Teresa Homan writes (Letters, April 7) the Minister for Social Development can't seriously expect us to believe that a sole parent beneficiary can save for an overseas trip on a benefit of "$299.45 a week." Except no sole parent receives that amount. There is a further payment for each child, and usually a rental subsidy or accommodation supplement. Late last year, according to the Beehive, "An average sole parent with two children under thirteen, living in South Auckland would receive around $642 on benefit, including accommodation supplement and a minimal extra allowance for costs." More than twice the figure Homan quotes.
And if some beneficiaries "are lucky enough to have a family member pay for their trip" perhaps the family could be doing more to assist with food, power and rent instead of leaving it to the faceless collective. There are plenty of taxpayers supporting the benefit system who can't afford passports, let alone an overseas trip.
3 comments:
Great letter Lindsay.
That Mrs Homan is a well-known do-gooder who supports every left-wing wasteful extravaganza.
"An average sole parent with two children under thirteen, living in South Auckland would receive around $642 on benefit.
On Lindsay's figures, a basic dole bludger would get $210 a week.
All this just goes to show the #1 lie about welfare in NZ was that the 1991 cuts were never reversed - whereas the truth is they have been massively reversed and increased again and again and again!
The basic dole in '91 was around $100 per week.
it's more than doubled
Then again apparently Lindsay didn't support the '91 cuts at least as recently as '07:
http://www.kiwiblog.co.nz/2007/01/the_1991_benefit_cuts.html#comment-274595
We I guess I'd agree: because the benefits cuts were only 25% not 100%. But they were more of a start than we've ever seen before!
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