In New Zealand, funded support for our elderly and disabled comes in a few different forms. Individualised Funding (IF) and Home Based Agency Care offer different approaches to disability support, each with its own benefits. Here’s a breakdown of how they compare:

Benefits of Individualised Funding (IF)

Individualised Funding (IF) is built on a simple principle: the people closest to the care needs are best placed to decide how those needs should be met. IF provides funding directly to the individual, empowering them to create a support system tailored to their unique needs, goals, and aspirations.

Below are the main benefits for choosing IF

Greater Control & Flexibility

• You choose who provides your support, when, and how it looks.
• You can hire family members, friends, or support workers who best meet your needs.
• Services can be tailored to your lifestyle, cultural preferences, and unique requirements.

Budget Management

• You decide how to allocate your funding within approved categories.
• You can prioritise spending on services that matter most to you (e.g., personal care, respite etc.)
• Budget accordingly to the ebbs and flows of your life

Direct Employment of Support Workers

• You can hire and manage your own support staff rather than relying on agency-assigned workers.
• You decide the hourly rate, hours of work and their responsibilities
• Allows for stronger relationships with support workers and more consistency in care.

Potential Cost Savings

• IF enables you to use the full funding amount for direct support. There are no additional overheads or expenses like a head office.
• Agency care hours are fixed whereas you can choose to have more hours of care for the same funding amount by changing the hourly rate.

Choice of Service Providers

• You can mix and match providers or use community services that fit your needs, rather than being limited to a single agency.

Backup Support

• Get support workers when you need them through Manawanui’s services employ and employ+

Benefits of Home Based Agency Care

Often described as the “traditional funding model”, the total funding package that is allocated for your support needs is managed by a third party agency. They have support workers as employees of their organisation and will use their staff to coordinate the support you receive on a weekly basis. It requires a lot less involvement as a recipient of the service but it comes with less control and flexibility. Some of the benefits are listed below.

Less Administrative Responsibility

• The agency handles recruitment, payroll, training, and rostering of support workers for you.

Backup Support

• If a support worker is sick or unavailable, the agency try and provide a replacement.
• Reduces stress around last-minute cancellations.
• Pre-trained Staff

Which Option is Better?

As we’ve already said, each option can suit different circumstances.

IF is ideal if you value control, flexibility, personalised support, and want to get the most out of your available funding. Good planning and management can make your funding go further.

Agency Care is best if you want a hands-off approach. The agency will organise everything for you but at a greater cost.

Some people choose a hybrid approach, using IF for some services and agency support for others, depending on their needs.

Looking for advice on how to switch to IF or manage it effectively? Talk with us. [contact us link]

An estimated 17 percent of people living in New Zealand households were disabled in 2023, according to figures released by Stats NZ today.