Budget 2026 cuts Whaikaha funding while Child Disability Allowance headline figure delivers no increase

Budget 2026 includes a $1.46 million cut to Whaikaha, the Ministry of Disabled People, according to CCS Disability Action. The organisation says a $21.3 million Budget headline for the Child Disability Allowance does not increase rates or entitlements families receive. The figures surface as an MSD report shows 210,600 children now live below the poverty line.