benefits
Categories under benefits
- welfare (366)
The myth of drug dependancy and poverty
Written By: - Date published: 10:39 am, January 2nd, 2016 - 306 comments
New research from Morgan Foundation suggests that poverty can be alleviated by increasing incomes and that the beneficiaries will be children of poor families not vendors of alcohol and cigarettes.
Child poverty has been monitored – now what?
Written By: - Date published: 7:05 am, December 18th, 2015 - 104 comments
A guest post from McFlock on what we might do about poverty when the talking’s done.
Key is blaming child poverty on – wait for it – – drugs!
Written By: - Date published: 12:30 pm, December 16th, 2015 - 206 comments
John Key has tried to deflect from his government’s appalling record on child poverty with some throw-away nonsense about drugs. There are just three teeny tiny problems with that line…
The mantra of ‘Poor Choices’
Written By: - Date published: 1:45 pm, December 12th, 2015 - 195 comments
It is that time of year when poor people realise just how poor they really are – the season for giving, the season to be jolly. Well that may be so for some of us, but some people will be working on Christmas day instead of spending time with loved ones. These will probably be […]
Hikoi for Homes.
Written By: - Date published: 9:45 am, November 20th, 2015 - 12 comments
Saturday in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch.
Removing Beneficiary rights retrospectively
Written By: - 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: - 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: - 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: - 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: - 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: - 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.
NRT: The Great WINZ ripoff
Written By: - Date published: 3:15 pm, September 16th, 2015 - 17 comments
I/S at No Right Turn on the WINZ underpayment fiasco.
This Government’s priorities
Written By: - Date published: 7:52 am, September 16th, 2015 - 37 comments
In recent news it has been stated that the Government has let Serco off fines totalling hundreds of thousands of dollars while at the same time it is sneaking through retrospective changes to the law to deny thousands of beneficiaries money they are otherwise entitled to.
Warner Bros – corporate welfare beneficiary
Written By: - Date published: 11:30 am, September 9th, 2015 - 63 comments
Figures have been released showing that Warner Bros were paid NZ $191 million in tax rebates to create the Hobbit Trilogy. The films were very profitable. Why is corporate welfare for profitable activity tolerated?
TPP – dooming our grandchildren to poverty
Written By: - 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: - 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: - 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: - 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: - 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.
Social mobility policies do not address poverty
Written By: - Date published: 12:20 pm, July 15th, 2015 - 27 comments
Excellent work by RNZ, following up on previously redacted documents to expose this sham.
Rashbrooke on poverty in NZ and UK
Written By: - Date published: 8:23 am, July 9th, 2015 - 15 comments
Max Rashbrooke has a major article in The Guardian today looking at poverty in NZ and the UK, and what each country can learn from the other.
Deconstructing the government’s report card
Written By: - Date published: 12:21 pm, July 7th, 2015 - 11 comments
The government has awarded itself a nice report card. Let’s take a closer look.
An open letter to Andrew Little
Written By: - 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: - Date published: 10:52 am, June 26th, 2015 - 97 comments
Income in a world of climate change.
Dickensian
Written By: - 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: - 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: - 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.
Auto Kiwisaver
Written By: - Date published: 11:54 am, May 29th, 2015 - 60 comments
Nice to see English acknowledging the importance of Kiwisaver – thanks Michael Cullen, thanks Helen Clark! I certainly support default enrollment. But – isn’t this Big Government Nanny State Gone Mad?
Superannuation and Government forecasts
Written By: - Date published: 9:31 am, May 25th, 2015 - 197 comments
National has again refused to consider doing anything about the future of Superannuation. Yet its policies of increasing Crown debt, stopping contributions to the Cullen Fund and attacking Kiwisaver have made a discussion about the future of superannuation more important than ever.
Budget Blues
Written By: - Date published: 4:33 pm, May 22nd, 2015 - 139 comments
Twenty five dollars a week can’t be bad, can it? For families on the breadline, it’s surely better than nothing and every little helps. And when the total spend is $790 million, that’s not peanuts, is it? – even if multiplying $25 up to this total should surely tell just how many qualifying families there […]
Budget gives with one hand and takes with the other
Written By: - 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.
