Bashing Bennies to shape the narrative for the Summer BBQ

29
1

Unknown

The great mythical Summer BBQs where NZers will gather to argue and debate the state of the nation got its usual helping heaping’ of festive spite.

Other than the mandatory story detailing what Prisoners will eat on Christmas Day, nothing stirs up the hiss on those BBQs more than knowledge beneficiaries are going on overseas travel. It’s as if a plane suddenly stops being a  flying bus and becomes a symbol for Scam Airways where lazy bludgers laugh it up over the duty free that they’re able to fly when those around the BBQ only have their waterfront Bach’s. Some will exclaim that they’ve been forced to scale back their holidays to the Gold Coast from Bali, and no one gives them a free trip! Others will sizzle about beneficiaries having kids they can’t afford.

The great mythical Summer BBQ will spit and foam over beneficiaries living the high life. Hence the announcement that 31 000 beneficiaries have been cut off welfare…

31,000 lose benefits for not telling Winz of foreign trips
More than 30,000 New Zealanders had their benefits cut last financial year for travelling overseas without letting officials know.

Ministry of Social Development figures show 31,714 people had benefits cut for going overseas without telling Work and Income – down on the previous year’s 35,565.

Benefits related to jobseeker support were those most often cut.

Whangarei Citizens Advice Bureau co-ordinator Moea Armstrong said some people received a “nasty surprise” if they went away for a week then came back and realised they had no benefit.

…that’ll soften things up when National returns its controversial report into privatising CYFs. Trumpeting cutting people off welfare who may be getting flights for funerals or family events helps give the rump some raw meat to chew and makes the unemployment rates look less damning.

All the Government are doing here by cutting poor people off welfare for the temerity to travel is lower the thresholds for disqualification.

There’s a myth from the right that welfare somehow makes people lazy and so denying it in the first place is the ethical thing to do. Apart from it being moralistic judgement pandering as reasoned opinion, the facts are welfare programs don’t promote laziness…

Economists tested 7 welfare programs to see if they made people lazy. They didn’t.
For as long as there have been government programs designed to help the poor, there have been critics insisting that helping the poor will keep them from working. But the evidence for this proposition has always been rather weak.

And a recent study from MIT and Harvard economists makes the case even weaker. Abhijit Banerjee, Rema Hanna, Gabriel Kreindler, and Benjamin Olken reanalyzed data from seven randomized experiments evaluating cash programs in poor countries and found “no systematic evidence that cash transfer programs discourage work.” Attacking welfare recipients as lazy is easy rhetoric, but when you actually test the proposition scientifically, it doesn’t hold up.

…the pettiness of treating beneficiaries in this manner for no real gain mocks the Rights hallowed morality and shows it up for the empty self-interested gesture it always was.

TDB Recommends NewzEngine.com

You treat people like this and it lessens the country as a whole.

29 COMMENTS

  1. Helping the poor makes them lazy – that argument goes back to pre-Victorian days when the same factory owners and the same landholding squires used this to justify keeping wages low and working conditions long and hard. It wasn’t true then and isn’t true now.
    One thing that isn’t always recognized: it isn’t the fabulously rich and privileged that complain about how the poor are lazy. No, the ones that do the complaining are the middle class masses – known alternatively in our country as Muddle Nu Ziland, or the Sleepy Hobbits. They have been drilled with so much National party propaganda over the decades about how they could be so much richer if the poor didn’t get so much – that they believe it all. No wonder they despise the poor (aka beneficiaries) so much.
    Meanwhile, the rich sit back and chuckle at how stupid Muddle Nu Ziland is, the rich know that the poor are not really the problem, the real problem is that Muddle Nu Ziland can’t work out what is reality and what is simply National Party b…s. and while this situation exists, the rich are free to do what they do best – get richer with nobody demanding why they don’t pay their fair share of tax. That’s right! Everyone demands that beneficiaries pay back every cent they are overpaid, but nobody demands that the rich pay back the millions of dollars they have hidden from the tax man in trust accounts, in Cayman Islands bank accounts or shell companies.
    That is the situation that National thrives upon, and it effectively uses Crosby Textor methods to divert any attention from its economic policy failures onto people who are not to blame at all. And yet, so many people still believe that it is the beneficiaries that are ruining this country!
    Muddle Nu Ziland has a lot to learn, but they don’t want to learn it.

