Temporary mileage rise fails rural support workers

AMY RUSS

A temporary boost to mileage payments for home support workers is being welcomed by their leadership, but workers say it falls well short of what is needed as fuel costs continue to bite. Home support workers recently staged action calling for a complete overhaul of how in-between travel is calculated.

Health Minister Simeon Brown announced that home and community support workers will receive a temporary 30 percent increase to their mileage rates to help offset rising fuel costs. The rate will lift from 63.5 cents to 82.5 cents per kilometre for travel between clients and remain in place for up to 12 months, or until the price of 91 octane petrol drops below $3 a litre for four consecutive weeks.

“This is a positive step forward for home support workers who have been subsidising our public health system with their own vehicles and their own wallets for too long,” said Fleur Fitzsimons, Public Service Association Te Pukenga Here Tikanga Mahi national secretary. “This is a win for these low paid workers doing essential life-preserving work in clients’ homes all over New Zealand. They campaigned loud and strong for an increase, but this must be just the beginning of the support they need.”

Support workers currently receive a set payment of $2.35 to travel between clients up to 15km apart, now increased to $3.05 under the temporary change. The allowance is designed to average 63.5 cents per kilometre based on an assumed 3.7km gap between clients.

However, that model means those covering longer distances remain significantly out of pocket. A worker driving the full 15km receives just 20 cents per kilometre under the new rate, while shorter trips of around 2km can equate to as much as $1.52 per kilometre. Current Inland Revenue rates for business vehicles sit at $1.17 per kilometre for petrol and $1.26 for diesel.

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Rosemary Clark, local home support worker for Florence Nightingale, has worked in the sector for more than seven years and says the rates signal a lack of recognition for the work involved.

“I travel from Renwick to town where most of my jobs are based,” she explained. “We’ve got people driving in from Seddon to see clients. Reimbursement doesn’t kick in until after the second client, and some of us barely reach the minimum rate of 63.5 cents.

“Compared with what tradespeople or even public health roles receive, where is the value in our job?” Rosemary posed. “With retirement homes already burgeoning, we help keep people in their homes. That’s important.”

Carol Harris, an Access Support Worker based in Picton, agrees the rates remain insufficient. She regularly travels across Blenheim, Renwick and occasionally the Sounds; the current reimbursement does not cover the true cost of running a vehicle, she noted, including maintenance, insurance, registration and servicing.

“I recently had two accidents and paid $1,000 in insurance excess. None of that is covered.”

While Carol finds the work deeply rewarding, she says financial pressures remain a constant challenge.