Govt tries to prevent beneficiary 'windfalls'

Beneficiary advocates were yesterday making submissions to the social services select committee on the matter of the government's responsibility to inform clients fully of their each and every entitlement, and should they fail to do so, backdate any monies missed out on. That is the situation as it stands but the Social Security Amendment Bill would override this 'responsibility'.

Here's how a spokesperson from the Wellington People's Centre puts it;

If passed, the Labour government's Social Security Amendment Bill will override case-law to stop anyone who misses out on their rightful entitlements from ever having the chance to get that money paid back.

In other words, the money was and is rightfully the beneficiaries and because the government, by omission, failed to provide it, the beneficiary had money taken from them.

If the govt failed to inform me of a certain tax rebate or allowance what do you think my chances are of fronting up and demanding they pay me back the money they had wrongfully taken from me?

And here's another thought. If people belatedly realise they were entitled to Working For Families assistance will they be able to get it backdated? I don't think so. Because that system is under the jurisdiction of the IRD.

So why should anybody whose income is provided by the Ministry of Social Development have special status under the law?

It is enough that they can go to people with specialist knowledge who will assist and advise them free of charge. But back-dating missed 'entitlements' is a rort.