  2. Yes Martin, those hard working tax payers give us so much each week that after we can barely meet the rent, bills, medical expenses, and- if we’re really lucky- groceries- then we’re browsing travel sites planning our next big getaway.

    To those bashers who get a thrill out of government press releases deliberately sent to certain media outlets with the intention of stirring things up and distracting from something else- ever heard of relatives who are prepared to pay for that ticket to Oz for a family emergency/funeral, or a holiday for a disabled relative who will never have the opportunity to save for themselves? Well that’s how it happens nearly all of the time. Sometimes it’s from winning a trip in a competition.

    Yes there are rules about having to inform WINZ first (which aren’t very well publicised), and there are also totally unjust rules about being totally cut off if you have any sort of work obligations, no matter the reason you have to go overseas. And if someone has a parent dying in Oz and has to go that day the last thing they are going to think about is beauracray. But that’s fine, they’ve just been sunning themselves on the Gold Coast, right? Because over the last 25 years somehow NZ society has been conditioned to see anyone on a benefit- for whatever reason- as the lowest form of life there is.

    And think about this: How would you feel about having to ask permission from the government to leave your own country? Technically you don’t have to, but if you’re on a benefit then you do, because the rent and bills don’t go away and getting your benefit cut off means losing your home, so effectively we are being held hostage in our own country. The only other segment of society this happens to are prisoners/parolees. Go figure.

    FYI- I’m on Supported Living Benefit with no work obligations, so I’m in a rare category who is allowed to leave NZ (with permission of course)- but only for 28 days in a 12 month period. Any longer and my benefit is suspended. It was 42 days until a couple of years ago cut down during the last round of “reforms”, for no reason other than they could. And I have been overseas quite a lot because I’ve been lucky enough to have a relative that wants me to have some enjoyment in my life while I still can given the nature of my illness, and for that I am very grateful.
    But it’s still horrible having to go through the whole asking permission process, then there’s the process coming back- even though with the data matching immigration always seem to tell WINZ the second you leave, for some reason they don’t always tell them you’ve come back. So you have to present yourself at the office with the last boarding pass back to NZ to prove you’re back. It’s got to be the boarding pass- if you’re standing there holding your passport they won’t accept it because they get all upset if they don’t have something to photocopy as evidence, and there’s no immigration stamps in passports anymore. So if you lose your boarding pass or don’t know about it then there’s even more hassle. It’s that ongoing crap, even when you are allowed to leave.

    • Every beneficiary is flagged with Immigration. So their movements in and out of the country are noted and WINZ is advised. Therefore there is absolutely NO need for the beneficiary to advise WINZ when they leave the country.

      Other than the fact that this government likes to treat beneficiaries as second class citizens.

  3. More truth from Martyn, good on you.
    In small provincial towns with relatively high unemployment rates, welfare is the only thing keeping there small economies running, I’ve seen this first hand, funnily though, the business people who benefit from this are the ones making the most noise about the “bludgers”. Without the welfare flowing into there businesses, in a lot of cases they wouldn’t have a business.

    There has not been a National govt since Holyoake, who in late 60’s had zero unemployment, Muldoon and the rest since have enjoyed the “enviable” record of having the highest unemployment figures ever recorded in NZ’s history and that’s because of the philosophy of keeping wages and working conditions to the lowest possible value, is good for good for business.

    The worlds best and most respected economists know that this is the worst possible outcome for a country and for the businesses themselves, the wealthy become wealthier in countries where there is full employment, as do the govt’s.

    You have to ask why deliberately keeping unemployment levels high is considered good economic sense when low unemployment has so many benefits for everyone, especially the govt.

    If you look at the stats for Health, Welfare and Crime, the costs of these social issues is more than halved when there is full employment (4% or lower) and doubled with high unemployment, which is crazy when you think of the revenue losses at both ends, lower tax revenue and much higher social spending, it’s just plain dumb!

    NZ should only be inviting migrants into the country when everybody has a job, not exasperating the situation and using and exploiting these migrants to lower wages and conditions.

    Look at how China has become an economic power from a change in policy 30 years ago, they could not sustain the population growth at the rate that it was, they introduced the one child policy, the population still grew, but allowed China to eventually gain very high levels of employment, and the rest is history.

