Posts Tagged ‘beneficiaries’

Mountain Tui: Luxon’s $1000 A Week Is His “Entitlement”. Just Not Yours.

Written By: - Date published: 1:06 pm, August 14th, 2024 - 32 comments

When Luxon claimed $1000 a week of tax-free, taxpayers money for accommodation, because he didn’t want the 2 free properties he was offered, he said he was entitled to it. But according to the government, all beneficiaries now require harsher rules or risk having their entitlements stripped. Yet only ~5% aren’t compliant and last quarter, 1500 were cut off. What do the numbers say?

Mountain Tui: Beneficiary sanctions & targets don’t add up

Written By: - Date published: 1:23 pm, August 13th, 2024 - 9 comments

The jobseeker beneficiary sanctions and targets are not adding up. It also inflicts a lack of dignity and shame on recipients at a time when austerity is actively increasing unemployment.

This is why we need the Greens in government

Written By: - Date published: 7:15 am, August 4th, 2017 - 247 comments

Metiria Turei speaks from the heart about how hard it is to be on welfare, and the need for a more compassionate, caring welfare system.

Beneficiaries falling

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

Falling numbers yes, but falling through the cracks.

We’re all beneficiaries now

Written By: - Date published: 7:38 pm, March 6th, 2013 - 168 comments

The drought shows how important social protection systems are. When the unexpected happens – your farm dries up, you get sick, you lose your job, you find yourself alone raising your kids – the community steps in by way of tax funded Social Protection.

Bludgin’ ain’t so easy

Written By: - Date published: 2:30 pm, December 18th, 2008 - 47 comments

So, I’m out of work. I was employed on a contract and when it came up for renewal the boss told me business is too tight, have to let me go. It wasn’t their fault and they were pretty good about it. For the first few weeks I just looked for work but there’s not […]

Ambitious for beneficiary-bashing

Written By: - Date published: 11:36 am, August 11th, 2008 - 40 comments

That nice man, Mr Key, the one who says the old Left/Right divide is over, that he’s a new man with a new (ambitious) vision for New Zealand has rolled out an unprecedented and exciting policy today: beneficiary bashing. At present, we have a world-leading benefit system. By investing in staff, WINZ has become more […]

Unemployment to 3.9%

Written By: - Date published: 1:20 pm, August 7th, 2008 - 15 comments

Unemployment rose again last quarter but remains under 4%. It has now been under 4% for 16 of the last 17 quarters. Interestingly, the number of employed people also increased last quarter but more people came into the workforce who were previously not looking for work. So, workforce participation grew faster than employment grew, meaning […]

Report shows incomes up, inequality down

Written By: - Date published: 1:50 pm, July 4th, 2008 - 32 comments

The MSD’s Incomes Report provides a wealth of information. For instance, here’s how the mean and median household incomes have moved since 1982. Households suffered a massive erosion of income during the rightwing revolution from 1984 to the late 1990s. The leftwing governments since 1999 put that to a stop that. Now, incomes have regained […]

Poverty falls, more to be done

Written By: - Date published: 11:59 am, July 4th, 2008 - 35 comments

13% of people are living in poverty in New Zealand (defined as less than 60% of the median income, less than $40K a year for a household, $16K for an individual) compared with 17% in 2004 and 23% in 1994. Child poverty dropped 7% between 2004 and 2007. Since the Government came to power it […]

Know your Nat: Judith Collins

Written By: - Date published: 3:36 pm, April 30th, 2008 - 45 comments

If National were the Government, Judith Collins would be Social Services Minister. That should be enough to send shudders down the spine of anyone who is worried about ensuring there is a safety net for the most vulnerable members of our society. Collins is rabidly anti the welfare state and a nasty piece of work. […]