a support that you are allowed to manage using IF.

What is an IF host

IF Hosts are organisations that Whaikaha contracts to support people using IF and should provide you with an easy way to understand how to use your IF and support you with all the paper work required, for example, to employ a support worker.

Your IF Host does a number of things to support you including:

  • helps you understand IF
  • helps you learn how to organise, set up and manage your supports
  • administers payments for the support services
  • helps you manage your responsibilities – this includes reporting back to them on the support hours you have used, so that they can be paid for
  • can advise you if something that you want to purchase meets the Purchasing Guidelines.

Your IF Host must also check that the service is working well and report back to the Ministry about it.

Depending on your level of confidence to manage your IF, you may also want your IF Host to be responsible for recruiting, training and paying your support workers and possibly managing the legal aspects of your service. They will be able to do this for an extra fee that they set and you pay.

IF is all about flexibility and support that works for you so when you talk to your Host organisation, make sure you talk to them about how they can support you. You are under no obligation to use them for all their services.

What is an agent?

An agent is a person nominated by a disabled person to act on their behalf regarding their IF. For example, if you are the parent/guardian of a disabled person under the age of 18, you will be their agent. There are responsibilities you have that the Host can't do for you for example with IRD so please talk to your IF host about the responsibilities you hold as an agent under IF. Please note, as agent you cannot pay yourself.

What is a recognition payment?

A Recognition Payment is a payment given for administration work that is done on a voluntarily basis on the disabled person’s behalf. Usually but not always, by the full time carer.  The payment must be for reasonable expenditure incurred and no more than $300 per year.

The requirement that the payment be made to cover "reasonable expenditure" is to ensure that it falls within the scope of the exemption in section CW 62B Income Tax Act 2007. Any questions about when to claim for this payment or how, please talk to your Host or connector.

IF Host Directory

Please find a list below of all the Hosts who have contracts with us at Whaikaha.

Access Community Health

Geneva Healthcare Limited

Healthcare NZ Limited

Manawanui Support Limited

Home Support North

Enliven

The Lifewise Trust

Vision West

Florence Nightingale Agency

Care on Call

Where to go for help

If you have any questions about IF specific to your funding allocation please talk to your host or connector. They have all the information on your funding and are there to provide guidance and advice. If you have questions about how on whether or not you are eligible, you need to contact your local Need Assessment Services Coordinator.

If neither of those sources answer your questions you can email us at contact@whaikaha.govt.nz with IF Question as your subject header and we will make sure to get an answer to you.