A Nelson home support worker is facing increasing financial strain as fuel costs rise, while the subsidy she receives to cover travel expenses remains unchanged since 2022. Laura, who asked to be identified only by her first name, provides care for multiple clients throughout the day, relying on her own vehicle and personally covering the cost of petrol.
Despite being on the second-highest pay band for her role, Laura earns less than the current living wage of $28.95 an hour. She receives a travel allowance of $2.35 per journey between clients, based on a calculation of 3.7 kilometres between appointments. This equates to 63.5 cents per kilometre, significantly lower than the Inland Revenue’s mileage rate of $1.17 per kilometre for petrol cars.
“I’ve got a 2003 Mitsubishi Lancer, it’s currently got 258,000 kilometres on it,” Laura said. She explained that necessary repairs and maintenance are unaffordable and replacing the vehicle is also beyond her means. She has resorted to using a second-hand moped for some visits, hoping to avoid petrol costs when possible. “I’m just praying that it doesn’t rain,” she added.
Laura highlighted the challenges faced by support workers in more rural areas, where distances between clients can be substantial. “You complete up just paying to be able to operate those days,” she said, citing examples of 11km and 14km journeys between appointments.
Fleur Fitzsimons, national secretary of the Public Service Association, called for direct intervention to support home support workers. “We need to observe direct intervention for home support workers. They are among our lowest-paid workers. They leverage their own car and the government subsidy for their petrol hasn’t increased in four years,” Fitzsimons stated. She added that workers are “bearing the brunt of the fuel crisis” and are being “forced into poverty” due to stagnant subsidies and a cancelled pay equity claim.
Health Novel Zealand is currently reviewing funding for third-party providers for the 2026/27 period, according to acting director for funding, community and mental health, Deborah Woodley. “As part of this work, we consider cost pressures for providers and their workforce and this includes fuel costs,” Woodley said.
Recent storms across New Zealand have highlighted the resilience of rural communities, including Tasman, where Laura works, according to reporting by RNZ. Heavy rainfall in Wellington has also caused multiple slips, adding to the challenges faced by those providing essential services.
