There was an article doing the rounds on social media last night about how National secretly plotted to force mentally ill beneficiaries into work. While it dates from mid-2013, given Budget Season invariably brings out exactly the same pernicious and destructive prioritization of fiscal impacts over the lives of ordinary kiwis … I think it’s totally worth raising it again as an emblematic example of what this government’s about.
The idea itself was simple enough:
Pay private sector companies up to $12,000 per beneficiary to get some of the most vulnerable people in our welfare system off benefits and out into the workforce. Insist they do it inside six months; and have WINZ-run referrals to private make-work schemes for those whom even WINZ has to concede are too unwell to actually engage in full-time work.
Or, in slightly more realistic terms … National came up with a scheme to do two of its favourite things at once: heartlessly reduce beneficiary numbers while funneling public money into private (corporate) hands.
It does, of course, also occur that if National was serious about helping beneficiaries with “entrenched” mental health issues – and wasn’t adverse to throwing twelve grand a head at the issue – then they’d presumably get *much* better results out of *actually increasing the funding available to said beneficiaries for counselling, therapies and other support services* instead of trying to force them into work and hoping the private sector can provide adequate support to them once they’re in there.
But then, how would National enrich its mates in the corporate sector?
We found out about this scheme, because some hella-courageous Ministry of Social Development employee dared to leak the documents proving its existence to the media. They must have been seriously concerned about the potential human cost of treating seriously unwell people as problems and labour units rather than fellow Kiwis in need of support and assistance.
As we careen towards yet another round of heartless bene-bashing as part of #Budget2015, I’m left lamenting the fact that the Ministers responsible for rolling out such policies don’t possess similar scruples.
“They’re just lazy!” said everybody who had not an iota of understanding of mental illness.
Meanwhile, mental health budgets have been dramatically slashed. Oh well, I guess that’s one way of getting rid of ‘them.’
People who have not experienced any mental health problems, or have never been closely associated with those who have, are not in the best position to judge them – but invariably they make all the decisions.
I was recently asked to comment on this in my role as a “consumer”. I do use an established NGO run employment agency for mental health placements. They are good, but I would not like to see the role put into the hands of commercial operators with no understanding of mental health
I find it interesting that they’re willing to dish out $12,000 to these companies to help force these people into work when, when I was on a Sickness Benefit, they were only paying me out $12,500 per year.
So they literally pay these companies a whole years worth of monetary sustenance for one of these people to force said person into what is most likely unsuitable employment, if there’s any employment available at all.
And apparently the person the push into work only has to be in there for a year (or was it 6 months?) before they get “their” money. It doesn’t make sense even from an economic point of view.
To be honest, its really just a slap in the face. They like us feeling worthless don’t they?
Curwen, I saw this and it all fell into place. Without my consent early last year I was placed under Framework, an organisation where I only saw them once and they told me I should work on my CV. Before I did that however, I got myself a job through networks and ever since then they have been catching up with me asking how work was going.
So they didn’t do a goddamn thing, and the people who did, myself and my employer (who’s been so good at helping me with my mental health) don’t get a cent.
They never offered me classes, they text once a month to say “how is work” and they think they got me the job? You also can’t opt out, I’ve tried. Have they offered any of their services? No because they don’t have any. I asked if they had finance courses because I want to learn how to start a home business and they directed me to the IRD website.
That is the only thing they have done for me in over a year. Direct me to someone else’s website… that I already knew of… and that doesn’t help.
And they get twelve fucking thousand when I can’t even afford to buy my prescriptions with my 3 day a week job.
This policy is almost identical to that in the UK, which has resulted in many deaths and untold suffering. One difference between the two regimes is that beneficiaries shafted by the UK Department of Work and Pensions have the right to take legal action, all the way to the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg. Currently, many of these appeals result in DWP getting shot down (although the Tories plan to end the right of appeal to the EU Court if they retain power after elections next month). In NZ, our own dear government legislated to deny beneficiaries any access to justice, apart from its own departmental kangaroo courts.
Yep, lol – I found this on my updates and had shared it to a number of Kiwi groups before realising it was two years old, grrrr … It’s still relevant however, and is a timely reminder of the kind of shit that our government is capable of… This was what I wrote, lol
Wtf – This is slavery! …
Taking sickness benificiaries off the books, forcing them into work and paying their “selected” job finders (slavemasters) exorbitant placement fees ($12,000 each!!!) with taxpayer money … DON’T CONSENT TO THIS NZ – WE DON’T TREAT PEOPLE THIS WAY …
… Yes, JK intends to take taxpayer money/sickness benefits away from legitimate sickness beneficiaries, force them into work and give selected “private providers” (National talking heads) $12,000 per beneficiary to find them “work”.
