Remove barriers for people accessing council services with Community Services cards

LGNZ says Community Services cards could help identify people who need discounted council services – but the law is standing in the way.

Approximately 720,000 New Zealanders have a Community Services Card*, which helps them with the costs of health care and public transport by allowing them to access discounted rates for health services, prescriptions and fares.

LGNZ President Sam Broughton says the current regulations, which limit who can request a Community Services card as a form of identification, has created a barrier for people to effectively access council services.

“A Community Services card is essentially an ID card, but currently only a Ministry of Health employee, public transport authority or pharmacist can use it as such.

“It would make sense for councils to be allowed to use the Community Services card as a proxy to assess who should be given discounted access to local services – such as social housing and discounted fees for amenities like swimming pools.”

Sam Broughton says that cardholders already go through a thorough means testing and income checking process to be allocated the card, with councils currently requiring them to repeat this process in order to access council concessions.

“It’s unnecessary and places another hurdle in front of people who are already disadvantaged.

“Because councils can’t access the card, targeting services to those most in need means they’re forced to resort to more complex and unnecessary methods to assess eligibility – which can also introduce privacy and consistency concerns.”

The issue was initially raised by Palmerston North District Council as a remit to LGNZ’s AGM in August.

LGNZ has written to the Minister of Health and Minister of Social Development, urging for the Health Entitlement Cards Regulations 1993 to be amended to allow the Community Services card to be used as a form of identification by councils.

Sam Broughton believes that amending the regulations would meet a number of the Government’s objectives.

“It would reduce the regulatory costs incurred by councils, when means testing local citizens to ascertain eligibility. It would also improve the access for Community Services cardholders to local public services, which helps strengthen their regular participation in community life.

“This is another example of councils wanting to streamline their processes and remove unnecessary red tape, so that they’re more efficient and effective.”

* Figures released by the Ministry of Social Development (MSD) as at October 2021.