Special Benefit – The Only Way
Why must the special benefit provision in
the Social Welfare legislation be preserved?
Simply because: -
- A rules based regulated provision
removes any ability for a WINZ case manager to exercise
discretion when considering an applicant’s individual
circumstances when considering a genuine need for Government
assistance.
- A rules based regulated system
empowers the present and future political administrations to
generate uncontestable rules that can be designed to meet
the fiscal concerns of Government at the expense of the need
of an individual or a family.
- A rules based regulated system is
conformed at the direction of the political party of the day
and is therefore open to political interference motivated by
political perceptions rather than the need of the
disadvantaged low income socio-economic group.
- Special Benefit is the ultimate safety
net for the poor and disadvantaged and it works. If a
political administration regardless of its gender introduces
social welfare policy that places a low income worker or
beneficiary at risk the TOTAL individual need of an
applicant can be considered, as a last resort. Regulations
prohibition the required flexibility in such a circumstance.
A short history of the Special Benefit
provides answers to the real reason why this Government has
introduced a rules based regime to replace the Special Benefit
safety net.
Publicity by this Government for the
introduction of temporary assistance, as a replacement for
Special Benefit, claims that it will make it easier for
administration of applications for safety net assistance by WINZ
staff.
It is NOT TRUE that Special Benefit’s are
difficult to administer. I have never been trained by any entity
in understanding the nuances of Special Benefit entitlement yet
I have modestly achieved an authoritative understanding of
Special Benefit law. So have other beneficiary advocates the
length and breadth of New Zealand.
The only difficulties that WINZ staff have
had in considering Special Benefit entitlement is grappling with
the consistent requirement by various Governments to apply
changing policies that have been contrary to the law. Because of
the unlawful policy directions by Ministerial officials desirous
of serving their political masters of the day, WINZ staff
generated a cultural attitude that is easily rectified by clear,
concise policy guidelines that conform to the requirements of
the Social Security Act. It is as simple as that.
Government also claims that it is not a
cost cutting measure yet in the same breath assures
beneficiaries that their Special Benefit entitlement is to be
grand parented unless their circumstances change. A benefit is
only grand parented to preserve a greater rate than what is
going to be paid to new applicants in the future. Remember the
necessity to grand parent sickness benefit rates when new
sickness benefit applications were to be paid at a reduced rate
to reflect the lower rate of unemployment benefits.
Think about this. A Special Benefit is only
approved to take up the slack that a primary benefit fails to
cover. The Special Benefit is there for as long as the proven
need exists and cannot be reasonably avoided. Therefore Special
Benefit is a last resort provision of care to a disadvantaged
family or individual who has undergone a rigorous assessment
process to ensure that the state is not being ripped off.
Revoking Special Benefit as a protection measure and replacing
it with a rules based programme that will be unable to take
account of all of a person’s circumstances and then limits the
assistance to a short specific period of time will eventuate in
an effective benefit cut measured to impact at a level of
proven need.
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