Fact sheet: assessments and allocation

• Fact sheet - Assessments and allocation (DOCX 506 KB)
• Fact sheet - Assessments and allocation (PDF 305 KB)

Translations of this fact sheet into Te Reo Māori, Samoan and Tongan have been commissioned and will be added here as soon as they are available. 

Our goal is to build a disability support system where all disabled people can access fair, consistent and transparent services and supports.

This fact sheet relates to Recommendation 5 – Updating assessments and allocation settings – from the 2024 Independent Review of Disability Support Services (DSS).

Your feedback will help Government to make decisions to stabilise disability support services before considering further work to strengthen those supports into the future.

Why change is needed

We know Disability Support Services does not always provide a fair or consistent level of support, and the support provided is not always what is needed.

Supports are not always reviewed or reassessed as often as they should be and sometimes are not as thorough as they should be.

What we want to achieve

We want to make sure disabled people’s needs are assessed consistently and ensure decisions about what support is provided are fair. 

We want to improve the existing tools for assessing people’s needs and make better decisions about their supports.

This part of the consultation only relates to assessments through a Needs Assessment Service Co-ordination (NASC). Enabling Good Lives (EGL) assessments are not included.  

Have your say

We want to hear from you about how NASCs can make their assessment and allocation processes clearer.    

The consultation includes a series of questions about:

• making sure there is a consistent approach to needs assessment
• improving how the assessment tool reflects the diversity of disability
• assessing the needs of family/whānau and carers
• making sure the services and support a person receives continues to meet their needs
• helping people access support that isn’t available through DSS.

How to participate 

• Attend an in-person workshop.
• Attend an online briefing workshop.

• Make a submission – either in writing or by video.
• Complete a short survey (this is the quickest way to have your say).

It will be helpful to read either the full Discussion document (or summary document) before participating.