The Standard

benefits

Categories under benefits

Two Tier. Bull. Shit.

Written By: - Date published: 2:58 pm, May 25th, 2020 - 217 comments

I thought we were “in this together” or some such?

Running for cover

Written By: - Date published: 9:38 pm, April 21st, 2020 - 41 comments

More 1% Americans are heading our way, according to Bloomberg. The Texas company building underground bunkers is getting more enquiries. They’re not running from the virus but fear the aftermath when the breadlines turn.

Are the Vultures Already Circling Above?

Written By: - Date published: 7:00 am, April 14th, 2020 - 116 comments

We cannot go back to business as usual after the lockdown but can we shape the way things will be for the greater good?

Holding the Government to Account or Concern Trolling?

Written By: - Date published: 8:00 am, March 31st, 2020 - 35 comments

When Opposition Spokespersons behave like concern trolls, we have a problem.

UBI Now, Please

Written By: - Date published: 9:19 am, March 25th, 2020 - 75 comments

Universal Basic Income is on the Government’s Covid-19 survival agenda. NZ needs it now, and NZ will need it tomorrow too.

$1000 per person (recurring) NOW!

Written By: - Date published: 9:57 am, March 20th, 2020 - 71 comments

There’s a world where, apparently, people shake hands with other people all day. I don’t know that world. I couldn’t tell you the last time I shook some-one’s hand. And I suspect those who inhabit a world of hand-shakers have as little insight to my world as I do theirs. But in “one world”…

Covid-19 Gov’t Support; Live updates from 2pm

Written By: - Date published: 2:01 pm, March 17th, 2020 - 156 comments

In response to the Covid-19 pandemic, the coalition Government will announce a multi-billion dollar economic package at 2pm today. Livestream details are in the post and live updates will be made as the announcement rolls out.

What the Government has done for beneficiaries

Written By: - Date published: 9:22 am, March 7th, 2020 - 43 comments

In Parliament this week Carmel Sepuloni outlined action being taken by the Government to implement the recommendations of the Welfare Expert Advisory Group designed to improve the plight of beneficiaries.

UBI: what is it good for?

Written By: - Date published: 7:10 am, February 27th, 2020 - 122 comments

Please don’t let economists, lefties, the right, or TOP design a UBI until we start talking about bolting welfare on. Here’s why.

Having us squabble over the welfare pie

Written By: - Date published: 10:40 am, December 18th, 2019 - 34 comments

When we hear a supposedly progressive economist talking about elderly people as decrepit, or rendering the elderly poor invisible, it’s time to revisit our moral compass.

Common-wealth Government

Written By: - Date published: 8:14 am, November 18th, 2019 - 16 comments

Advantage is testing an idea out. What will a common accountability framework for the government look like?

National’s plans to torment poor people leaked

Written By: - Date published: 8:08 am, October 4th, 2019 - 110 comments

National’s plans to torment poor people for political gain have been leaked.

Labour and welfare

Written By: - Date published: 7:34 am, August 22nd, 2019 - 93 comments

Many of us wanted to believe that the Ardern-led compassion would apply to all New Zealanders, but Labour’s defence of highly punitive benefit sanctions tell us it doesn’t.

Flact Tax

Written By: - Date published: 7:54 am, June 17th, 2019 - 175 comments

Act has proposed a tax increase for the bottom 64% of all tax payers.

Bene bashing

Written By: - Date published: 11:27 am, June 1st, 2019 - 101 comments

National has engaged in the most crass form of beneficiary bashing in opposing Government changes to the benefit system announced in the budget and passed under urgency.

Support Tax Fairness Reform

Written By: - Date published: 12:15 pm, April 9th, 2019 - 16 comments

The Tax Justice Network has started a campaign to gain support for taxing capital as income to support and improve our public services. If you would like to support the campaign, you can sign the petition here or donate here. All funds donated will go to the campaign advertising.

New Child Poverty statistics will provide a sound baseline for reduction targets

Written By: - Date published: 7:00 am, April 4th, 2019 - 6 comments

Child Poverty Action Goup has provided comments about new child poverty measurements.

