Day care for the older disabled people

If the client is an older disabled person and needs help with the costs of travelling to, or attending, a day care centre, MSD must check if the client qualifies for Disability Allowance.

If the client qualifies for Disability Allowance, it must be granted before MSD assess if the client qualifies for Temporary Additional Support.

The client may have allowable health and disability costs for Temporary Additional Support where they do not qualify for Disability Allowance because:

• they do not meet the Disability Allowance income limit or
• their disability will last less than 6 months or
• they are certain refugees, protected persons or residence applicants

Allowable costs for Temporary Additional Support can include the costs of an older disabled client (usually aged 65 or over) to attend a day care centre, and/or the cost of transport to the centre.

This is intended to enable the client to remain in or return to their own home, or family/whānau care.

Allowable costs for Temporary Additional Support do not include:

• the costs of people in residential care services
• if the client is entitled to carer relief through Health New Zealand - Te Whatu Ora funding (MSD should refer the client to the local Hospital and Health Services to check their entitlement for carer relief)

A registered medical practitioner or nurse practitioner must complete a Disability Allowance medical certificate confirming the client's disability, the need for treatment and that day care is necessary. The certificate must also confirm the treatment is beneficial and of therapeutic value and that the costs are:

• additional and
• ongoing and
• directly related to the client's disability

Note when a medical practitioner or nurse practitioner indicates on the client's Disability Allowance medical certificate that treatment by another registered health practitioner is necessary, that practitioner must verify the costs of their services.

The client must provide:

• a Disability Allowance medical certificate completed and signed by a registered medical practitioner or nurse practitioner and
• receipts to verify the costs of day care (1 receipt is enough proof if it shows the regular cost of each visit)

Note the requirement to get a registered medical practitioner or nurse practitioner's signature at the client's Review of Circumstances, is waived if the costs are for attendance at an IHC day programme (regardless of whether the costs have changed).