welfare

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Hikoi for Homes.

Written By: notices and features - Date published: 9:45 am, November 20th, 2015 - 12 comments

Saturday in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch.

Removing Beneficiary rights retrospectively

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 11:49 am, November 17th, 2015 - 309 comments

There is a suggestion that the Government may move to retrospectively take away the rights of beneficiaries and former beneficiaries to claim for benefits properly owing to them.

Minister declined to comment…

Written By: tracey - Date published: 2:59 pm, November 9th, 2015 - 9 comments

Isn’t it amazing how many Ministers can’t wait to front up to the media when they are selling. But when it comes to after sale service they just don’t want to front?

Food Bank Charity

Written By: Guest post - Date published: 4:45 pm, October 30th, 2015 - 97 comments

Guest post from Kōrero Pono on the politics and ethics of food banks.

Cancer patients and punitive policies

Written By: Anthony R0bins - Date published: 10:45 am, October 14th, 2015 - 73 comments

We need a welfare system that acknowledges the realities of cancer and other major medical conditions. That isn’t “special treatment”, it is basic human decency.

WINZ dysfunctional

Written By: Anthony R0bins - Date published: 12:07 pm, October 5th, 2015 - 22 comments

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.

The problem is child poverty not CYF

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 1:49 pm, September 28th, 2015 - 34 comments

The Rebstock Panel inquiry could be read to confirm that Child Youth and Family is unable to perform its job properly because of it is not properly resourced to provide the job. But it is clear that National is loathe to provide it with any more resources. And the elephant in the room is that the Government fails to understand that escalating child poverty is the cause the crisis.

TPP – dooming our grandchildren to poverty

Written By: tracey - Date published: 9:36 am, August 25th, 2015 - 31 comments

… up to 45% of current jobs will cease to exist.

Those abused in state care deserve apology

Written By: Anthony R0bins - Date published: 8:45 am, August 25th, 2015 - 9 comments

The report of the Confidential Listening and Assistance Service highlights a shameful chapter in NZ history. What possible reason could there be for the government not to apologise directly to the victims?

The modern precariat and the Unconditional Basic Income

Written By: Colonial Viper - Date published: 2:09 pm, August 2nd, 2015 - 127 comments

A UBI would allow ordinary people to shift their daily focus from doing paid jobs making money for others, to doing useful work of their own choice, under their own control.

Benefit numbers falling – through the cracks

Written By: Anthony R0bins - Date published: 12:04 pm, July 21st, 2015 - 40 comments

As the Nats celebrate “falling” benefit numbers it turns out that almost half who leave the benefit are not going in to work. So what happens to them?

Doledrums

Written By: te reo putake - Date published: 10:08 am, July 18th, 2015 - 33 comments

C’mon people, sing along!

‘The benefit arrives and life goes on, the benefit arrives and life goes on …’

National have failed and they have no idea what to do about it. But I do.

Election now, please.

An open letter to Andrew Little

Written By: mhager - Date published: 6:08 pm, June 26th, 2015 - 433 comments

A respectful open letter to Andrew Little with suggestions for how to win the next election!

Universal Basic Income Experiment

Written By: Bill - Date published: 10:52 am, June 26th, 2015 - 97 comments

Income in a world of climate change.

Dickensian

Written By: Anthony R0bins - Date published: 7:23 am, June 25th, 2015 - 73 comments

Step 1: Make welfare assistance almost impossible to obtain. Step 2: Dismiss the concerns of the poor by telling them they should ask for more help. Done!

Deadly “social bonds”?

Written By: notices and features - Date published: 11:57 am, June 16th, 2015 - 56 comments

The Nats want to turn over social problems to the private sector for profit. This account from the UK should give them pause.

The myth of “Retirement Savings”

Written By: KJT - Date published: 10:18 am, June 9th, 2015 - 101 comments

Advocates of Kiwisaver and other funded “retirement savings” schemes perpetuate the fundamental misunderstanding that “conventional” in New Zealand’s case “neo-liberal” economists, speculators, finance companies, politicians and those with a lot of share holding wealth in non-productive enterprises like to perpetuate.

