Making it easier to care – Protection of Personal and Property Rights Act

We made it easier and less costly to take care of a disabled family members finances.

Caring for a disabled family member is hard enough without being buried in paperwork. One carer told us how difficult it was to manage money and assets for a loved one who couldn’t make decisions, due to outdated rules in the Protection of Personal & Property Rights Act.

Until recently, if you were managing more than $20,000 in income or just $5,000 in assets, you had to go through a very stringent process – with ongoing reports and audits. These low thresholds hadn’t been updated in years, creating unnecessary stress and cost for families just trying to help.

We worked with the Ministry of Justice to change that. From October 2024, the income threshold will rise to $38,800 (and later to $45,000), and the asset threshold to $25,000.

One carer summed it up best: “I’ve been ‘heard’ many times but action towards tangible change hasn’t come along with it—until now. You don’t know what this means to me.”

This change cuts red tape and gives caregivers space to focus on what really matters – supporting their loved ones.