Unbelievable…
Super ghosts: Pensions paid to thousands already in their graves
Death is not the end for receiving a New Zealand pension, with some receiving payments after a month in the grave.
The Ministry of Social Development (MSD) has continued to pay veterans’ pensions or superannuation payments to almost 7000 people for a month or more after their death during the past five years.
The figures – requested under the Official Information Act in 2015 then released more than two years later – show the number of post-death payments is increasing due to the rising number of New Zealand pensioners.
According to Mary Sewell, from MSD, Work and Income received death notifications from the Department of Internal Affairs (DIA).
…so it’s official – MSD treats Ghosts better than they treat actual living beneficiaries!
Let’s just consider what’s happening here and the values it sends.
If MSD catch any beneficiary in a relationship by spying on social media accounts or accidentally overpay a beneficiary it is fraud, it has immediate penalties added to it and there is interest added on top of the penalty.
MSD infamously chased a woman who should never have been in debt through the Courts for 12 years because they said the beneficiary might win Lotto one day.
But when it’s super payments or veterans’ pensions that are over paid, MSD has a completely different view of compassion and decency.
It’s not that I want this compassion to be removed from the elderly or the veterans, I just wish that the same empathy could be extended to the beneficiaries whose lives they make miserable.
Why can’t we have both rather than spite for one group and sympathy for another?
I was astounded when I went to tell WINZ of my mother’s death and was told they would pay and extra 3 weeks. I had thought it would be cut off on her date of death and any money repaid. I didn’t have any death certificate either so it was only on my word that they stopped the payment – Her estate could have collected a lot more if I’d delayed.
However, when my marriage faile and I had 3 pre-school aged children I had to wait for 4 weeks before they helped out.
It makes no sense at all.
The also murdered Wendy Shoebridge, by her committing suicide, by accusing her that she defrauded MSD of $22k. They spent $297k on lawyers & court fees.Then it was reduced to $5k, then eventually after a ‘thorough investigation, they admitted that they got it wrong & she had owed them nothing!
Sack that MSD CEO Fuck Brendan Boyle!
Equally astounding is this information was requested TWO years ago via the Offical Information Act but only just released. It is supposed to be 20 working days max.
I truly hope this government put an end to the utter abuse of the OIA, which is, after all, a foundation of any democratic system and go as far to make the government of the day and or the organisation chief executive face a serious penalty such as imprisonment for not complying with the law!
This regular, breathtaking non compliance was situation normal for the National Party who abused the OIA because by doing so it protected them from the bad news of their own making and so assisted them in remaining in power. And all because there was no consequences for breaking the law.
Martin, I assume your last sentence is rhetorical?
Because we all know it ain’t ever going to happen. That horse has long bolted.
Although I agree with you the big news here is that the OIA request took more than two years to be fulfilled.
If you ask my opinion its to serve a dual purpose : to keep the deceased in debt while to subtlety suggest family’s dip in to that over-payment pay for funeral costs.
And while the former may be construed as black humour the latter may just possibly be the actuality.
I wouldn’t put it past this foul , stinking remnant of the National party we call MSD.
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