MSD Staff use fake names to hide from scrutiny for their cruel policy
This is outrageous…
MSD staff used false names, fearing attacks
The staff were on the ministry’s Benefit Review Committee, which hears complaints from beneficiaries.
The Social Security Appeal Authority told the ministry’s chief executive two years ago to stop the practice, but it continued.
The authority has now ordered the ministry to release the names, and referred its decision to the Solicitor General.
Beneficiaries who have a dispute can lodge a complaint with the Benefits Review Committee – an internal ministry panel. If they are not happy with the outcome, they can appeal to the Social Security Appeal Authority.
In March, there was an attempt by a ministry manager to communicate with the authority in secret.
The manager told the authority that ministry staff sitting on the committee used false names to protect their safety and that papers filed previously with the authority contained false names and signatures, without telling the authority.
This was not the first time. The authority had previously criticised the ministry for allowing decision-makers to keep their identities secret, saying it contravened natural justice and was unlawful.
Ministry of Social Development (MSD) chief executive Brendan Boyle gave a personal undertaking that the practice would not continue and apologised.
But it did not stop there.
Appeals continued to be signed by staff using false names and signatures. Initially, Mr Boyle told the authority that it was a staff error, but still the practice continued.
MSD argued the practice was justified in light of two Work and Income staff in Ashburton being murdered in 2014 and the ministry being convicted of health and safety charges as a result.
It said one of the cases before the authority involved a beneficiary who had threatened to kill ministry staff and was abusive.
…the petty Wellington tyrants who with such sadistic glee love to cut the poor and vulnerable off their benefits want to protect themselves by using false names despite being told not to.
Our neoliberal welfare state is built on spite and cruelty staffed by petty tyrants who enjoy the power they have over the lives of others. Read #wearebeneficiaries to see the glee with which these sadists operate with if you doubt me.
The very first thing the Labour Party needs to do is push for mass sackings within the Public Service so that these sadists can be flushed out of the system. Yes the policy is abusive but this is a toxic culture problem as well.
… ” the petty Wellington tyrants who with such sadistic glee love to cut the poor and vulnerable off their benefits want to protect themselves by using false names despite being told not to ” …
That’s right ,… these sniveling gutless sadists have thoroughly enjoyed their time in the sun for the last 9 years , … they truly thought they were untouchable, … insulated as it were from public scrutiny they thought they could indulge their power trip to slate their appetite for power endlessly…
But no ,… like all power-heads their egos and lusts could not , would not admit that it could end , and were blinded to the fact that treating people like shit has a limited shelf life before it becomes exposed… and here they are now ,… caught out for all to see.
Held up to public scrutiny and humiliation.
And certain to be stripped in the near future of their positions.
…they are paid well to do the job …so they should do it fairly and be accountable to their clients
https://youtu.be/0qQoi6-6Gyg
Watch this and this
https://youtu.be/79l2XASd89c
Hmmm. Let’s not forget the Ashburton staff murdered by a disaffected beneficiary.
2 sides . . . . .
[Published after 7PM, 23 September. – Scarletmod]
Part of this is may be due to suspicion of MSD workers towards clients.I worked there when Peter Hughes was CE; he was good, and he expected clients to be well treated. It was still a ghastly place to work, and catapulted me back to my miserable boarding school days with the Mercies. Service Managers were sometimes semi-literate, basically functioned at fourth form level, bullying – but that was towards staff.
Unlike UK, India, Canada, China, etc where people vie for places as civil servants, there are no Public Service entry exams in NZ, and staff selection could be better – better than packing an area with rellies or quick keyboarders.
Most the staff in my area were ex-beneficiaries and they treated clients well. I wonder now if staff suspicious of clients were dodgy clients them selves, and therefore they think that everyone else is the same.
Front line MSD staff need to know, or to be able to quickly access, a large amount of knowledge, often with little support from supervisors or senior staff, so human error will occur. Some workers are too fearful to ask for help, and they see their service manager as an enemy out- to- get- them, rather than as a support person able to facilitate them doing a good job,and I’d agree with at one.