Establishing a new Ministry for Disabled People – Budget 2022

We’re leading the realisation of true partnership between the disability community and government, and helping drive ongoing transformation across government with, and for, disabled people.

Government is investing $107.859 million over four years to establish the new Ministry for Disabled People to strengthen the cross-government system and help transform services.

The new Ministry will provide cross-government coordination, stewardship and leadership on issues affecting disabled people. The Ministry will also take on responsibility for transforming Disability Support Services and implementing the Enabling Good Lives approach on a national scale.

• Approximately one in four New Zealanders self-identify as having a disability based on data from the 2013 Disability Survey. Disabled people face significant barriers to experiencing positive wellbeing, including disproportionate representation in poverty statistics and experiences of inaccessibility and discrimination.
• The funding will establish the new Ministry and employ an additional 50 fulltime equivalent staff. The Ministry will help lead and coordinate cross-government strategic policy so it will be more joined-up, and support the ongoing transformation of disability services, including the implementation of the Enabling Good Lives approach (EGL).

This will help enable a holistic whole-of-life, whole-of-whānau approach to addressing inequities and realising aspirations and opportunities for disabled people and whānau.

• The cross-government work of the Ministry will facilitate greater inclusion of disabled people, with disabled people experiencing improved outcomes in key life areas as a result, leading to positive flow on impacts for NZ as a whole.
• As well as undertaking new responsibilities, the Ministry will take on most functions currently delivered by the Disability Directorate (DSD) in the Ministry of Health (MoH), with DSD staff and services transferring from MoH.

Costs (operating)