IF is a type of person-directed funding from Disability Support Services which gives disabled people and their family/whānau more choice in how they are supported to live their lives. It is available throughout New Zealand for eligible people who have been assessed to receive either:
- Home and Community Support Services, which includes help with household management (HHM) and personal care (PC)
- Respite services to help carers take a break. This can include facility-based respite, In-home Respite, Out-of-home respite (OOH) and Carer Support.
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 choosing purchases or services which support you living a good life.
IF is something you need to have an assessment for, so contact the Needs Assessment and Service Co-ordinator (NASC) to talk about this funding. In Auckland, your NASC is Kaikaranga. You can get a referral to your NASC, from a GP, Allied Health Professional or self-refer.
You can get IF when you:
- Are eligible for Disability Support Services
- 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.
Once you have IF, you need to have an IF Host to access your disability budget. They will help make sure you’re putting your budget to the best possible use. They’ll talk to you about your responsibilities as an employer of your support workers and work with you to manage your budget.
