Complex Care Group
UNVACCINATED FAMILY CARERS REIMBURSEMENT PROCESS
The Government has established a reimbursement process for unvaccinated in-home family carers who undertook family carer work that was not paid as a result of the former COVID-19 vaccine mandate.
This follows a High Court finding in March this year that the Government had made a process error by extending the COVID-19 vaccination mandate to include in-home family carers. The Government accepted this error and is working to address it so that eligible carers can now be reimbursed.
In-home family carers of disabled people who were paid to provide support prior to the COVID-19 Public Health Response (Vaccinations) Order 2021 coming into force on 6 November 2021 and who continued to provide that care but were not paid because of the effect of the Vaccinations Order are eligible for reimbursement.
If you believe you are eligible but require more information, please contact us:
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email us at contact@whaikaha.govt.nz
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phone 0800 566 601
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or text 4206
Alternatively, you can make a claim directly through your Individualised Funding Host or Service Provider.
Whaikaha is also contacting service providers and Individualised Funding Hosts to provide information about how reimbursement claims will be processed for those affected.
If you were paid through a service provider or Individualised Funding Host to perform in-home family care prior to the vaccine mandate taking effect and continued to provide the care but stopped being paid due to being unvaccinated, please contact your Individualised Funding Host or Service Provider to inquire about reimbursement.
The purpose of the Vaccination Order was to expand the vaccinated health sector workforce and the Ministry of Health had been attempting to treat in-home family carers consistently with other care and support workers. The Ministry of Health stands by its advice that people receiving care are often at high risk of serious illness if they catch COVID-19.
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