It won’t matter whether the beneficiaries like or enjoy the work that is found for them … they do the work or they don’t get any money – no Freewill here!! This is what’s happening to our unemployed already – they’re being told to attend bs meetings set by “private providers” instead of spending their free time looking for work – meetings are usually sitting in a room doing nothing – sometimes by oneself! If they don’t attend their dole is cut …
“Private providers are being lined up to deliver “wrap around” case management for sickness beneficiaries with common mental health conditions to help find jobs and co-ordinate clinical support so they stay in work.
If successful, private providers could earn up to $12,000 for placing a client considered to have “entrenched” mental health issues in a job where they are working for 30 hours or more a week.
An advocate for beneficiaries, who declined to be named, sounded warnings this week about forcing unwell people into competing for jobs in a tight employment market.
“Sadly it seems to be an experiment with vulnerable people, and one must be concerned about how it will affect some.”
According to the leaked documents, the scheme will initially target beneficiaries aged 20 to 26 “to reduce the potential lifetime benefit liability”.
Action Against Poverty warned the proposed changes threatened to turn society’s poor and vulnerable into commodities.”
Forcing NZ’s vulnerable and mentally ill into work which they may not be interested in or happy doing is BULLYING – you simply don’t treat people this way! These are vulnerable people and treating folks with mental issues like depression for example with undue pressures like these will have a negative impact upon these people … WTF! KIWIS DON’T BEHAVE LIKE THIS – WE DON’T TREAT VULNERABLE PEOPLE THIS WAY.
New Zealand – Kiwis – guys, Our National Government are sick – this is corruption and it’s no good. There is no empathy for our people, no consideration or thought given to our struggles for housing, jobs, our environment (drilling in our oceans and endangering our oceanlife, mining etc. etc.) – it just goes on… These are assaults and abuses on people living in NZ and our PM is not interested in listening to the People – his only interests are his interests … and this is unacceptable!
SERIOUSLY – our PM John Key has a callous attitude toward Aotearoa and its people – we’re resources for generating profit guys, that is all … I believe Kiwis need to be looking at the path that is being determined for our nation by our current leadership – and even more importantly who NZ’s path is really being determined to benefit … I do not believe that the policies, actions being taken by our government, are being taken for the benefit of our country, and certainly not for New Zealanders …
This is an attack on our sovereignty NZ, on our rights and Freewill.
WE CANNOT CONSENT TO THIS RUBBISH – these actions define our government, NOT THE PEOPLE OF NEW ZEALAND … OUR RIGHTS, OUR CIRCUMSTANCES AS KIWIS IN OUR HOME/OUR NATION ARE BEING MUDDIED AND THIS IS NOT GOOD …
Key needs to go NZ … Please wake up and take a look at what is going on … KIWIS NEED TO CLEAN HOUSE.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10893823
This is still current, i am part of this process at the moment have been for about 4 months
Thank you Curwen, you are indeed onto it:
http://accforum.org/forums/index.php?/topic/17163-mental-health-employment-service-sole-parent-employment-service-oia-info-implies-msd-trials-a-failure/
http://accforum.org/forums/index.php?/topic/17116-the-medical-appeal-board-how-msd-and-winz-have-secretely-changed-the-process/
And this is the result of the approach in the UK, we are according to former Minister of Social Welfare, Paula Bennett, and of course the whole government, to follow:
http://accforum.org/forums/index.php?/topic/17011-the-discredited-indefensible-wca-in-the-uk-its-demise-and-what-this-should-mean-for-nz-welfare-reforms/
Bennett, now Tolley, and hard as nails outsource expert English have no sympathy, and hence rather stick to this:
http://accforum.org/forums/index.php?/topic/16685-bill-english-takes-lessons-from-work-will-set-you-free-propagandists/
Yet more research shows, the equation and solution is not that easy at all:
http://accforum.org/forums/index.php?/topic/16737-work-has-fewer-%e2%80%9chealth-benefits%e2%80%9d-than-mansel-aylward-and-other-so-called-experts-claim-it-can-cause-serious-harm/
It has been selective “science” they used in the UK, UNUM funded “research” at the Centre for Psychosocial and Disability Research, that was passed on to go and hit the globe, including down under:
http://accforum.org/forums/index.php?/topic/15188-medical-and-work-capability-assessments-based-on-the-bps-model-aimed-at-disentiteling-affected-from-welfare-benefits-and-acc-compo/
At the same time scientists, even here, are put under pressure to “conform” and shut up:
http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/ninetonoon/audio/20174224/scientists-speak-out-about-fears-of-attacks-on-freedom
I also recommend this for reading:
http://publicaddress.net/access/some-aspects-of-new-zealands-disability-history-3/
“It does, of course, also occur that if National was serious about helping beneficiaries with “entrenched” mental health issues – and wasn’t adverse to throwing twelve grand a head at the issue – then they’d presumably get *much* better results out of *actually increasing the funding available to said beneficiaries for counselling, therapies and other support services* instead of trying to force them into work and hoping the private sector can provide adequate support to them once they’re in there.”
