WINZ staff enjoy making monkey's out of the poor and needy.

Mental abuse

Most beneficiary’s get a jolly good thumping from Work and Income NZ. Many enter their doors believing they will receive a fair deal. But exit the WINZ office disillusioned and unhappy. Their lives and the lives of their family members changed forever.

BULLIES FOR YEARS

There is a letter often sent to beneficiaries from Work and Income NZ with the key words "As we have not received all the information requested your Special Benefit has been stopped" - or will be, even though you have supplied all the information the Department requested. This type of intimidation is perpetrated on sick persons such as my wife who is 100% disabled as far as working goes, and has been nearly all her life. She is incapable of responding to this type of bullying and if it were not for her advocate she would be destitute and living in slum conditions, or incarcerated in an institution.

Work and Income NZ has no compassion, no concern for the well being of its clients. Its SOLE INTEREST IS TO DENY NEEDY PERSONS THEIR ENTITLEMENT TO ASSISTANCE WHICH LEGISLATION PROVIDES.

The other night on a TV ("Fair Go") program there was a case concerning an elderly couple who were living on $47.11 each a week after essential commitments were taken care of.

Work and Income had been denying this disabled couple assistance for at least six months. It was not until the TV crew got into the act that something was done. Work and Income immediately paid arrears to the couple of $4000.

They now have about $120 a week each to live on. Which means that this couple will still live and die in paucity. You try living on $120 a week!!

If you lived on bread and sausages out of the freezer (bought on special from a supermarket) you might survive – just. That is until you become sick and your G.P. places you on the government's Hospital Waiting List. Unfortunately there is a pretty good chance of you succumbing to your illness before your turn for hospital treatment comes around.

Plenty of money

To cry there is no money is a lie. There is plenty of money and there always has been. It is evident that New Zealand is awash with money. Denying persons their entitlement to assistance is an art with Work and Income staff - starting from the top (the Crown).

Insidious intimidation is applied to every type of beneficiary to reduce the chances of a needy person continuing with their claim for financial assistance.

Bonus'

It is known that bonus's are paid on "performance". Which simply means that the more money denied needy persons, the larger the bonus. There is little doubt that a percentage of all money denied to sick and disabled persons is paid to staff by way of bonus's.

End