IHC says the cost-of-living crisis is worsening an already serious situation for intellectually disabled New Zealanders and their families, many of whom have faced financial hardship for years.

As charities sound the alarm on families huddling in single rooms to stay warm, skipping meals, and borrowing to pay power bills, IHC Senior Advocate Shara Turner points out this level of struggle is nothing new for those living with intellectual disability, it’s long been the norm.

She says the IHC-funded Cost of Exclusion report, released last month, used older data and shows people with intellectual disabilities were living with significant financial stress five years ago.

“We are calling on the government and policy makers to adjust income support to reflect the true cost of disability and to recognise the long-term, cross-sector disadvantage disabled people experience.”

The Cost of Exclusion report paints a bleak picture:

• People with an intellectual disability are twice as likely to live in hardship up to age 39 and almost three times as likely at ages 40 to 64, compared to the rest of the population.
• Rates of severe hardship are double in young adulthood and triple in middle age.
• Nearly half of intellectually disabled people cannot pay an unavoidable bill within a month without borrowing.
• They are over four times more likely to go without a meal containing meat or a vegetarian equivalent.
• They are more than twice as likely to feel cold due to heating costs.

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“The current cost-of-living spike will have just added to the struggle. Stats NZ figures show electricity prices have increased by almost 9 percent and petrol by 15.5 percent in the last year. Social services have seen dramatic funding cuts and one provider told RNZ they are now supporting 800 fewer families than last year due to a $1.5 million drop in government funding.”

“It’s not a blip. We are looking at entrenched, generational poverty and targeted action is needed to change the outcomes for some of New Zealand’s most vulnerable people.”

IHC’s research, which includes powerful interviews with caregivers, offers insight into the systemic barriers that push families into poverty and keep them there. One mother described the toll:

“I ended up working full-time for three years, which just about killed me... 50 hours a week plus 15 to 20 hours advocating for Simon. It was like running a small business just for his care.”

Another described how her child’s multiple diagnoses made returning to work impossible for years, significantly eroding their family’s financial stability.

About IHC New Zealand

IHC New Zealand advocates for the rights, inclusion and welfare of all people with intellectual disabilities and supports them to live satisfying lives in the community. IHC provides advocacy, volunteering, events, membership associations and fundraising. It is part of the IHC Group, which also includes IDEA Services, Choices NZ and Accessible Properties.

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