Information about changes to assessments and allocations.
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What is happening with reassessments?
Non-urgent reassessments are temporarily paused to give NASCs and EGL sites time to put in place the changes to assessments and allocations.
This pause does not apply if your circumstances change. You can still request an urgent reassessment at any time.
DSS, NASCs and Enabling Good Lives sites are working to restart non-urgent reassessments as quickly as possible.
Note: The pause in reassessments does not apply to residential support packages. These continue as normal.
When will routine or non-urgent reassessments re-start?
In the September announcement we advised that reassessments will be paused from February until October 2026, to give NASCs and Enabling Good Lives sites time to implement these changes.
We’ve been working closely with NASCs and Enabling Good Lives sites, and it’s now likely that scheduled reassessments will be able to resume sooner. We will keep the community updated.
Urgent reassessments remain available for people whose situations have changed.
What meets the criteria for an urgent reassessment?
A reassessment is urgent when someone's situation changes in a way that means they can no longer be safe or have their basic needs met without quick support.
Will carer support be retained?
Yes. Access and eligibility for Carer Support are not changing. Flexibility will increase from April 2026, enabling people to choose options for respite and wellbeing breaks that work for them, aligned to the disabled person’s needs and plan.
How has DSS considered the needs of parents and family carers in the new assessment approach?
The new approach is designed to recognise the needs of family, whānau and carers in their important role supporting a disabled person.
Assessments will now include questions about caring, options for respite or wellbeing breaks, and supports to reduce stress for carers and those they support. Information from these conversations feeds into the My DSS Funding Plan, which can include specific support for carers where appropriate.
This means funding can be used to help carers take a break, protect their own wellbeing, and have back-up options they trust. DSS will continue to work with carers and the disability community to strengthen this approach over the coming year.
Every situation is different. Sometimes a disabled person may not want their family, whānau or carer involved in their assessment (they may not require any family support, for example). They let their NASC know this before an assessment or review.
Further work will happen this year to strengthen the disability support system, and we will continue to engage with carers and others in the disability community as part of this.
Has DSS worked with carers to implement this new model?
DSS has been working with our NASCs, Enabling Good Lives sites and Hosts to implement these changes.
The changes are informed by the feedback we heard from the disability community.
Family, whānau, support people and carers took part in the consultations – around two-thirds of people who attended public workshops were family, whānau and carers.
We listened to their feedback and it has directly informed these changes.
In addition, we’ve drawn on research and practice informed by studies on respite, carer fatigue and carer burnout.
Carers and the disabled people they support will be included in any further consultations as part of our wider work to strengthen the system.