Families who won a long and lengthy court battle for financial help to support their disabled daughters and sons are now facing a new battle with health system bureaucracy and need the Health Minister's help, Labour's Disability Issues spokesperson Ruth Dyson says.

'Of the 1600 families who are entitled to be paid for this work, only 121 families have qualified. This is an abysmal failure on the part of Tony Ryall who needs to urgently step up to the mark, admit his failure to deliver on his promise and get it sorted.

'The Minister's original commitment was insufficient to meet the needs of families who provide support to their disabled family members. In fact, he put into law a prohibition on families who are not entitled to receive support from pursuing court action.

'Labour fought this provision rigorously through the Budget debate last year where Tony Ryall rammed this legislation through all stages under urgency. Labour has pledged to reverse this law and ensure that all families are paid for providing an assessed level of care for their family member.

'But the families who Tony Ryall said would get payment are still missing out. They are facing hurdles which he promised to remove. He needs to step up to the mark and help them.

'These families have been through enough with a lengthy court battle. They just deserve their payments."

Source: Office of Ruth Dyson.