Benefit changes risk compounding barriers for disabled young people
By Mel Smith, Chief Executive, CCS Disability Action
Published 13 October 2025
The Government’s recent announcement to tighten eligibility for Jobseeker Support for 18- and 19-year-olds has raised deep concern across the disability sector and beyond. From July 2027, young people will need to pass a parental assistance test to access Jobseeker Support or the Emergency Benefit. If their parents or caregivers are deemed able to support them financially, they will no longer be eligible – even if they have a health condition or disability.
This change is part of a broader welfare reform agenda aimed at reducing long-term benefit dependency. But for disabled young people and their families, it risks compounding the very barriers that make participation in education, training, and employment so difficult.
CCS Disability Action has been concerned about the direction of welfare reform for some time. In a previous article, we highlighted how disabled people often find themselves on Jobseeker Support due to systemic gaps in eligibility and support. You can read that piece here: Benefit system reforms – a disability perspective.
A complex reality for disabled youth
Disabled young people often face a range of interconnected barriers – from inaccessible transport and learning environments to long wait times for assessments and support services. For many, these challenges begin early and persist through adolescence and into adulthood.
Parents and caregivers of disabled youth are frequently navigating fragmented systems, advocating for support, and absorbing significant financial and emotional strain. The assumption that all families can or will provide financial support ignores the reality for many whānau – especially those already stretched thin.
The reality is this isn’t just one policy change. It’s another layer in a system that already places enormous pressure on disabled young people and their families. It’s not always one big cut, but the cumulative effect of many small ones that has an impact.
Sector voices echo concern
We are not alone in raising these concerns. Respected disability rights advocate, Dr Huhana Hickey told RNZ that the changes could disproportionately affect young people with invisible or learning disabilities, who may not be recognised as needing support under the new criteria.
IHC New Zealand has also spoken out, stating that the new rules are not suitable for people with a learning disability, and that many families already face significant challenges navigating the benefit system.
Susan St John, from the Child Poverty Action Group – an organisation we have worked with in the past and who understand the intersection between disability and poverty – raised the alarm in a Waatea News interview: “I’m very concerned that there’s been no regulatory impact statement, which would give an analysis of who’s affected and what the unintended consequences might be.”
These perspectives reinforce the need for policy that reflects the lived realities of disabled people – not assumptions about their capacity or family circumstances.
Who will be impacted?
While the Government has stated that young people who cannot reasonably rely on their parents will still be eligible for support, the criteria and process for proving this are not yet clear. The Ministry of Social Development has acknowledged that further work is needed to design the parental assistance test.
We are concerned that disabled young people – particularly those with learning disabilities, who are neurodivergent, or needs that many consider complex – may be disproportionately affected. Many are already on Jobseeker Support because they do not meet the criteria for Supported Living Payment, despite having significant barriers to employment.
A call for inclusive policy design
CCS Disability Action supports efforts to encourage young people into education, training, and employment. But these efforts must be grounded in the lived realities of disabled youth and their whānau.
We urge policymakers to:
Ensure the parental assistance test includes robust safeguards for disabled young people.
Consult with disabled people, families, and support organisations before finalising the legislation.
Recognise that disability-related barriers require tailored responses – not blanket assumptions about family support.
Let’s build a system that works for everyone
Benefit reform should not come at the cost of inclusion. We need a system that supports disabled young people to thrive – not one that adds more hurdles to an already complex journey.
CCS Disability Action will continue to advocate for policies that reflect the diversity and dignity of disabled people and their whānau. We invite decision-makers, sector leaders, and allies to join us in ensuring these changes do not leave anyone behind.