Government overhauls disability support bill after 3000 submissions

Disability Issues Minister Louise Upston has announced a series of changes to the Disability Support Services Bill after a parliamentary select committee reviewed it and received more than 3000 public submissions. Upston acknowledged the bill's original intent "was not as clear as it should have been" (RNZ).

The bill was introduced to Parliament on 19 May 2026 and sets out a new legal framework for disability support services. Once passed, it would become the Disability Support Services Act 2026 (legislation.govt.nz).

A select committee is a small group of MPs who examine a bill in detail, hear public submissions, and recommend changes before the full Parliament votes on it. The committee's report prompted the government's amendments.

The changes make clear that the government will keep supporting families, with no new expectations placed on them. The government, through Disability Support Services (DSS), will continue contributing to care for disabled people (Beehive). The amendments also clarify that the bill is meant to capture the current state of disability support, not to change existing entitlements, funding, or who is eligible — a point the government stressed when it first introduced the bill in May (Beehive).

Another change requires the government to formally consult disabled people through representative organisations when designing future support programmes. The updated language also reflects the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the Enabling Good Lives principles, which is a New Zealand framework aimed at giving disabled people more choice and control over their lives (RNZ).

Upston said the bill would create a nationally consistent assessment process, stabilise services, improve financial sustainability, and give people more choice over flexible funding. The government has committed NZ$2.1 billion in additional DSS funding across successive budgets. Separately, Upston said the government would soon consult on a carers' package (RNZ).

The bill would not affect two claims already determined by the Supreme Court in December. The Court found that two people who were paid to care for a family member were employees of the state. The bill would, however, stop other similar claims currently working through the courts (RNZ).

DSS currently supports about 55,000 disabled people in community and residential care. Around 100,000 people access environmental support services — equipment and modifications that help them live safely and independently — and the government funds Child Development Services for approximately 26,000 disabled children each year (RNZ).

The broader context here is one of tension between the government's stated commitment to stabilising disability support and the fiscal environment it sits in. Budget 2026 included no new spending for disability services and cut NZ$1.5 million from the Ministry of Disabled People (The Spinoff). The NZ$2.1 billion in additional funding Upston cited spans several budgets rather than a single year, and the bill itself does not change existing funding. For sector advocates and providers, the question is whether a new legal framework delivers real stability for disabled people and carers, or mostly writes the status quo into law while outstanding legal claims work through the courts.

The family carer issue brings that tension into sharp focus. The Supreme Court's December ruling found that family members paid to provide care were state employees. The bill would stop other claims before the courts while leaving the two decided cases intact. Upston's promise of a forthcoming carers' package suggests the government knows the bill alone will not resolve the policy gap the litigation exposed, but the package's scope and timing remain unspecified.

The 3000-plus submissions to the select committee point to a sector deeply engaged with the detail of the legislation. The amendments responding to those submissions address concerns about family obligations, consultation rights, and alignment with established disability rights frameworks. Whether the changes go far enough for the disability community will likely be tested when the bill returns to Parliament for its next stages.

For Parliament watchers, the path is straightforward: the bill has cleared select committee, the government has accepted a set of amendments, and it will proceed through remaining stages. The political and policy stakes — nationally consistent assessment, financial sustainability, and the unresolved family carer question — will outlast the legislative process itself.