April 01, 2026

#economy: Home support workers are taking legal action

Dale Husband Posted On April 1, 2026

Dale Husband #economy: Home support workers are taking legal action

Home support workers are taking legal action against Health New Zealand, saying they are being forced to cover the cost of delivering essential care out of their own wages.

The Public Service Association has filed a case with the Employment Relations Authority, arguing the current system breaches the Wages Protection Act by effectively requiring workers to subsidise a publicly funded service.

The move comes as rising fuel costs place increasing pressure on a workforce already among the lowest paid in the health sector. Thousands of home support workers travel daily to care for older people and those living with illness or disability, often using their own vehicles.

Unions say the situation has become untenable, with workers expected to pay for petrol, insurance, maintenance and general wear and tear, simply to do their jobs. They argue this shifts the cost of delivering care from the system onto individual workers.

The issue is being highlighted as fundamentally unfair, with concerns that a publicly funded service should not rely on workers to provide and maintain their own tools of trade at personal expense.

The mileage allowance paid to workers has not been increased in four years, despite significant rises in fuel and vehicle costs. Unions say this reflects a broader failure to properly value the workforce and the essential services they provide to communities.

There are growing calls for immediate change, including a review and increase of the mileage rate, as well as wider reform to ensure workers are not left out of pocket for doing their jobs.

Union representatives say the legal action is about holding the system accountable and ensuring home support workers are fairly supported, as demand for in-home care continues to rise across Aotearoa.