When you read the OIA info made available under here, you will see that National and their lackey allies do not give a damn about “support” as it is all about words and no action:
http://accforum.org/forums/index.php?/topic/17163-mental-health-employment-service-sole-parent-employment-service-oia-info-implies-msd-trials-a-failure/
That is a well researched bit of a post from a mate of mine, by the way, we know what we are talking and writing about, it is 100 percent reliable and true, and MSD and the government are blatant LIARS!!!
And, when things are working well, this happens:
http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/comment/columnists/67686326/Opinion-Trash-Palace-closure-a-great-loss-for-community
It works for so many, in so many ways – and it’s being destroyed.
I also recommend this piece for a reading, showing that as a beneficiary you are “stuffed” if WINZ or one of their “hatchet doctors” decides, you are “FIT FOR WORK”, even if your own doctor or another specialist has a different opinion. Frances Joychild, now a QC, did write a post, which was also on Selwyn Manning’s ‘Live News’, she has represented MSD and Winz clients, knows full well what is going on, but is only one of a few legal representatives with her heart in the right place:
http://www.adls.org.nz/for-the-profession/news-and-opinion/2015/2/5/continuing-the-conversation-%E2%80%A6-the-fading-star-of-the-rule-of-law/
She writes:
“Some of the most alarming cases I have dealt with recently come from income-tested beneficiaries. There are increasingly large discretions held by WINZ officials, largely without legal overview by independent lawyers. I have heard regular complaints of benefits being randomly cut off, without notice. And it taking weeks or even months and numerous phone calls or visits to WINZ offices to get them reinstated. Often these cut-offs are the result of a mistake on the part of the WINZ system (e.g. the medical certificate had been delivered on time but had not made it to the file).
One family I dealt with in November (on another matter) had three children under ten and were without any WINZ support other than two food grants for months last year after the parents’ work stopped and the file passed between ACC and WINZ. The benefit was finally paid after the landlady went down to the WINZ office with the client. Miraculously, a cheque for back-payment of benefit was written out. The harm inflicted on the parents and children in that time will have consequences for decades.
Clearly, beneficiaries have no money to employ a lawyer. Most of the problems they encounter are not covered by legal aid. Some are lucky enough to have access to unpaid beneficiary advocates. I suspect a very large number do not. It is extraordinary that, in an area of major legal complexity, wide government discretions and deeply disempowered citizens, the rule of law is at its weakest.”
The ADLS publication is missing some text that was part of a longer post by Frances Joychild QC. See this link for a publication with more details on ‘Evening Report’ from 24 March 2015:
http://eveningreport.nz/2015/03/24/frances-joychild-qc-on-the-fading-star-of-the-rule-of-law/
“Certainly the rules of natural justice appeared completely foreign to the MAB panel I sought to review judicially. Likewise the assessing GP’s appeared to be acting as an arm of WINZ rather than an independent health professional.
But my proceeding never reached the courts. It was made impossible not to settle. One could sense the Ministry concern that a test case challenging the practices surrounding removal from benefit had to be avoided if at all possible.
Clearly beneficiaries have no money to employ a lawyer. Most of the problems they encounter are not covered by legal aid. Some are lucky enough to have access to unpaid beneficiary advocates. I suspect a very large number do not. It is extraordinary that in an area of major legal complexity, wide government discretions and deeply disempowered citizens that the Rule of Law is at its weakest.”
Note: MAB stands for ‘Medical Appeals Board’
Read the whole post there, as it is more comprehensive than the one on the ADLS website!
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