Benefits cut if you don't return calls

1/05/2013 7:36:04 p.m.

John wrote:

Why am i not suprised. Browsing around & coming across this article is kind of ironic, why? because i was on an invalids benefit due to various lifelong conditions which was cut roughly 3weeks ago & i'm still waiting for WINZ to contact me about it despite giving them everything they needed,including from the doctors, visiting the Wellington branch, calling, emailing to no avail. For me, despite my improvements over time to be more independent, it is quite scary as for one, i have epilepsy & much trauma caused by them from younger years until even now, leaves me anxious or always in thought about them. Having to prove whether or not my conditions/illnesses & what have you is valid & true when it is the very things one is trying to better oneself on to lead a somewhat normal life is quite tiresome. I'm hoping it doesn't come to the point where me & my partner have to leave where we live because someone doesn't want to "pickup a phone &/or return a call" And yes my partner does work albeit in a supermarket, it's something, at least to get by, we both have always pitched in on food/rent & any other bills. Since we moved in together in August. For now we're managing but hard to say for how long. We shall see how tomorrows phone-call goes. Needless to say, it scares me half to death.

29/09/2012 6:25:33 a.m.

David wrote:

There has to be a better way than the 3 phone calls. I am currently employed full time. Try phoning a Government dept. or Local Council and see how long it takes to get thru to someone for a sensible reply to a query. To start with you get a voice activated answer that you play tag with [if you can understand the question] sometimes this can take several calls before you get it right. Then you get thru to a real person, quite often you can not understand their English or they don't know/understand your question. Eventually you get thru to the person you require [this may have taken 30plus minutes] to be told they can't find your file "I'll put you on hold" then the phone times out/ and you start again. My concern is some people wont know WINZ have phoned because they don't have answer machines or don't have a phone [because they couldn't pay the ph bill]

25/09/2012 1:53:49 p.m.

Kat wrote:

As a family advocate that represents many different people in different circumstances. I agree with Sarah Thompson, she is absolutely on the money (scuse the pun)... If you remove the purpose, you create a new, even bigger problem. What's more I've seen this happen, minimal options due to benefit cuts & it led to crime! We wonder why our adolescents and more people are turning to crime - take a reflective look, read some research & start coming to 4 when you're adding 2 plus 2 instead of 5.