While conducting an interview with Radio Live, fortunately on tape, I realised a mistake I made yesterday. As L V says, it's the putting right that counts...less haste etc.
(Replacing earlier release which contained an error)
Media Release
ALL MAIN BENEFITS ON THE RISE
Friday, January 30, 2009
End-of-year benefit statistics just released by the Ministry of Social Development show annual increases in every category of benefit,according to welfare commentator Lindsay Mitchell.
"The number of working age people on a main benefit rose by six percent during 2008. But less than half of the increase was attributable to the unemployment benefit."
"The numbers receiving the invalid's benefit rose 4.3 percent from 80,082 to 83,501. This comes after various initiatives and ministerial assurances that the numbers were levelling off."
"Numbers on the DPB rose by 2.2 percent and are now back over 100,000. But especially concerning is the continually increasing numbers of teenage recipients. In December 2007 3,239 18-19 year-olds were receiving the DPB. That number increased by 11 percent to 3,610 in December 2008. Those numbers do not include teenage parents under 18 who receive the EMA. Those figures are not routinely published by the ministry. Teenage recipients present a particular problem because they stay on welfare the longest and their children experience multiple disadvantages."
"So as well as focussing on minimising job losses the government needs to be looking at ways to discourage uptake of other benefits. While some people end up on a benefit because of factors genuinely beyond their control, many others are there because they made bad choices. The easy availability of assistance plays a role in influencing those choices. "
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3 comments:
An example of the weird world of Winz.
Lady i know was in a relationship with an affluent Wairarapa businessman and this relationship produced a son.
When the child had reached the age of eight months the relationship broke down and the mother and child moved to the Hawkes Bay.
Because there were "Violence issues" (I use the term loosely because it is a complicated situation) The father had restricted visitation rights.
So the father may have a part in his childs life, WINZ pay for the mother to travel to a central location and stay in a motel where the father has access to the child under strict controls. The mother then returns to her Hawkes Bay home and WINZ picks up the tab. This is a bi monthly ritual.
I refuse to believe there is no Santa Clause!
Dirk
Sorry to be picky but I think you mean 80+ thousand on the sickness benefit. The Invaids benefit has a lot ess on it as you have to have an illness that you are not expected to recover from (Cancer COPD etc) whereas the sickness benefit is for those that have a complaint/illness that you can recover from.
Who cares what the benefits are?
The only way to stop benefits is stop benefits
Now that would be a change that would make a real difference for NZ's chance of getting out of the depression with our government accounts intact.
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