Wednesday, June 15, 2005
Hidden costs
Absolutely loved this letter to the editor of my local rag (North Shore Times Advertiser). I have copied it verbatim.
Hidden Costs
I would like to respond to MP Ann Hartley's comment (NSTA, June 3) that the Working For Families (WFF) policy is "putting real money into the pocket of the Shore's most vulnerable families".
As a beneficiaries' advocacy group we are a little disappointed that Ms Hartley didn't bother to seek the opinion of community services like ours, which deal daily with low income people at ground level.
We are not seeing the "Shore's most vulnerable" getting the real increases to the family income that Ms Hartley is suggesting. Yes, family support payments have been increased, but then this increase is taken out of other areas of people's benefit entitlements.
When people talk about the WFF package they fail to mention from April 1, family support payments to beneficiaries are treated as income for special benefit purposes.
With a high number of beneficiaries on the Shore entitled to receive the supplementary allowance special benefit, because of high accommodation and basic living costs, having this assistance now reduced because of the payment of family support, is a falsely reported financial increase. It is again, give with one hand and take with another.
Prior to April 1, family support was not regarded as income for the purposes of calculating someone's entitlement to a special benefit. Are benefeciaries really better off we ask?
PAM APERA
Benefeciaries Advocacy and Information Service
Hidden Costs
I would like to respond to MP Ann Hartley's comment (NSTA, June 3) that the Working For Families (WFF) policy is "putting real money into the pocket of the Shore's most vulnerable families".
As a beneficiaries' advocacy group we are a little disappointed that Ms Hartley didn't bother to seek the opinion of community services like ours, which deal daily with low income people at ground level.
We are not seeing the "Shore's most vulnerable" getting the real increases to the family income that Ms Hartley is suggesting. Yes, family support payments have been increased, but then this increase is taken out of other areas of people's benefit entitlements.
When people talk about the WFF package they fail to mention from April 1, family support payments to beneficiaries are treated as income for special benefit purposes.
With a high number of beneficiaries on the Shore entitled to receive the supplementary allowance special benefit, because of high accommodation and basic living costs, having this assistance now reduced because of the payment of family support, is a falsely reported financial increase. It is again, give with one hand and take with another.
Prior to April 1, family support was not regarded as income for the purposes of calculating someone's entitlement to a special benefit. Are benefeciaries really better off we ask?
PAM APERA
Benefeciaries Advocacy and Information Service
Comments:
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Well said Pam Apera. I Know something of her operation,having arranged some modest financial support for it a couple of years ago. BAIS does a fantastic job making sure beneficiaries actually get what they are entitled to. A sad reflection on the attitude of many WINZ staff who often seem to care more fore their quotas than for their clients. Pam Apera is one of the most dedicated people I have ever met, working very hard and for far less than she could command in other organisations. Her efforts put something between $2mil and $4mil per year into North Shore families, which money otherwise would stay in Cullen's surplus. I had not realised how devastating WWF was for beneficiaries. They must feel sick every time they see Helengrad's $23mil TV ads being shoved at them. The only good thing about it is they will not vote Labour.
Gooner, have you worked out how much better off those families would be with a decent tax cut?
This letter is devastating and should be sent to evry major daily paper and published widely by ACT and Gnats.
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Gooner, have you worked out how much better off those families would be with a decent tax cut?
This letter is devastating and should be sent to evry major daily paper and published widely by ACT and Gnats.
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