Why won’t Labour help disabled people out of poverty?
The sheer waste of so many people’s talent, energy and lives is staggering. It doesn’t have to be that way. So why is it?
WINZ
UBI: what is it good for?
Please don’t let economists, lefties, the right, or TOP design a UBI until we start talking about bolting welfare on. Here’s why.
Us and them – what will Labour do about WINZ?
What we need is a government that shares power with beneficiaries.
We are beneficiaries
The sick and twisted thing about right wing politics is that tories like a certain level of unemployment because competition for jobs is […]
Beneficiary for life: the joys of permanent disability in present day NZ
What happens to long term beneficiaries who can’t increase their income with paid work?
Welfare reform 15 point plan
With the ongoing revelations, stories and court cases showing the terrible state of welfare services in NZ, Lawyer and journalist Catriona MacLennan has written a list of what needs to change.
Loans to feed kids are income and disqualify benefit, says MSD
Lawyer and journalist Catriona MacLennan explains the details of a case before the High Court this week. Anyone who wants to understand how the Ministry of Social Development and WINZ are utterly failing as a government department needs to read this.
WINZ: where hope and dignity go to die
“It is not okay that nearly everyone I have advocated for at WINZ, has broken down in tears during appointments and have often been close to a panic attack. Most people I advocate for at WINZ unanimously tell me it is a humiliating and utterly defeating experience.” – political writer and community activist Chloe King.
Create WINZ as it should be
Auckland event on Sunday – if you have ideas about how to #FIXWINZ you are invited to come along.
I’m off to vote today
Voting has opened for advance votes and the expectation is that it will be pretty heavy prior to polling day over the next couple of weeks. I’ll be out there voting today for Jacinda Arden as my local MP, and for the Greens as my party vote.
Getting out the vote
Tips on helping people to enrol to vote.
This is life on a benefit for ill and disabled people
A must read Guest Post for anyone thinking about poverty and welfare this election – a former social scientist turned welfare beneficiary speaks out on WINZ’s state-sponsored neglect of more than 84,000 long-term disabled New Zealanders.
Brutal
Punitive welfare settles into a new low.
Bennett faces petition and protest over historical allegations
No doubt those purity pledge campaigners who rained stones on Metiria Turei will be just as keen to get to the bottom of all this, and no doubt Paula Bennett will be keen to take personal responsibility and clear her name.
#IamMetiria
If you know that feeling of dread when you get a WINZ letter, or if you’ve had roiling anxiety from being ‘called in’ for a WINZ interview, or sighed with relief when the letter from WINZ turns out to be a replacement community services card, then follow #IamMetiria. And if you just don’t recognise those, then you might want to follow #IamMetiria to find out why others do…
Metiria Turei and Paula Bennett on benefit fraud
Turei’s admission that she lied to WINZ back in the day was a political gamble. It could resonate with a big chunk of non-voters – here’s a politician that’s just like us – has been through what we’re going through. On the other hand it gives the usual mean-spirited righties a club to beat her with. Interesting that Paula Bennett is treading so lightly round the issue.
Labour coming in from the cold
Amongst all the hooha of the political week, Labour did something pretty cool with its winter heating announcement. They made a policy for all beneficiaries. We should be paying attention to what underpins that because there is potential here.
WINZ sends families to live in garages
The government is demolishing and selling state house while WINZ sends families to live in garages. This is New Zealand in the Eighth Year of the Brighter Future.
Petition to forgive emergency accommodation debt
A petition: “As Minister of Social Development we call upon Minister Anne Tolley to urgently forgive all debts incurred by people who have been forced to stay in Motels as emergency accommodation….”
Shameful tactics on beneficiaries
Why does it take a volunteer organisation like Auckland Action Against Poverty to help people get the benefits that they are entitled to?
Glasses and Brick Walls (& woods and trees).
The thing about not having great sight is that sometimes you don’t really see things coming.
Treachery and silly season political snippets
There’s still a few MPs “on duty”. Their function is to maintain the semblance of active government and to roll out a bunch of announcements they hope will escape full scrutiny.
WINZ dysfunctional
I guess it’s not exactly news that WINZ is dysfunctional, but its interesting to have some actual data on one of the symptoms. Bonus feature – one of the Nats’ worst excuses ever.
NRT: The Great WINZ ripoff
I/S at No Right Turn on the WINZ underpayment fiasco.
Handouts to make them go away
The announcement from National that they’d bribe unemployed beneficiaries to go to Christchurch was “An empty grab for headlines”. Perhaps they should have used their strategy for party renewal? Pay more from party funds awash from selling the time of Ministers time seems to work well.
No excuse for WINZ’s mistreatment of people in need
Yesterday one woman’s story blew the lid on our government’s treatment of beneficiaries. Sarah Wilson’s post on her ongoing struggles just to get […]
Well past time to be “concerned”!
Despite an apparently never-ending parade of security stuff-ups at WINZ, Paula Bennet is “not concerned”. What exactly is her job then?
The Pernicious Food Card
Or how the food card will inevitably push beneficiaries into all types of deeper strife.
The cartoon (since it doesn’t show up clearly and you might be wondering) is a lifebelt being thrown in the “Welfare” cell and a book titled “Learn to swim” being thrown in the second “Welfare Reform” cell.