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Browsing tag: welfare

  • April 5, 2009

    Should you get govt. assistance if you have money in the bank?

    I was just browsing through the TradeMe message boards, in particular one thread wondering about how savings affect your eligibility for assistance.

    People were jumping all over the poor OP for scamming the system and ‘swapping tips’ on how to milk the govt, etc, etc.

    I think people have VERY different definitions of what constitutes savings.

    What’s a significant amount of savings? Should someone with $500 to their name be denied help? $1000? $2000?

    Even a few grand really doesn’t go very far. Bond for a new place, car repairs, school fees, emergency dental, visual or medical stuff.

    If we’re talking more like closer to the five figures, then that’s a bit different. And that’s why the asset limit for help with accommodation is $8000. It could probably even be lower IMO. But that seems fair to me.

    Posters on that thread also went on about getting off your ass and working, how there’s tons of jobs out there to be had if people would only take them.

    Uh, HELLO? Unemployment is rising. Most companies aren’t planning to hire, and instead are tightening their belts.

    Out of touch much? Whoever they are, they must have a steady job. Or be retired. Or something. They obviously aren’t out there jobhunting themselves.

    BF is going into Work and Income tomorrow. He’ll have to show what he’s got banked, but I hope they are not too short sighted to realise how quickly that will run out. I’m anticipating they’ll need more info, which will delay everything. They also want income details for the last year. Not really possible, and I wonder how many people actually manage that? I don’t have every single one of his payslips; at worst we’ll just bring in a year of bank statements. I also don’t get payslips at work. We sign into a site online, so I guess I’ll print some out. But again, I see no point in having a year’s work of info, as I obviously make much less during the academic year and don’t see how my extra income over the summer should have any bearing on the situation.

    Will let you know how it goes.

  • March 12, 2009

    Yay – second day of work for BF today. He was super excited to actually be going off to work like a normal person again..it sounds like a dull job, and he has to stand all day (he’s used to being on his feet all day, but this job doesn’t allow for much moving around).

    Some people don’t mind sitting at home. I do. He does too.

    It’s pretty rude that HF (hellish flatmate) quit his job for no good reason and is now on the sickness benefit. This gives him much more time to create messes around the house for others (me) to clean up. He apparently gets $250 a week for nothing. He’s not impaired, hasn’t got any broken limbs, is perfectly able bodied.

    I support the welfare system, but I hate leeches. I DESPISE people who receive money they don’t deserve. I’m paying taxes and I want them to go to good use – to areas in which money’s NEEDED.

    That’s why I’m glad we won’t have to go to WINZ now that BF’s employed. Granted we probably could get a little bit from the accommodation supplement, but not enough to matter and justify him taking time off work to go in, not to mention the hassle, frustration and paperwork.

    What WAS frustrating was the fact that alone (though student allowance and PART TIME wages) I made pretty much the benefit amount for a couple under unemployment, basically disqualifying BF for any assistance. He was told he might get $70 or so. All this, for someone genuinely in need of help due to redundancy.

    Meanwhile, HF sleeps and watches TV and drinks and smokes and gets handed $250 a week.