Disability Support Services Bill – What you need to know

The Disability Support Services Bill will shape disability support in Aotearoa New Zealand for years to come.

The New Zealand Down Syndrome Association (NZDSA) does not support the Bill in its current form.

The NZDSA has participated in stakeholder meetings and hosted a hui to gather information and community feedback to inform our submission on the Bill.

We are currently finalising our submission, and we need your help.

Disability Support Services Bill — Your Voice Is Needed

More than 55,000 people in Aotearoa rely on Disability Support Services.

Yet during the last consultation process, only around 1,500 submissions were made.

That is not enough.

If we stay silent, decisions will be made without us. Silence can be interpreted as support.

Please join us by making your own submission.

To help you, we have compiled the NZDSA DSS Bill Resource, which provides:

• An overview of the Bill
•  A summary of key community concerns
• Links to submission templates
• Links on how to write a submission
• Links to resources and tools that explain the Bill in more detail

We encourage you to read this booklet before preparing your submission.

We have also included plain language submission templates prepared by the NZDSA, along with key draft statements developed through stakeholder discussions, which you may wish to use when preparing your own submission.

Your submission does not need to be long or complicated. You can even cut and paste a template or adapt the wording to reflect your own concerns and experiences. Adding a few sentences about your own experience is powerful and helps the Select Committee understand the real-life impact this Bill could have on disabled people and their whānau.

The future of disability support will be shaped by the people who participate in this process. The resources below have been developed to help you understand the Bill, explore the key concerns, and prepare your own submission.

Every submission matters. Your experiences, concerns, and ideas can help influence the future of disability support in Aotearoa New Zealand.

The DSS Bill

• https://www.legislation.govt.nz/bill/government/2026/312/en/latest/#LMS1607979
• Easy Read PDF: https://www.disabilitysupport.govt.nz/assets/Easy-Read-May-2026-factsheet-DSS-Bill.pdf
• You can find the Easy Read and other alternates at this link: disabilitysupport.govt.nz/improving-dss/dss-bill/factsheet

Recent media about the proposed Bill: 

• https://www.stuff.co.nz/politics/360986903/government-denies-plans-means-test-disability-support-after-controversial-bill-sparks-concerns
• Government to overturn court decision recognising family carers as employees | Stuff
• Why a new disability bill is being called ‘authoritarian’ and Trumpian – three news ft Carers NZ
• Disability Support Services Bill ‘worst piece of legislation I’ve ever seen’ – advocate
• Advocate condemns Govt’s new Disability Support Services Bill – ft Jane Carrigan

Upcoming media:

Parent, advocate and life member of the NZDSA, Colleen Brown, has a feature article about the Bill and its implications to be published shortly in The Listener.

This week, The Listener is also publishing a feature article about the sandwich generation and pressures on carers, with a first look at statistics from Synergia’s new State of Caring report.

Substack posts:

• The Government Says This Bill Strengthens Disability Support. Many Disabled People Disagree – Huhana Hickey 
• We Have Seen This Bill Before. In 2013 They Called It Clarity Too – Nick Ruane
• Means testing for disability supports? – Rebekah Graham 

Community response

• Breaking: the Government is attacking disabled people and their carers. Again. – Emily Writes ft Rebekah Graham

Government Releases

• https://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/bill-strengthen-disability-support