By Emma Joliff
A father who raised his two disabled children on his own, then won the right to be paid to care for them, is angry the Government is appealing the decision by the Human Rights Commission.
For nine years Cliff Robinson has been fighting for other families in the same position to be paid like an unrelated carer would.
For more than 40 years, Mr Robinson has cared for his two disabled children on his own at home.
Marita and John have congenital microencephaly, which literally means "small brain", a rare condition and even rarer for two children in one family to have.
Their mother left when the children, who need round-the-clock care, were infants.
“In those first five or six years it was absolutely horrendous,” Mr Robinson says.
Unlike contract carers, family members caring for disabled relatives don't get paid.
At a forum in Parliament today Mr Robinson said family carers are discriminated against and should get government support of $30,000 a year.
He lived on the domestic purposes benefit for 28 years, but took his case to the Human Rights Commission when he turned 65.
“I thought, ‘gee, this is grim, I'm going to get the old age pension, or the national superannuation, which is a retirement benefit, yet I've still got to work full time’,” he says.
“What the case is about is the Ministry of Health's policy or practice that family members are ineligible to be paid carers for their adult disabled children,” says solicitor Jennifer Ryan.
A Human Rights Tribunal supported Mr Robinson and six other plaintiffs and found “the policy in question was discriminatory and in breach of the Human Rights Act”, Ms Ryan says.
The High Court did too, but the Government is seeking to appeal that decision in the Court of Appeal.
Now in his 70s, Mr Robinson says he will care for his children for as long as he's able.
“‘Til I've got a bit of breath in my days.”
The Government has until April 8 to lodge its appeal.
3 News
source: newshub archive
