What's changing with the government's disability support law

Disability Issues Minister Louise Upston has announced changes to a new disability support law being written by the government. She said the original version "was not as clear as it should have been" after more than 3000 people and groups sent in feedback (RNZ).

The bill was introduced to Parliament on 19 May 2026. It sets out a new legal framework for disability support services. Once it becomes law, it will be called the Disability Support Services Act 2026 (legislation.govt.nz).

Before a bill becomes law, a small group of MPs called a select committee looks at it in detail. They invite the public to share their views, then suggest changes. That process led to the amendments announced now.

The changes make clear that the government will keep supporting families, with no new expectations placed on them. The government will continue contributing to care for disabled people through Disability Support Services, known as DSS (Beehive). The amendments also spell out that the bill is meant to describe how things work now, not to change who gets support, how much funding there is, or who is eligible. The government said the same thing when it first introduced the bill in May (Beehive).

Another change means the government must formally talk with disabled people through groups that represent them when designing future support programmes. The updated wording also lines up with the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the Enabling Good Lives principles — a New Zealand approach that aims to give disabled people more choice and control (RNZ).

Upston said the bill would make assessment the same across the country, steady services, improve financial sustainability, and give people more choice over flexible funding. The government has put NZ$2.1 billion in extra DSS funding across several budgets. Upston also said the government would soon ask for feedback on a carers' package (RNZ).

The bill would not affect two court cases the Supreme Court decided in December. The Court found that two people paid to care for a family member were actually employees of the government. But the bill would stop other similar claims that are still going through the courts (RNZ).

DSS currently supports about 55,000 disabled people in community and residential care. About 100,000 people use equipment and modifications that help them live safely on their own. The government also funds Child Development Services for around 26,000 disabled children each year (RNZ).

The broader picture is one of tension. The government says it wants to stabilise disability support, but the budget setting is tight. Budget 2026 had no new money for disability services and cut NZ$1.5 million from the Ministry of Disabled People (The Spinoff). The NZ$2.1 billion Upston mentioned is spread across several years of budgets, not one year. And the bill itself does not change how much funding is available. People in the disability sector are asking whether this new law will bring real stability, or mostly write the current situation into law while court cases carry on.

The family carer issue shows that tension clearly. The Supreme Court decided family members paid to give care were government employees. The bill would stop other claims still in the courts but leave the two decided cases as they are. Upston's promise of a carers' package suggests the government knows the bill alone will not fix the gap the court cases revealed. But what that package will include and when it will arrive is not yet known.

The large number of submissions shows the disability sector is paying close attention to the detail of this law. The changes address worries about family obligations, the right to be consulted, and whether the bill lines up with disability rights principles. Whether the changes go far enough for the disability community will likely be tested when the bill comes back to Parliament for its next steps.

For people watching Parliament, the path is simple: the bill has passed the select committee stage, the government has agreed to amendments, and it will carry on through the remaining stages. The big questions — consistent assessment across the country, financial sustainability, and the family carer issue — will remain after the law is passed.