Parents of disabled face more hardship

The long-running battle for payment by parents of severely disabled adult children is set to go another round with the Government's decision to appeal a landmark ruling.

A group of nine parents of disabled adult children took the Government to the Human Rights Tribunal last year, arguing that it was unfair the Ministry of Health paid carers only if they weren't related to the patient.

The tribunal found the ministry had discriminated against the parents because "they are not allowed to be paid for the services they provide to their children while anyone else providing the very same care to their children is able to be paid".

Health Minister Tony Ryall indicated an appeal was likely and yesterday Solicitor-General David Collins, QC, confirmed one had been lodged.

The decision has angered parents who believed the fight was over.

"I'm blown away, I'm just astonished," Thames man Cliff Robinson said. "This government of John Key's is meant to be caring ... I'm so bitterly disappointed."

Mr Robinson, 73, has been the sole caregiver of two children, John and Maria, for 40 years. He wants to keep them at home and give them as normal a life as possible and has survived on the domestic purposes benefit and national superannuation.

Mr Robinson doesn't expect a speedy resolution now the appeal has been lodged.

"They will drag this on for months and years. We were all so elated when we got the news and now it's like a knife between the shoulder blades."

He believed ministers were hiding behind bureaucrats when deciding they would appeal the decision.

When Mr Robinson told his children he would be getting help they were pleased.

He hadn't told them the bad news yesterday.

"We won a David and Goliath battle but I fear in the second round it will be Goliath who wins."

Announcing the appeal yesterday, Mr Collins said it was "in the public interest given the legal issues involved and the significant implications of the decision, including its likely fiscal impact and its flow-on effect to other policy settings".

Mr Ryall said he respected how challenging it was to care for a disabled relative.

He has released a National Health Committee report, How Should We Care for the Carers, Now and into the Future? which doesn't recommend payment for family carers but does propose a range of actions to provide better support for them.

"Late last year the Government also began looking at options to expand the individualised funding scheme and to provide better support for family carers."

- ADDITIONAL REPORTING: NZPA