Member Update 1/07/2021

Kia Ora Kōutou to all members, 

The Cerebral Palsy Society has made some exciting changes to the way we deliver our programmes.

For many years, we have supported our members and families with funding allocated through our GET Programmes. These initiatives are all designed to support our members with funding toward transport (GetOutThere Programme), physical activities (GetPhysical Programme), the purchase of small disability-related items (GetThis&That Programme) and individual and family counselling (GetUpAgain Programme).

Up until now, this funding was provided in the form of physical vouchers provided to our members. This process held several disadvantages, such as:

• The length of time members had to wait between applying for a programme and receiving physical vouchers in the post.
• Vouchers were allocated in specific denominations, and at times would not match the specific value charged by the supplier.
• Vouchers were allocated for specific programmes, which limited members’ flexibility to split funds across programmes.

We are excited to announce some exciting updates and enhancements to the Cerebral Palsy Society member programmes processes. In conjunction with eCard Solutions, from 1^st July 2021, the Cerebral Palsy Society member programmes will be moving to a prepaid card system.

The Cerebral Palsy Society Executive Board has approved $300 per financial member from 1^st July 2021 to 31^st October 2021 for the GetOutThere, GetPhysical, GetThis&That and GetUpAgain Programmes. You will need to apply online via your CP Society Member Dashboard to receive this funding, or email us at cpsociety@cpsociety.org.nz.

The new eCard system:

• Your new Cerebral Palsy Membership Card, which is currently being couriered to you, is a prepaid card. Your card will get loaded with your approved GET Programme funding upon receipt of your programme application. Your membership card can now be used through an eftpos terminal or for online purchases similar to using a credit or debit card.
• For suppliers who don’t have eftpos facilities, the membership card funds can be redeemed via a dedicated online portal, which approved Cerebral Palsy Society suppliers will have access to.
• A list of all Cerebral Palsy Society approved suppliers is available at https://cerebralpalsy.org.nz/member-services/programmes/get-suppliers/

This list will be updated as more suppliers join our programmes.

• Members will still be able to apply for our GET Programmes funding by using the online link https://cerebralpalsy.org.nz/member-services/apply-for-a-programme/ or by emailing cpsociety@cpsociety.org.nz
• Members will have the freedom to choose the split of spend across all programmes to best suit their individual needs.
• Each member will get individual access to the online CP Society eCard portal. The portal will provide all transactional and card balance information in real-time.
• Funding will be available on your Membership card, and will be available for use in a much shorter turnaround time than the previous voucher system process.
• Assistance is available to members through the CP Society 0800 number during office hours and 24/7 through the eCard Solutions helpdesk on 0508 4ECARD.
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All physical vouchers issued for the period ending 30th June 2021 will no longer be accepted by suppliers from 1st July 2021. 

To activate your new membership card please call 0800 503 603 or send us an email to cpsociety@cpsociety.org.nz. If you need any help or further information on how to complete the Membership Card activation process or applying for GET Programme funding, our team members at the office will be happy to assist you.  We will do our best to handle enquiries as quickly as possible. However, we appreciate your understanding and patience during this transitional period. If you have not received your new membership card by the end of Monday, the 5^th of July 2021, please contact us.

Ngā Mihi

Clare and Team at the Cerebral Palsy Society of New Zealand