NTA UPDATED RATES
What do families do when they need to travel far to get to their child’s cancer treatments and the costs are just too high? The National Travel Assistance Scheme (or NTA) can help bridge the gap financially for families who qualify. But is it enough?
That’s where the National Travel Assistance Scheme (or NTA) can help bridge the gap financially for families who qualify. But is it enough?
Thanks to the dedication, hard work and advocacy of a passionate group of cancer charities including Cancer Society, Ronald McDonald House Charities, ourselves and many more, Health Minister Dr Reti announced the following increases in financial support rates would be available to qualifying families from 1 April this year:
- The kilometre rate increased from 28c to 34c per kilometre
- The nightly accommodation rate rose from $100 to $140 per night
- The rate for those staying with friends or whānau increased from $25 to $35 a night.
It’s a positive step in the right direction, though our advocacy for further improvements continues, like the expansion of eligibility criteria to include more families who are doing it tough.
How does the National Travel Assistance Scheme work, who’s eligible and how do they take practical steps towards claiming? You can find all the details on Te Whatu Ora’s website here.
Or learn more about Cancer Society’s initiative “Let’s Drive Change” here.
If you and your whānau use the scheme, we’d love to hear your feedback about it. Please send us a direct message for us to pass to our advocacy team!
The areas we’re still looking at include expanding the eligibility criteria, creating a clear and simple assessment and approval process for claims that fall outside the criteria but still demonstrate clear need, an advance payment system and more.