- The cost of being: An ‘anti-capitalist’ barista and tutor renting in Wellington
As part of our series exploring how New Zealanders live and our relationship with money, a 23-year-old explains why she’s been working since she was 11. Want to be part of The Cost of Being? Fill out the questionnaire here. Gender: Female. Age: 23. Ethnicity: Cambodian Chinese. Role: Barista, tutor, campaigner, ...4 days ago - Regulations Ministry: Online tool can be used to share ‘red tape horror stories’
The Regulations minister wants to hear "from tradies, farmers, teachers, chefs, engineers - every person doing productive work". ...4 days ago - Elon Musk’s new job will bring tech ‘disruption’ to the US government – and history says it ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Hallam Stevens, Professor of Interdisciplinary Studies, James Cook University On November 12, United States president-elect Donald Trump announced he would appoint Elon Musk, the world’s richest man, to lead a newly constituted Department of Government Efficiency alongside fellow tech billionaire and former ...4 days ago - AI for life: how sovereign Wiradyuri ways of knowing can transform technology for good
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jessica Russ-Smith, Associate Professor, Social Work and Assistant Deputy Head of School, School of Allied Health, Australian Catholic University Philip Schubert/Shutterstock From climate change to geopolitical instability to health emergencies, we are entering a period of momentous change. The technology industry ...4 days ago
- Live updates: Toitū Te Tiriti hīkoi marches to parliament
Tens of thousands are expected to gather in Te Upoko-o-te-ika-a-Māui today, as the nationwide Toitū Te Tiriti hīkoi prepares to arrive at parliament. Follow this blog for up-to-date coverage and reaction. ...4 days ago
- NZ media’s second wave of doom
MediaRoom: North & South magazine ‘suspending’ print publication is the latest in a wave of closures in our media, suffering from extended economic malaise and lower advertising The post NZ media’s second wave of doom appeared first on Newsroom. ...4 days ago - Powered-up Regulatory Standards Bill removes role of courts
In his third attempt at constraining the drafting of new laws, David Seymour is seizing the controls The post Powered-up Regulatory Standards Bill removes role of courts appeared first on Newsroom. ...5 days ago
- With 14 community newspapers due to close, too many parts of NZ are becoming ‘news deserts’
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Greg Treadwell, Senior Lecturer in Journalism, Auckland University of Technology Getty Images When media company NZME proposed the closure of 14 community newspapers last week, the so-called “news desert” encroached a little further into the local information landscape. The term refers ...5 days ago
- New Zealand’s new ‘anti-scam czar’ gets to work
Millions of dollars are lost to scams each year. Should more attention be on the social media giants that platform them? Stewart Sowman-Lund writes in today’s edition of The Bulletin. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. ...5 days ago
- Dunedin Hospital rebuild: Rally stirs more opposition to cutbacks
A sea of Southerners filled Dunedin's Town Hall last night in support of the Save Our Southern Hospital campaign. ...5 days ago
- Thousands expected at Parliament as hīkoi moves towards the capital
This article first appeared at rnz.co.nz and is republished with permission.Tens of thousands of people are expected to gather at Parliament today as the final leg of the Hīkoi mō Te Tiriti reaches its last destination – but organisers and participants are saying it will not end there.At Takupūwāhia Marae ...5 days ago
- Treaty hīkoi: Commuter disruption expected as protest reaches Wellington
People on foot and in cars began making their way into central Wellington from the early hours of this morning. ...5 days ago
- Press Gallery 101: The House chats with Jason Walls
After an abuse apology kerfuffle in Parliament last week, The House spoke to Press Gallery chair Jason Walls about how the Press Gallery works, and who gets to join. ...5 days ago
- COP29: Surprise at lack of reaction to US elections
The first week of the global COP29 climate summit was remarkable for the wrong reasons, but with the second week now underway, a veteran NZ diplomat says the event is making constructive progress. ...5 days ago
- Pupils join hīkoi as te Tiriti is removed from curriculum framework
As a Wellington school leader takes 100 of his junior college pupils onto Parliament’s forecourt today alongside the Hīkoi mō te Tiriti, he is freshly motivated to protest.The pupils are officially there to learn – the trip comes under ‘education outside the classroom’ – but Onslow College deputy principal Connor ...5 days ago
- Hīkoi heads into Wellington: ‘This is a opportunity to stand up and have a voice’
Tens of thousands of people are expected to gather at Parliament today as the final leg of the Hīkoi mō Te Tiriti reaches its last destination - but organisers and participants are saying it will not end there. ...5 days ago
