Comms on Changes to Med Cert process July 21

Kia ora We wrote to you a few weeks ago with regards the re-starting of subsequent Work Capacity Medical Certificates and wanted to give you a quick update. There is the potential for confusion between the medical certification for the shorterterm Jobseeker Support Health Condition, Injury or Disability (JS-HCID) and the longer-term Supported Living Payment (SLP). The following paragraphs cover the distinction.

Medical reassessments for clients getting Supported Living Payment From late July 2021, people getting Supported Living Payment (those with long term incapacity to work) will start coming to health practitioners for their twoyearly medical reassessments.

This process checks whether the impact of a client’s health condition or disability on their work capacity has changed and NOT on whether they still have a disability (including health conditions). Note that some Supported Living Payment clients qualify for simplified access and are never reassessed.

We’d temporarily stopped this review of work capacity requirement as part of our response to COVID-19. Now we’re starting this up again.

Medical certificates for Jobseeker Support - HCID clients changing from 31 January 2022 Our clients will continue to come to you for an initial medical certificate to help assess their eligibility for Jobseeker Support, Health Condition and Disability.

Clients won’t need to come to you for subsequent medical certificates right now.

This will change from late January 2022 when a new process will take effect.

From next January, the proposed process would mean people will still need to provide an initial medical certificate when they apply for support. However, the review period between providing their initial certificate and the need for another one will be based on how long the person’s health practitioner believes their ability to work will be affected by their health condition, injury, or disability.

The process is still being worked through (with the support of a sector advisory group) and we’ll have more information over the coming months.

Please get in touch if you have any questions.

Nā māua noa, nā Dr David Bratt Principal Health Advisor