The Ministry of Social Development are being accused in an investigation into the death of Wendy Shoebridge for having monthly quotas to prosecute beneficiaries for benefit fraud.
“AAAP see this treatment of beneficiaries by fraud investigators who are encouraged by MSD to punish beneficiaries as emblematic of the toxic culture of MSD which has turned lethal,” says Vanessa Cole spokesperson for AAAP.
“The former MSD investigator in the case of Wendy Shoebridge revealed that MSD had forced investigation staff to get at least one prosecution, and recover $30,000 in debt per month.
“AAAP interviewed a women recently who had suicidal thoughts because she was being threatened with criminal prosecution from a fraud investigator.
“Many of the fraud cases AAAP deals with involve women being accused of not declaring a relationship in the nature of marriage.
“Fraud investigators do not have the ability to distinguish between a relationship in the nature of marriage, and a relationship based on violence, abuse and threat.
“Ongoing fraud investigations punish beneficiaries and in many cases contribute to the ongoing trauma experienced by women.
“This is bitterly ironic given that Work and Income staff as of Monday will demand ID before anyone can enter the office. This is done because of their safety concerns.
“Who is monitoring the health and safety of beneficiaries encountering the lethality of Work and Income?.”
Thank you TDB for sharing this.
I was almost unfit to go to work yesterday morning after reading the article on Stuff because I cried so much.
Yes, who is there to protect vulnerable persons with sucidal tendencies because of the pressure already imposed by the very authorities who are supposed to help them? And who is there to protect their families, who then live the rest of their lives blaming themselves for not being able to save the person.
The great irony of all the beneficiary bashing/going after minor benefit fraud in the grand scheme of things, is that mega-corporates like facebook or google who are taking over the social fabric of NZ get away with not paying taxes in the millions!
So stomping on their fellow countrymen or women, is more important to the political right than defending our country from international fraud.
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