- Treaty hīkoi: Commuter disruption expected as huge protest reaches Wellington
People on foot and in cars began making their way into central Wellington from the early hours of this morning. ...5 days ago
- Live: Hīkoi mō te Tiriti sets off for capital, tens of thousands expected at Parliament
Tens of thousands are expected to congregate at Parliament this morning. Follow the latest with RNZ's live updates. ...5 days ago
- Windbag: On the City to Sea Bridge and the power of letting go
It’s a Wellington icon, but we must say goodbye. It is time to demolish the bridge, argues Joel MacManus. Wellington’s City to Sea Bridge is beautiful and weird. Its design says something about what Wellington is and the way the city sees itself. It’s been the home of many late ...5 days ago
- Who gets to have an opinion on the hīkoi and who must remain ‘impartial’?
Newsrooms of old were apparently more impartial. But that’s only because everyone shared the same biases, argues Madeleine Chapman. Last week, the Herald’s Media Insider (AKA editor-at-large Shayne Currie) reported on some shocking news. Top TVNZ executive Nevak Rogers had taken annual leave from her job as chief content officer ...5 days ago
- Daily crossword, Tuesday 19 November
The post Daily crossword, Tuesday 19 November appeared first on Newsroom. ...5 days ago
- ‘Extremely disappointing’: Watts blasts countries for blocking negotiations at COP29
The clock is now ticking and ministers have just four days to agree to a global finance goal and settle other thorny issues The post ‘Extremely disappointing’: Watts blasts countries for blocking negotiations at COP29 appeared first on Newsroom. ...5 days ago
- Whitewashing te Tiriti out of education
Opinion: The school curriculum framework’s acknowledgement of the principles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi has been replaced with a commitment to ‘the science of learning’ The post Whitewashing te Tiriti out of education appeared first on Newsroom. ...5 days ago
- Spark’s slump tars communications index as worst performer
Normally a nice, boring, stable utility, Spark has caught investors’ attention this year for all the wrong reasons The post Spark’s slump tars communications index as worst performer appeared first on Newsroom. ...5 days ago
- Newsroom daily quiz, Tuesday 19 November
Loading…(function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){var ql=document.querySelectorAll('A[data-quiz],DIV[data-quiz]'); if(ql){if(ql.length){for(var k=0;k<ql.length;k++){ql[k].id='quiz-embed-'+k;ql[k].href="javascript:var i=document.getElementById('quiz-embed-"+k+"');try{qz.startQuiz(i)}catch(e){i.start=1;i.style.cursor='wait';i.style.opacity='0.5'};void(0);"}}};i['QP']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){(i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o),m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m)})(window,document,'script','https://take.quiz-maker.com/3012/CDN/quiz-embed-v1.js','qp');Got a good quiz question? Send Newsroom your questions. .wp-block-newspack-blocks-homepage-articles article .entry-title { font-size: 1.2em; } .wp-block-newspack-blocks-homepage-articles .entry-meta { display: flex; flex-wrap: wrap; align-items: center; margin-top: 0.5em; } .wp-block-newspack-blocks-homepage-articles article .entry-meta { font-size: 0.8em; } .wp-block-newspack-blocks-homepage-articles article .avatar { height: 25px; width: ...5 days ago
- Finally proposals to set access charges
Unless you live next door to a conservation area, accessing it is far from free anyway The post Finally proposals to set access charges appeared first on Newsroom. ...5 days ago
- Red light for those seeking emergency housing
Ministry of Social Development declines twice as many emergency housing applications each month; other tenants are encouraged to couch-surf under threat of eviction The post Red light for those seeking emergency housing appeared first on Newsroom. ...5 days ago
- Poor outcomes for poverty
Stephen Turnock had a breakthrough moment as lay on a stranger’s roof in pouring rain for four hours, evading police.“I remember it as if it was yesterday,” he tells The Detail. “I was up to no good and we were being actively looked for. As I lay on that roof ...5 days ago
- Meltwater from Greenland and the Arctic is weakening ocean circulation, speeding up warming down sou...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Laurie Menviel, Post-doctoral Research Fellow, Climate Change Research Centre, UNSW Sydney Mozgova, Shutterstock A vast network of ocean currents nicknamed the “great global ocean conveyor belt” is slowing down. That’s a problem because this vital system redistributes heat around the world, ...5 days ago
- Council looking into controversial post on hīkoi
Whangārei District Council says it's looking into reports about councillors' comments on social media relating to the hīkoi - but won't say if any formal Code of Conduct complaint has been lodged. ...5 days ago
- ‘It’s a complete and total nightmare’ – aid worker speaks about Israel’s relentless Gaza g...
