Personal Budget Guidelines

Your Personal Budget is to be used flexibly to pay for the agreed upon supports as outlined in your Enabling A Good Life proposal and Funding Agreement.  These should be focused on achieving your goals and aspirations and support the removal of barriers to achieving these due to the disability you experience. 

You will usually have worked out what you want funding for with your Kaitūhono/Connector or, if you are Self-Connecting, then you would have been supported by our Connector Support team. 

WHAT YOUR PERSONAL BUDGET CAN'T BE USED FOR:

Purchases from your personal budget need to be related to helping you overcome a barrier because of the disability you experience. There are some things you can’t use your personal budget for: 

        ·            illegal activities 

        ·            gambling 

        ·            alcohol 

        ·            tobacco 

        ·            a personal injury that is covered by ACC 

        ·            supplementing your general household income 

        ·            paying for things another government agency funds.

You may be able to use your funding for things another government agency funds, if the support is not suitable or involves a wait that would significantly reduce the likelihood of achieving one or more potential good outcomes. In this situation, you will need to give permission for Mana Whaikaha to discuss the purchase with the agency. 

WHAT ELSE YOU NEED TO KNOW: 

Legal obligations 

You must meet all your legal obligations related to this funding, including: 

• Employer obligations; and 
• Tax obligations. 

These only relate to paying for private support services.  If you are using a host agency or are accessing support through a company then they will have done these on your behalf. 

Sensitive expenditure 

Sensitive expenditure is defined as ‘supports where it would not be apparent to a third party, who isn’t familiar with your context how it is a disability support’.  

You will need to talk to your Kaitūhono/Connector about purchases that may be considered as sensitive as these are not always able to be approved. 

For these supports to be approved, we need to record the explanation, and demonstrate that: 

        ·            it helps you overcome a barrier related to disability; and 

        ·            that it is the best option to help you overcome that barrier. 

Therapies that would not ordinarily attract public funding (alternative/complementary therapies) are always sensitive expenditure.