Labour bypass WINZ for newly unemployed to create 2 tier beneficiaries
In a stroke of political genius, Labour have bypassed WINZ for the newly unemployed by creating a special 12 week tax free payment to anyone who has lost their job because of the pandemic.
It’s been a problem that’s been building for sometime, how do you get predominately white working people to interact with a toxic welfare agency which is designed, built and staffed by petty sadists who gleefully abuse the vulnerable who are desperate enough to seek their help.
It’s a dilemma I’ve been warning about for some time as more stories of white working people needing welfare for the first time are shocked and appalled at the sadism of WINZ.
Now sure, the new payment leaves out those who are currently unemployed, desperate migrant workers and anyone who loses their job for a reason other than the pandemic, but I think you’ll all not, those categories don’t have many white voting people in them.
The new welfare payment is to help newly unemployed working white people avoid the horror toxicity of dealing with WINZ because nothing fires up the volk quite like being treated as poor and brown.
It’s as nakedly venal as that.
Maybe if Labour win a majority they might do something like actually reform the toxicity of WINZ rather than embark upon embarrassingly biased bullshit like this?
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On a superficial level this is unequal but having a 12 week limit is a major difference. If those recipients of other welfare benefits want to commit to a 12 week limit then let them have the extra. I am certain that there would be a real reluctance to accept that condition so we need to concentrate our efforts in providing jobs with liveable wages for those willing/able to work instead of getting distracted by a temporary support measure.
There is an illustration in history (Mt 20:1-16) that gives insight into this also.
@Bonnie, are you one of those people with the disgusting attitude that everyone on the benefit is there because the don’t want to work?
Having a permanent underclass is part of the design for Neoliberal societies. They’re there as a threat to everyone else to just accept whatever crap pay and conditions are offered to them. This is why the working poor even exist.
I can’t give you any direct bible quotes but I suggest you go look up the various passages that direct people to give money to the poor.
I am not sure how you get your opinion of me from my comment, I am well aware that decent jobs for all are not available & that who you know is more important than what you know in many employment openings. Maybe you have misinterpreted my willing/able to work suggestion but I will assure you I have no bad intent for anyone but any examination of the real world will find a few who because of various circumstances are unable to work, this makes the benefit their only option which is where the conflict with the 12 week payment for those recently unemployed. I am just making the point that simply comparing the weekly payment is not a valid comparison because of that 12 week limit. I would have thought my comment that jobs with liveable wages need to be provided is a positive idea so that just leaves welfare reform as the necessary next step. Ever since Ruth Richardson’s budget that has been required but it is not me stopping the process.
Martyn said; “Maybe if Labour win a majority they might do something like actually reform the toxicity of WINZ rather than embark upon embarrassingly biased bullshit like this?”
We agree entirely as in our experience as 75yr elders who now represent”the lost generation” among us today are left with shivers down our spine as we are confronted with the same hard cold face of a lack of care and compassion that is endemic among the staff at WINZ today, who emulate the same hard cold face of Carmel Sepiloni who has the face representing that of a war ridden veteran of the trenches at the Gallipoli campaign?
That sends us all such negative signals.
Did they deliberately pick some person for this job of ‘scarring people away from this agency’ which is supposed to be there to comfort people not scare them away, or was that the reason for fronting it with such a face of someone looking as if they hate and despise us all for seeking comfort?
Kia ora Martyn
This is the government and the regime that you support, but despite your adulation of Jacinda, and the vitriol you direct towards her opponents, it will not be moved by your views.
You would be better to acknowledge the simple truth that Labour is not and never will be an egalitarian party.
New Zealand Superannuation, ACC, KiwiSaver are all examples of how Labour has been bent on institutionalizing inequality in New Zealand for the past five decades.
This policy is about class privilege, not race privilege, although it may suit your purposes to try to make it seem otherwise.
You are trying to stir up race conflict in order to distract attention from the real nature and intent of the government you support.
Well, it ain’t going to work.
Deluxe Dole ? The optics on this is awful. The Govt ends up looking like the “Soup Nazi” from Sienfeld, no matter how well intentioned the policy may be.
The idea that anyone in this government can advocate for wage equality or fairness or human rights is over. This government is for some people not all the people.
https://www.tvnz.co.nz/shows/q-and-a/
Here’s the ‘muppet show’ of ‘Muller vs Tane’ – to watch for yourself.
You are ignorant, winz have been paying emergency accommodation and giving food grants left right and center, some people are currently being given about 1600 a week from winz which is tax payer money. If you truly understood how much tax payer money winz gives out weekly to different people even pre covid( including white people) of tax payer money, and how much is wasted on bs like 1200 a week accommodation, you will be asking winz funding to be cut.
If Labour win on their own, they will continue shafting beneficiaries!
Agree we absolutely need the GREENS IN GOVT which means a split vote .
Red for the seat MP and Green for the party vote.
If we want Beneficiary change the Greens absolutely have to lift their game.