  4. Is the next step to not allow travel within NZ without permission and a good reason? it can cost more to fly to Dunedin than Sydney. Thin end of the wedge for more state surveillance and control because it lets us see any beneficiary as the “other” and not one of us

    • Susan- I’ve always had to laugh (well it’s that or cry) and this example of govt logic, or lack thereof. About 5 years ago I wasn’t at home for nearly a month, I had the chance to do a tiki tour around NZ. For all practical purposes no different than a month in Oz or a month in Europe except that my passport hadn’t been swiped by immigration so WINZ didn’t know, or care. As someone with no work obligations I’m not having to report to them every 5 minutes so it’s much easier to leave town (my sympathies to anyone completely trapped by them). But you’re right, no doubt the next step will be electronic bracelets to keep us contained to our local areas. Wish I wasn’t being cynical.

      • Yes, electronic anklets/bracelets are a logical next step for a government that wants everyone to believe that beneficiaries are basically lazy good-for-nothing crims.

        • Mike, personally I’d rather be working, as does nearly everyone on a benefit. Those of us who have had the opportunity to travel would give it up in a flash for work.

      • Watch out Katie – the trolls under the TDB bridge report back to National Party HateQuarters and the prospect of ankle-bracelets for anyone taking a state “handout” will be discussed and no doubt introduced if we give this shower another 3 years.

        Won’t be long before Key and the cabal might suggest ankle-braceletting the elderly ” so they don’t get lost!”. Who will bell that Aesop’s cat I wonder?

        I think they might wait till Winston retires before sneaking that little Gold Card “benefit” in to the elderly after an election. Still I’ve heard Shane Jones’s name being bandied about as successor to my male namesake Winston when he retires. The same Shane Jones that had donations from Hekia’s hubby, during Jones’s run for Labour party leader.

        Tis a tangled web they weave, when first they practice to deceive.

        Not only are the Natz strangling the media, but they are implanting trojans into all the other political parties as well.

  5. I call Bullshit!

    According to MSD there are 287,167 working-age people receiving a main benefit.

    Does this mean roughly 10% of them took a trip overseas in a calander year?

    When a headline says ‘beneficiaries’ these are the people we automatically think of, but that figure would have to include those receiving Working for Families, accomodation supplements and probably also the pension before the maths made any sense.

    Whenever these headlines appear it’s generally safest to assume they’re bullshit, or at least deliberately misleading in some way and this is bound to be one of them.

  6. “More than 30,000 New Zealanders had their benefits cut last financial year for travelling overseas without letting officials know.”

    This is another one of these media stories that do not tell us the whole background and facts about these cases. “Overseas” is for New Zealand a flight to Sydney or Melbourne, same as a flight to Apia, Suva or Nuku Alofa.

    As many on benefits have lives and life challenges like all others, e.g. friends and family they desire and attempt to stay in touch with, and as so many still have relatives in Australia and on the Islands, it is not at all surprising that some travel for family events or what else there may be to leave the country for a week or two.

    As the comment by a CAB staffer or volunteer shows, most do not seem to be well informed about their responsibility to inform WINZ beforehand. So once the Customs or Immigration do record a departure of a person at the airport, this goes straight to WINZ now for double checking, same as Studylink and some other departments.

    So WINZ will add one and one together and stop the benefit straight away, I presume.

    That does though not mean that Jobseekers are not making efforts to look for work. If there is no prospect for a job, or no immediate interview to be expected, some will take the risk of travelling, and not informing WINZ.

    I would advise those thinking of doing so, to better tell WINZ beforehand, as case managers will in many justified cases keep you on the benefit, or only interrupt it briefly, while you are away. Visiting sick relatives or friends, or going to a tangi or wedding or whatever are valid reasons for many to go, especially if you also have health issues that exempt you from work obligations.

    It is sad that too many do not inform themselves as that then leads to such reports, that will only reinforce the wide spread prejudices there are, which we should be able to do without.

  7. Ah whatever Martyn, you gotta have some lionkill to throw to the hyenas; they jus’ cleanin’ up da mess…

    Actually, on deeper reflection Dear Leader and his coven are more like the hyenas than the National Party supporters…

  8. Pretty sure that if I were to head off overseas and not inform my employer (income provider) I too would come back to the county to find my income cut off.

