ill start by saying that i am on the benefit, much to my distaste, but was just a time when life was turning to crap, and things wernt looking too flash for me when luckily enough i managed to get the standard job seekers benefit (around240 a week), saving me from sleeping on couches and at friends places... gave me a some value to still be able to pay rent and actualy buy some food. i up untill that time had been working for 6 years straight, even ending up as supervisor at a past employer, and i dont see it as a right to claim this benefit how some say ive paid tax for years i allowed it... thats bullhocky and true it is a ripping of the system which i dont condone in any way shape or form, and its these few (certainly more now its being looked into)that give the rest of us that to be honest dont even want to be on the benefit a bad wrap for just being on it, yes i am job seeking yes i have a seek page, yes i have a trade me page and yes i will be back in the workforce, but dont generalise and spout nonsense when really its a few who make it bad for the rest.
I see alot of small people complaining on here, first parents with 2 children saying they earn very little... well just a quick reality check for you parents out there... I am single and have no children so I dont get the working for families in work tax credit or family support or subsidised early childhood education.Most families with chilren.. even on small incomes are receiving large government handouts... you are no better than those getting the dole... particularly with the recent scandal of families hiding their incomes in family trusts to milk the labour scheme.Or ridley, who sits there with hatred overgeneralising as all bigtos do, he saw one or two people do it so it turned into thousands or in his words "many".By law we have to have this system in place, by law we are unable to dictate what these people spend their money on and a voucher system is the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard.Beneficiaries are means tested, many who are ripping off the system do get prosecuted.. this is just a forum for bigots to express their points of view.What a sad country where bigots are allowed to squash personal freedoms all the while getting bigger handouts from the government than those on income assisted benefits.How pathetic, the government loves saving money.. do you really think they dont already go after these people... and for small minded people like ridley.. call the benefit fraud hotline... if they do nothing.. the likeyhood is you are wrong pal.Stop the petulance and do something.
Another little wins rip off the so called beneficiary's have twigged onto is this. One who is the house holder writes a letter to wins. Stating that the beneficiary that is now moving into his house is going on full board of $180 or whatever. Wins then without checking or wondering how someone who is supposed to be an invalid etc is capable of doing full board. Gives the beneficiary with the letter a large subsidy to cover this supposed full board. Of course both beneficiary's are away laughing splitting the difference between them full board does not come into it just more alcohol money. For some reason Wins does not look at full board as say a rent.They don't dock the house holders benefit or check. I know one beneficiary been doing it for years never once even queried about it..
The welfare system should be overhauled. Yes, there is now too much dependence and too many people thinking there is a right to lax off and not bother to contribute. But the duty is there for the government to do what they are paid a fortune to. A little investment in the futures of would be dole getters will generate in them a work ethic, and the skills to do the job they would like. Too much money is wasted on unnecessary benefits. Yes, there are unmarried women with kids, and this boils down to promiscuity, and then the man takes off, and leaves her in the cart, so it is not just one reason alone. It comes down to our morals in a society that seems to teach teenagers that premarital sex is acceptable, and if you make a mistake ( which seems to be another term for " bring a new life into the world" ), you either erase it, which is vile to do, or you just expect the state to pay for everything. In addition, we fall behind in encouraging our youth to work or train for their career. Say a lump sum was paid to put a kid thru' polytech, then they can get a better job, and pay taxes, but if nothing is done, they spend a lot of their life on the dole. I know. I have been there, and for years I have tried to escape the rut by getting on work courses and training, so now, at Uni, I have a chance for a decent, dole free future. But in addition the individual has to help themselves, and by that I do not mean steal. Sure, there will always be people unable to work through serious injury, but it is a fact there are thousands of able but idle bodies out there. But none can expect them to work, say, picking up litter or cutting scrub, for free. Pay now and we will not pay so much later.
Absolutley means test! While you're at it stop paying out DPB to young women who believe havning babies is a way to make easy money.
Hell YES!!! Both the wife & I who work full time earn slightly less than a pair of solo parents (who live together) with 2x kids & we don't get anything from the government.
I've spent much of my working life working around bosses earning three times as much as me, as well as pulling the pension. My comment is you have to income test ALL income benefits or none.As time goes by more and more are going to be at their highest earning level and entitled to receiving the "pension" as well - where is the fairness in that. Benfits are supposed to give those in need a help out not top up those who have no need.And before anyone syays they earned it by paying their taxes throughout their working life - this is not an career income refund, it's supposed to give those who are not able to contribute anymore through working a reasonable living for their remaining lifetime.So I disagree with the question asked.
I support means testing of our most priviledged beneficiaries: Parliamentarians!
More rigorous means testing, fine. Anything which attempts to control how people spend benefit money? No. These are people, not cattle. Treating people as less than human because they are in need of financial help is wrong. Poor does not automatically equate to stupid, lazy, or irresponsible.
No.The administrators of this government need to do more productive things than worry about those .72% of the benificiaries that rip the system off.They should look at how to improve our economic worth to the world and provide more jobs.They can start with banning the use of overseas fisherman that provide 45% of our fishing quota. Those blokes take our jobs and our economic growth and competitiveness and don't even pay there underpaid workers at all.The russians just kill them. This stinkin government causes these problems themselves. Welfare cheats aren't the problem.This government is. Crime rates are soaring as the unemployment rate does. This rotten country wonders why NZ are all going to australia.