Budget gives with one hand and takes with the other

Written By: Anthony R0bins - Date published: 6:49 am, May 22nd, 2015 - 188 comments

An increase to the base rate of benefits is welcome, but it comes with nasty fishhooks. As the Nats are forced to address leftie / progressive issues – a capital gains tax, Auckland housing, poverty – we the people need to keep the pressure on.

Human Synergistics, Richard Prebble, and the end of government

Written By: BLiP - Date published: 6:08 am, May 17th, 2015 - 64 comments

Back in March 1988 David Lange had a clear idea about what lay ahead for New Zealanders as the long-term consequences of Roger Douglas’ psychopathic worshipping of the metaphysical Invisible Hand gradually materialised.

Dear NZ Labour. Listen up.

Written By: Bill - Date published: 12:06 pm, May 12th, 2015 - 48 comments

For the sake of reference – Nye Bevan was a Labour mp and the architect of the British NHS. Michael Sheen’s speech was a defense of that institution, but the underpinning message is, well…

National Ltd™Plays The Race Card

Written By: BLiP - Date published: 9:36 am, May 7th, 2015 - 16 comments

The Auditor General found that no one in National Ltd™, the Māori Party, Te Puni Korkiri, or any other of its apologists can detail exactly what Whānau Ora is supposed to be doing, provide evidence of its outcomes, or explain why up to 33% of the money is being paid in “administration”. In other words, Whānau Ora is a shambles. And dodgy.

Government cuts emergency dental loans for beneficiaries

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 11:00 am, May 5th, 2015 - 38 comments

Over the past few years the amount WINZ has lent to beneficiaries for emergency dental work has been slashed. Update: Seems to have been an error- OIA chaos in the Ministry of Social Development

Then they came for Child Youth and Family

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 8:05 am, April 2nd, 2015 - 162 comments

The Government has appointed Paula Restock to head an expert panel tasked to review Child Youth and Family. Even now the intent appears clear, outsource functions and cut costs. But if they were determined to improve matters they should reduce child poverty.

Generous welfare makes people more likely to want to work

Written By: Anthony R0bins - Date published: 7:36 am, April 2nd, 2015 - 49 comments

Evidence on levels of welfare and willingness to work suggests that yet another nasty right-wing myth is wrong. Reality and its well known liberal bias strikes again.

On poverty, parenting, and Paula

Written By: Stephanie Rodgers - Date published: 1:00 pm, March 24th, 2015 - 67 comments

In times of trouble for the National Party, you can always rely on them to raise the rallying cry of “Personal responsibility!!!”

The “Brighter future”.

Written By: KJT - Date published: 10:36 am, March 21st, 2015 - 34 comments

Labour, in 1984, with Richard Prebble and Roger Douglas, promised that if we adopted their prescription we would have a “Brighter Future”. Ruth Richardson in the 90’s promised a “Brighter Future”. Again in 2014 John Key’s National promises a “Brighter Future”.

A “Brighter Future”. For whom?

Paula Bennett and beneficiaries should be given the benefit of the doubt

Written By: mickysavage - Date published: 10:00 am, February 13th, 2015 - 33 comments

A staffer in Paula Bennett’s ministerial office has apparently mistakenly withdrawn cash from the Ministerial credit card. The money has been paid back and no harm caused and no further action should be necessary. If only Bennett extended to beneficiaries the same tolerance of predictable mistakes.

A calculated feeding of the beasts within

Written By: mhager - Date published: 2:13 pm, February 5th, 2015 - 76 comments

The social democracy of my youth has radically collapsed into our current culture of individualism, privatisation and personal greed.

Beneficiaries falling

Written By: Anthony R0bins - Date published: 1:59 pm, January 21st, 2015 - 12 comments

Falling numbers yes, but falling through the cracks.

Save Our State Houses: Labour Party

Written By: karol - Date published: 8:26 am, November 28th, 2014 - 12 comments

Kevin Hague says, the government’s plan to replace state housing with “social housing” will make the affordable housing crisis worse & is “economically reckless”. The Labour Party have circulated a petition to save state houses from being sold by the NZ government.