07/05/08

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Poor Crushed

by THE MINISTRY OF SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT

Degrading living conditions

Many poor and disabled are unable to work yet must live in degrading conditions. They can only afford to rent cheap, often dilapidated dwellings with no insulation that are owned by tight fisted landlords whose only interest in the poor is to take as much of their meagre benefit as possible.

Work and Income NZ have crushed the spirit of thousands of New Zealanders. Almost all the beneficiaries I meet say they hate going to Work and Income NZ for financial assistance. They feel degraded and intimidated by Work and Income staff - See: WINZ – bullies. No wonder New Zealand has the worst record in the western world in taking proper care of its sick and disabled.

Many New Zealanders have little money left to purchase adequate food and other necessary household items after paying the rent, power, and essential clothing, and transport costs.

The government's agenda to deny New Zealanders additional funding to live with comfort and dignity, has employed the agency of WORK AND INCOME NZ to turn away needy persons on the ridiculous grounds that their “circumstances are not special or unusual”.

'No special and unusual circumstances' is a nonsense phrase. It is also employed incorrectly. Work and Income NZ staff use it to deny the poor, invalids, and low income workers of their legislative entitlements.

It is a phrase used to hoodwink the needy and deceive our countries citizens. The latest figures reveal there are 185,000 NZ children starving on a daily basis. This can be truthfully attributed to cunning Work and Income staff intent on pleasing the Chief Executive of the THE MINISTRY OF SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT AND SOCIAL SERVICES.

Instructions to staff for Assessment of Temporary Additional Support

Step one - Determine the applicants weekly income. (Usually just a benefit or a low wage)

Step two – Determine disposable income - Subtract essential weekly expenses (Rent, hire purchase, disability, and any other expenses the Department may have approved).

Step three – If what is left does not meet your “standard costs”. This is the weekly amount the Work and Income allow for food, power, clothing, and other essential items and services. For a single person the Standard Cost is $156.17 a week.

Lets say his total income is $273.60 a week and his essential weekly commitments or expenditure is $250.00 a week. This leaves a Disposable income of $26.60.

Determining Special Benefit is calculated thus:

Income Benefit Accommodation Supp Disability Weekly income Total weekly costs Less Total weekly income = Disposable income Less Standard costs = Deficiency of 30% of total weekly costs) Special Benefit

223.10 45.00 5.50 273.60 250.00 273.60 23.60 156.17 132.57 (Greater amount) $75.00 (Lesser amount) $75.00

Weekly costs Accommodation (rent) Disability Total weekly costs Income Benefit Accommodation Supp Disability Special Benefit Weekly income should be

$225.00 25.00 $250.00 $ 223.10 45.00 5.50 75.00 358.60

Instructions to WINZ staff is that they are “justified” in granting 30% of the $250 as special Benefit or Temporary Additional Support at $75 a week.

The big 'if'

However, if the case manager doesn't like you or he wants to please the CEO and maybe receive a bonus for his “good work” he can use 'discretion' and say your circumstances are not “special or unusual” then deny you the valuable $75 a week Special Benefit or TAS even though he is flying in the face of a court ruling.

WINZ ruled to be wrong

The Social Security Appeal Authority as far back as 1996 ruled that the Department's approach to an appellant's application for special benefit was incorrect. It said the Department did not apply the Minister's Directive properly; as the instructions in the Minister's Directive clearly shows that a special benefit (or Temporary Additional Support) “is justified” before an assessment as to whether an applicant has any “special or unusual circumstances”

“Special or unusual circumstances” must be attributed to all applicants who have a deficiency, even of $1 a week. Or Work and Income should cancel all 150,000 receiving TAS or Special Benefit, which they would never do.

If you think you have been unfairly treated in terms of the above apply for a BRC hearing. However, be prepared for a farcical decision as you are up against four WINZ staff including a government paid Community representative who will ensure you get a fair hearing – yeah right. After this waste of time apply to the Social Security Appeal Authority. Don't forget to claim costs including interest on any arrears the court may award.