Democracy Now! AMY GOODMAN: This is Democracy Now!, The War and Peace Report. I’m Amy Goodman. We turn to Israel’s war on Gaza. A special UN committee has reported Israel’s actions in Gaza are “consistent with the characteristics of genocide”. Another report by Human Rights Watch finds Israel has committed ...5 days ago
- The Coalition will block the student caps bill. Brace yourself for more uncertainty over internation...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew Norton, Professor in the Practice of Higher Education Policy, Australian National University In a surprise move, the Coalition has announced it will vote against Labor’s bill to cap international student numbers. This follows previous Coalition comments saying it would work with ...5 days ago
- Treaty Principles bill hīkoi pauses to gather steam, before march to Parliament
Final preparations are being made as tens of thousands of people in te Hīkoi mō te Tiriti convoys converge in the capital. ...5 days ago
- My Brilliant Career: musical based on Miles Franklin’s novel takes us on a sassy, spirited journey...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kate Hunter, Senior Lecturer in Art and Performance, Deakin University Pia Johnson Melbourne Theatre Company’s My Brilliant Career is a musical re-imagining of Miles Franklin’s classic 1901 novel of the same name. It follows a young woman, Sybylla Melvyn, as she ...5 days ago
- Stinky feet, angry mermaids and a toilet ghost: Round The Twist musical captures the magic and madne...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kate Schirmer, ROLE at Queensland Conservatorium, Griffith University Lyndon Mechielsen It’s a universally acknowledged truth that a geriatric millennial in possession of a Scholastic book club catalogue and a television must have been a fan of Paul Jennings back in the ...5 days ago
- Why Mark Mitchell won’t resign one year after becoming Police Minister
Mark Mitchell promised to step down if there was no significant change in law and order statistics in his first 12 months. ...5 days ago
- Air is an overlooked source of nutrients – evidence shows we can inhale some vitamins
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Flávia Fayet-Moore, Adjunct Lecturer, School of Environmental and Life Sciences, University of Newcastle Ground Pictures/Shutterstock You know that feeling you get when you take a breath of fresh air in nature? There may be more to it than a simple lack ...5 days ago
- Hikoī day 8: Te Pāti Māori co-leader speaks of ‘sense of betrayal’ over bill
ACT leader David Seymour has spoken out on Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke’s haka in Parliament as a Hīkoi against his controversial Treaty Principles Bill converges on Wellington. The Te Pāti Māori MP was suspended for 24 hours and “named” for leading the haka during the first reading of the bill last Thursday. ...5 days ago
- Statement From Palestinian Leaders: Hīkoi Mō Te Tiriti Is A Historic Moment For All In Aotearoa
Inspired by the kotahitanga of te ao Māori, we draw on our own political tradition of nurturing a unified Palestinian people despite exile and separation. We unify here for te Tiriti. ...5 days ago - What is ‘doll therapy’ for people with dementia? And is it backed by science?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Nikki-Anne Wilson, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Neuroscience Research Australia (NeuRA), UNSW Sydney Jack Cronkhite/Shutterstock The way people living with dementia experience the world can change as the disease progresses. Their sense of reality or place in time can become distorted, which ...5 days ago
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