This is how the neoliberal welfare state that Metiria stood up against treats the disabled…
Christchurch tetraplegic man disgusted after benefit slashed without warning
A Christchurch man who has been tetraplegic for more than 30 years was distraught when his disability benefit was more than halved without warning, leaving him scrambling to survive on $170 a week.
Peter Lawrence, 60, had a catastrophic brain injury in the mid-1980s that left him without the use of his arms and legs and needing a wheelchair.
He relies on a supported living benefit and a disability allowance – about $370 a week – to pay his bills, including transport, groceries and medical appointments.
But in May, his weekly income suddenly dropped to about $170.
Lawrence was told Work and Income required receipts for all of his expenses for the past year, but he said he was not aware of the request before his benefit was cut.
I was beside myself; it was very distressing.”
His stress levels increased as he watched the overdraft on his bank accounts grow. Providing the receipts would have been “virtually impossible”, Lawrence said.
Regional commissioner for social development John Henderson said Lawrence was one of 373 long-term disability allowance beneficiaries who were being reviewed.
Work and Income had incorrectly suspended Lawrence’s allowance on May 22 without contacting him first, Henderson said.
…look this in the face NZ.
Look at the horror our neoliberal welfare state has become.
Feel shame, deep, deep, deep shame that the disabled must endure such cruelty and fear.
This is on you now NZ. You can’t pretend to think these neoliberal welfare agencies help the vulnerable.
They don’t.
They punish the vulnerable.
The only solution is a change of Government and a massive purge within these social services of the culture that allows systematic abuse of those it’s tasked to help.
I been on disability for years thanks to ACC refusing to provide care I am entitled to so I can return to work. they once cut my benefit completely between Xmas and New Year – mostly due to the NGO who was supposed to be supporting me refusing to help me deal with WINZ and going on holiday for six weeks.
I now have an excellent case manager, who understands my disability and how much I do want to work, but she knows there are no employers who will take me in state I am in and she’s seen the 2010 ACC reviews that say my care should be reinstated and hasn’t been.
Neo-liberals are nothing more than criminal terrorists and what they have done over past 30 years is a violation of multiple NZ laws. Especially the Westminister Statute the First – common right be done to all rich as poor AND magna carta, nobody shall be destroyed and everybody shall have access to right and justice.
I’m pissed off with talk of a new constitution to fix all this government crime – when govt blatantly violate the current one.
Naomi Klein points out in her Shock Doctorine work that control of the judiciary is imperative in neo-liberal take over.
Apart from the above, why didn’t they request he provide various receipts for costs in the COMING year, not the previous, without any warning to save them the previous year, not that I can begin to imagine how $370 could be ‘wasted’… This is just more demands involving fear and bully tactics to remove people from their support systems.
Anyone would have issues with providing that expenses information, in a personal circumstance, not a business which would expect to save all receipts.
I doubt it’s law to keep doctor bills on file, unlike bank statements.
I struggle to see how the Work and Income officers could handle this sort of stress against their fellow Kiwis, without it damaging them longterm.
The only people that win out of a situation like this are the greedy.
These long term invalid beneficiaries were most certainly targeted and it can’t have been a mistake as the minister contends. No reasonable functioning officer of the government could possibly think this man was going to be able to work again and stop receiving that benefit.
What a disgrace. More proof my fellow voting New Zealanders need to tell their beloved national government they’re cruel and vindictive to those without power or influence, by voting them OUT. If national get back in, it says more about New Zealanders’ lack of empathy. We already know national never had any.
And Labour/Greens, you’re on notice to reverse this inhumane treatment.
+100…good post!…Nactional should go out on this alone!
+100…good post!…Nactional Nazis should go out on this persecution of the disabled alone!…the Nazis persecuted the disabled
…even $20 is a huge amount for someone disabled living on a benefit…and a review and having your benefit slashed without warning causes untold stress for those most dependent and vulnerable…is this an exercise in bullying power and control… or just sadism?
“Regional commissioner for social development John Henderson said Lawrence was one of 373 long-term disability allowance beneficiaries who were being reviewed.”
…ok so can we put faces to those responsible for initiating this persecution? …what is their background?(psychological /compassionate profiles?…university psychology degrees?)…who are they answerable to?…is this a local initiative?…if so who was the initiator(s)?….is it a nation-wide initiative?…initiator(s)?…reasons?
…and what rights do these most vulnerable victim disabled beneficiaries have?
….who can they go to to seek help and redress?
…are they entitled to back-pay for being illegally short-changed?
…can a class action be mounted on the grounds of UN human rights, inhumane treatment of the disabled , psychological stress?
Accountability
The person in WINZ who cut the benefit of the Tetraplegic disabled Christchurch person should be dragged into Court and punished.
Also, She / He should be immediately sacked and be made to personally pay a hefty compensation to this wrongly humiliated person.
The Auditor General should investigate where the money withheld (STOLEN) from the beneficiary ended up.
It appears that the current government employs quite a number of thieves.
..and the money stolen from the disabled and the health system ( hospitals and mental health care workers)will go to tax cuts for the wealthy)
…this NACT government is despicable
The Social Welfare system in NZ is a disgrace! This situation, such as that of Peter Lawrence, is one of many welfare issues that Metiria Turei was attempting to address!
And to think Metiria who was prepared to help people such as Peter, was condemned, mocked and virtually torn limb to limb, to the extent of forcing her resignation from a position to enable her to champion NZ’s vulnerable! Courtesy of Natz lackey blood lusting baying hound pack, msm! Shame on Natz! Shame on msm!
I humbly apologise to Peter Lawrence and those in similar situations to himself, for the fact we Kiwis have allowed NZ society to become the evil, hard core, uncaring anti social nation it has become! We didn’t make enough noise and Peter’s unnecessary stressful circumstances are the result of our silence!
However, we have 23 September to do the right thing this time. Make sure we rid NZ of this vile, abrasive government! No more Natz!
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