How to access MSD financial support for Counselling

Ok, so, you need some counselling support - life is changing, things are coming up for you - you might be experiencing increased anxiety, depression, or just need some support to work through the ways that life has shifted and change. AND, it all looks too expensive.

So - What are the options?

One way you can access financial support is through Work and Income’s Disability Allowance for Counselling. You do not have to be on a benefit already to access this, and they have a handy income chart available so you can see whether you are eligible straight away.

WINZ pay up to a maximum of $70.04 a week for Disability Allowance. How much you get for counselling depends on your situation. If this is the first time you're applying for counselling, you can get up to 10 sessions. You can apply for more if a health practitioner, eg, your doctor, recommends them.

There is information in the application link, here, which also links you into the forms you need to fill out.

One part of the form gets filled in by your GP, and the other part by your counsellor (you can check which counsellors and psychologists are able to fill these forms out by looking at the criteria in the link.)

If you’ve seen your GP recently, and discussed your mental health, its a good idea to see if you can get their email address, or contact reception so that if you have limited income, you don’t need spend more money getting another appointment to get a form filled in. If you haven’t seen or spoken to them in a while about your mental health, it’s a really good idea to get them in the loop too. They may know about a different option that could work better for you, and are always the best first point of contact for mental health related issues, as well as what is happening with our bodies.

Remember - if the counsellor that you choose isn’t the right fit, it’s ok to change. The counselling relationship is really important, and it’s always ok to look for someone else who is a better fit, so that you can do the work that you need to do to heal, build resilience, and/or process what’s coming up for you.