National starts political year beneficiary bashing

Written By: - Date published: 11:14 am, January 22nd, 2019 - 70 comments

National has kicked off the year by reverting to type and engaging in a classic example of beneficiary bashing based on a distortion of official statistics.

Employment Law Changes; A Win for the Workers

Written By: - Date published: 9:28 am, November 28th, 2018 - 40 comments

The Labour Party sponsored amendments to the Employment Relations Act are a step closer to becoming law. That’s a good thing for working people and a good thing for coalition politics.

KiwiBuild doesn’t fly.

Written By: - Date published: 10:29 am, November 2nd, 2018 - 215 comments

More than that, it needs to be torn down before it makes a serious bid at flight.

National forgets it apologised for Housing Corp meth hysteria

Written By: - Date published: 9:12 am, September 22nd, 2018 - 31 comments

Three months ago National apoligised for getting dud advice and evicting hundreds of state house tenants where miniscule amounts of methamphetamine were discovered. This week National backed off from that very proper apology.

Bludger Bridges

Written By: - Date published: 6:56 pm, August 13th, 2018 - 63 comments

Simon Bridges has blown over $100k of your money in just three months, tiki touring around the country at the taxpayers expense. Nice work if you can get it!

Update: A Shark Jumps Matthew Hooton. Live on Twitter!

The Benefit Arrives

Written By: - Date published: 7:32 pm, July 31st, 2018 - 38 comments

Simon ‘Soimon’ Bridges calls his deputy by her critic’s favourite nickname. Cui bono, as the Romans used to say. Who benefits?

Sanctions for beneficiary bashers

Written By: - Date published: 8:00 am, July 25th, 2018 - 76 comments

Simon Bridges, who is clearly struggling for relevance, has decided to try and improve his political position by bashing beneficiaries.

The UN is shocked by NZ’s child poverty rates

Written By: - Date published: 11:40 am, July 22nd, 2018 - 89 comments

Earlier this year the United Nations expressed shock and concern at New Zealand’s rates of child poverty, homelessness, incarceration and violence.  What is this Government doing to address these issues?

Government with a plan

Written By: - Date published: 8:00 am, July 22nd, 2018 - 46 comments

Labour and New Zealand First Ministers under the first term of the sixth Labour government sitting in the Cabinet office.

The polls are great. Top work. But I’m getting worried about the entropy of this government already. Matthew Hooten and Karl Marx agree with me.

Families Package and Auckland Regional Fuel tax kick in

Written By: - Date published: 10:24 am, July 2nd, 2018 - 48 comments

Labour’s Family Package and the Auckland Regional Fuel tax have both kicked in.

Carmel Sepuloni announces much needed changes to improve WINZ

Written By: - Date published: 3:47 pm, June 27th, 2018 - 41 comments

Carmel Sepuloni has announced much needed changes to make WINZ more sensitive to the needs of New Zealanders who need assistance.

Killing Them Softly With…

Written By: - Date published: 10:24 am, June 11th, 2018 - 48 comments

In New Zealand there is sufficient evidence to show that poor peoples’ lives are cut short because of poverty related  poor nutrition. While food banks are alleviating the worst impacts of hunger, their kindness may well be contributing to the problem. Food poverty is a systemic issue and requires a systemic response, a response that successive governments are able to avoid while charities continue to provide a buffer for the system.

Who Really is Judging the Poor?

Written By: - Date published: 2:46 pm, June 3rd, 2018 - 89 comments

Some conversations about poverty are harming those in need. Those conversations contribute to the stigma and shame experienced by struggling families, who are barely surviving, but still trying to maintain some dignity.  As a result even those in need are differentiating between the deserving and undeserving poor.

Why does Simon hate pensioners?

Written By: - Date published: 5:31 pm, May 21st, 2018 - 130 comments

In a welcome move by Labour to relieve energy poverty on those with fixed, low incomes, all beneficiaries (including pensioners) are to get up to $700 extra automatically over winter.

National obviously hate this.