    • Yes that is true Gordo, if you just shoot through.
      Ponder on this : When I was still able to work my grandmother died and I had to go to Oz with one days notice. I informed my employer and was able to get bereavement leave, paid, and a job to come back to. Now if this happened to me tomorrow and I was on a jobseekers benefit and even if I played by all the rules and informed them (unless it happened over the weekend and there was no way to contact WINZ before leaving the country in which case I’d be completely screwed)- they couldn’t physically stop me leaving the country but I would more than likely be sanctioned for not meeting my work obligations; compassion wouldn’t come into it.

      That is why we get so upset about all of this- it might look so simple to you “well it’s your fault for not telling them”- but the reality it it’s the continual and constantly added to punitive & vindictive nastiness of the govt that we have to deal with, never mind what we cop from the media and a lot of the public. Most of us have no problem with obligations if they’re fair and reasonable but the fact of the matter is THEY ARE NOT!!

  9. I’d love to know how many beneficiaries are going overseas for medical treatment that isn’t available here. How dare they ‘enjoy’ an overseas trip for that!

  10. And here we go again, WINZ stopped the benefit of a disabled girl or woman, with Downs Syndrome, who traveled with her family out of the country and apparently forgot to tell Work and Income. Her mother appears to have told WINZ though. This is fresh off the news-desk at Radio NZ (Midday News today, 24.11.15). Listen from about 02.55 minutes onwards, into the news broadcast:

    http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/middayreport/audio/201780015/midday-news-for-24-november-2015

    So here we go, draconian welfare regime to treat the weakest as untrustworthy humans, so they need extra “checks”.

    Shame on you, WINZ, MSD and Anne Tolley!

    • “and apparently forgot to tell Work and Income” Why did you write that? The mother DID advise WINZ who have admitted she did.
      Even if she hadn’t, Immigration advise WINZ on all beneficiaries movements. Why do they need to be told twice?
      The useless MSM have not thought it necessary to ask any WINZ representative why Mia’s benefit was cut.

  11. I am on an invalids benefit due to being the victim of a violent crime & face discrimination & abusive language from those on the right of the political spectrum on a regular basis.
    It gets pretty demoralizing & now suffer from depression because of it, but try to ignore it & battle on doing what I can on the few good days I get when I’m not in chronic pain & not having to scoff pain relief just to do the basic things in life like doing the house work.

  12. The reality for 100s of thousands of poor, working people is that they have never been on a plane, let alone will ever have enough coin to go on an overseas trip – compassionate leave or otherwise. People rightfully resent that over 30,000 beneficiaries failed to notify that they would be out of the country. When you consider that most WOULD notify, it puts the numbers of travelling state beneficiaries right up there as a proportion of the general public.
    Tell the working poor that a beneficiary “didn’t know” or couldn’t be bothered to phone to say they were off on a funeral or the RWC. They’ll not be as inclined to extend them the largesse some here show.

  13. The Natz should survey how many suicides involve beneficiaries. Then New Zealanders could raise a glass to that success over the BBQ as well.

  14. bennie bashing is second only to rugby as the kiwis favourite sport, and just ahead of Māori bashing at that

    those that applaud less “benefit scroungers” can look forward to more homeless, beggars and car jackings in the ’burbs and mall carparks when they go xmas shopping–happy days!!

  15. If you want a fundamental challenge to inequality and capitalism here is a video from conceptual artist Teo Wells. Note this might be a challenging watch to those who do not have much experience with conceptual art.

    It’s nearly an hour but worth watching to the end to see how somebody on a benefit can successfully challenge power structures and distribute ideas and how his ‘outrageous idea’ of being happy being unemployed or employed, was so undermining and outraged ministers and the public.

    Wells says; “Both myself and my collaborator Laura Shepard were persecuted by the Ministry of Welfare, slandered on national television by the acting Minister and we were subject to three court trials, lasting a year.”

    http://www.circuit.org.nz/film/the-happy-bene

  16. Apart from it being moralistic judgement pandering as reasoned opinion,

    It’s not a moralistic judgement at all but a bigoted one.

  17. WINZ equals = Mans inhumanity to man being carried out by WINZ will breed a generation of haters of Government and society and crime.

Comments are closed.