The Disability Support Services Bill has passed into law and is now the Disability Support Services Act 2026.
The legislation has progressed through the final stages of the parliamentary process external, and has now passed into law. It is now known as the Disability Support Services Act 2026.
The Government’s key priority for the Act is that disabled people and their families should be able to understand how the disability support service system works and have confidence in how decisions are made.
The Act provides a legal framework for Disability Support Services:
- The Act puts into law the purpose of DSS funding and the principles for decisions, such as consideration of the safety, dignity, choice and preferences of disabled people. This provides a solid foundation for the DSS system going forward.
- The Act creates a transparent process for future changes to disability supports and services through a legislative requirement to consult on support programmes and to consider outcomes for disabled people.
- Introduces certainty regarding employment relationships within the DSS system.
Importantly
- The Act does not change current eligibility, entitlements or support, or introduce income or asset testing where it is not currently used.
- People will continue to access their supports and funding as they do now.
- Existing assessment and allocation processes continue.
More information
- Read the Act: Disability Support Services Act 2026 | New Zealand Legislation external
- Read the Minister's Press Release external following the third and final reading of the Bill.
- The Minister's Press Release is available in alternate formats in our news story.
- Watch what has been said in Parliament: Video On Demand | New Zealand Parliament external
About the Select Committee report back
On 13 August 2026, the Social Services and Community Select Committee reported back on the Bill. It recommended the Bill move forward with some changes that respond to feedback it heard from the disability community during the select committee process.
In summary the key changes to the Bill:
- clarified the role of families.
- included people centred principles to underpin decision making.
- added a requirement to consult before changes are made to support programmes.
Select Committee report back summary documents
- Summary of changes from the Select Committee report back (DOCX, 90KB)
- Summary of changes from the Select Committee report back (PDF, 110KB)
Alternate formats of the Summary of Changes from the Select Committee report back document:
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- Audio (MP3, 2.31 MB)
- Braille (BRF, 6 KB)
- Large Print (DOCX, 54KB)
- Large Print (PDF, 133KB)
- Easy Read (PDF, 1.78KB)
- NZSL external.
- Read the full Select Committee report external
- Read the Select Committee media release external. This is also available in alternate formats.