Family carer pay met with scepticism from Rotorua mothers

Fully dependant Jay Salter (left) and his mother Linda. Photo / Andrew Warner

"Will I still be able to employ carers?"

This was one of the many questions a mother of a fully dependent man has following The Government's announcement that family members will be paid as carers for disabled or ill loved ones.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Associate Health Minister Julie Anne Genter announced on Sunday that spouses and family members would be paid between $20.50 to $25.50 an hour for their care.

The changes will come into effect in 2020 once legislation has gone through a select committee process which will include public consultation.

Rotorua mother Linda Salter, 59, lives with her son, Jay, who turns 27 in September.

He was diagnosed with cerebral palsy when he was 5 months old and one of the effects is he cannot walk or talk and is fully dependent.

This means there is no choice but 24/7 care for him.

This also means Salter is on a benefit because a work commitment is impossible.

There are three carers who help Salter and Jay during the day: two are funded through Manawanui and one is under the Ministry of Social Development funded by CCS Disability Action.

But even if Salter wanted to go back to work, this is limited as her full-time care for her son has left her with physical issues and she is on a waiting list for a hip replacement.

The current scheme means the disabled person employed the caregiver and spouses are not entitled to payment to care for their disabled partner.

Changes include repealing part of the New Zealand Public Health and Disability Act, which banned families from challenging the Government in court on the grounds of discrimination.

The changes will also extend payment to carers of children under 18.

However, for Salter, the Government's announcement has raised more questions and she said the information available was not detailed enough to get excited about.

She said she was not a trained carer and it was important the Government specify if the training was necessary to receive the payment at different levels.

The qualification or length of service determined how much carers were paid.

"Who are they going to pay, how much are they going to be paid, how many hours will they be paid for . . . Does that mean we are not able to employ carers?"

She said if these issues were addressed, it could mean she could get paid for the work she was currently doing and break away from Work and Income.

St Chads general manager Nicky Mayne, who also has a disabled son, said the change was cautiously welcomed but the devil would be in the detail.

"It's great to see the Government is acknowledging the role of family carers but I hope the detail will bring the change needed," she said.

She said the vital role that family carers play was not fully acknowledged in the changes - she knew people who were only paid for 20 hours of care when their family member needed 24/7 help.

"It doesn't go an inch towards making up for the time and effort that family carers put in."

"It is really tough to work while you're a carer."