8. Question No. 8—Disability IssuesHon PRIYANCA RADHAKRISHNAN (Labour) to the Minister for Disability IssuesQuestion No. 8—Disability Issues8. Hon PRIYANCA RADHAKRISHNAN (Labour) to the Minister for Disability Issues: Does she stand by her statement in the House no disabled person will lose access to funding for essential services"; if so why are insulin pumps and diabetes monitors being excluded from Whaikaha's disability support funding?Hon PENNY SIMMONDS (Minister for Disability Issues): Yes I do stand by my statement. Diabetes is a serious health condition affecting many New Zealanders and I'm advised that avenues such as Health New Zealand and Pharmac support New Zealanders to gain access to funding for insulin pumps and monitors. The expectation is that health devices to address health conditions are dealt with under Vote Health. If however these have previously been funded with disability funding I am clear that continuity of service continues for those individuals while these funding services are clarified.Hon Priyanca Radhakrishnan: What does she say to carers who are concerned that defunding these critical devices will lead to an increase in "dead in bed" syndrome?Hon PENNY SIMMONDS: So I have sought clarification from Whaikaha whether these monitors are funded through third-party providers under the previous rules with disability funding. I am clear—absolutely clear—that we must ensure that access is available if there have been people that have received them through disability services prior to 18 March. But I will be asking Whaikaha to work with those individual families to see whether they have been accessing health support where it is appropriate. This highlights the issues that we are working with with Whaikaha. They are working to a budget that was put in place by a previous Government that was insufficient in terms of being able to meet needs. It has also had to put in place guidelines and so it is important that we review the systems processes financial management and the policy settings so that funding is coming from the appropriate source.Hon Priyanca Radhakrishnan: Does the Minister consider speech therapy for a 17-year-old non-verbal severely intellectually disabled young man effective support that should be funded through Whaikaha's disability support funding; if not why not?Hon PENNY SIMMONDS: Again we have asked Whaikaha to ensure that they are working with families where there are essential services needed for the disabled person to be able to function they will be working with them to ensure those services and equipment are provided.Hon Priyanca Radhakrishnan: Does she agree with David Seymour that her Government has gone too far in its cuts and that "we do have a responsibility in our society to help people who genuinely have no other source of help and have no other way of changing their situation" and if so will she reinstate flexibility of funding while she works with the impacted communities on a longer-term solution?Hon PENNY SIMMONDS: It needs to be very very clear that there has been no cut in funding. There has been additional funding given to get Whaikaha through to the end of the year. Whaikaha has been working to a budget that was put in place by the previous Government which was insufficient for the policy settings they were working to. We have further indicated that there will be additional funding put in place. There is no cut in funding.Hon Priyanca Radhakrishnan: What does the Minister say to the woman who emailed to say—and I quote—"Today I found out from Enliven Disability support services and my psychologist that Government has said I cannot use my funding to pay for psychology sessions despite it meeting the four purchasing guidelines outlined by Whaikaha. For me it was the pathway to rehabilitation successful social interactions and managing crippling anxiety and I was hoping to return to work in the not too distant future. Now that has been taken away from me."?Hon PENNY SIMMONDS: I'm not aware of the individual case but the member has answered the question herself if she said that it met the guidelines of the funding. Therefore if it meets the guidelines of the funding it should be funded."