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Man in wheelchair takes hammer to WINZ office

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Invalid takes hammer to WINZ office

3News NZ

A 60-year-old man in a wheelchair has taken a sledge hammer to a Northland Work and Income office.

Sam Kuha – an invalid beneficiary – said he was devastated at being refused a food voucher.

He wheeled himself four kilometres to the Kaikohe WINZ office and let free his frustration, asking staff to use their power of discretion.

But he was told he had to follow the same process as everyone else.

"I was too hot by then to think, to say, I'm not the same as everybody else. Half my body's gone. I can't walk, you know. I'm in an electric wheelchair. I'm not the same as everybody else – I want to be, and I do my damnedest to be – but I'm not."

The former gas and oil pipe-liner says he doesn't smoke or drink, and since being in a wheelchair has run two businesses and raised a daughter as a solo dad.

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Comments

1/10/2012 12:13:55 a.m.

Mohan wrote:

Oh mydear NZrs, the MSD is a parasite living on the dying destitutes.

29/09/2012 8:21:07 a.m.

Anon wrote:

It's easy to boo-hoo over a story when you only know half of the details. Government assistance is not a bottomless pit of money, and it's perfectly reasonable that recipients have obligations/responsibilities themselves (much like my employer pays me, but I have expectations in return). Instead of assuming MSD/WINZ (FYI it's Work and Income now) are being mean, perhaps think about the fact that for the many people on a benefit who genuinely need the Government's assistance, there are also many who abuse the welfare system. For the haters ready to jump down my throat - I've been there, I've had some awful things happen to me, but I picked myself up and chose a better life.

27/09/2012 1:36:19 p.m.

mark wrote:

Good on you mate. The Free Market model is wrecking this country and it's us poor who are paying for it. CEO of WINZ gets near 700 thousand a year to tell us living on 10 thousand that we're scroungers.

20/09/2012 2:15:51 a.m.

David wrote:

@Greg under National emergency food grants have been denied as a matter of common practice. Remember National believes that there is no need to provide this extra support as poverty does not exist. By Law this assistance does still exist, however Paula Bennett has made it a practice to not give out these grants. And we all know how Paula Bennett likes to follow the law... lol which is to say she never does.

19/09/2012 6:15:46 p.m.

Greg wrote:

Was he refused the voucher? Or is he just upset because he has to complete some forms so he can be assessed? There are processes that should be followed and is he upset because he has to prove he needs the support?

19/09/2012 11:32:24 a.m.

message to PB wrote:

Great work Paula. I bet you are really proud of yourself. Always good to hit the little guy. Got to show who's boss, eh Paula. Just remember that what goes around comes around.

19/09/2012 10:33:54 a.m.

Beatrix Utu wrote:

My heart goes out to you Sam! Sounds like you have contributed an incredible amount to your society and your community and the least you deserve is to have your basic human rights met. I completely understand your chosen course of action. However, I hope that in the future you have the option of fighting the system legally and beating them with their own rules. There are advocacy groups around who understand your rights, and will stand with you to defend them. I know it can be frustrating, and it seems strange to address an urgent need with a long drawn out bureacratic process.... unfortunately it is the only legal way. I hope you have a supportive whanau, community, or an advocacy group to turn to. Kia Kaha!!

19/09/2012 9:51:44 a.m.

DIMIT wrote:

@Mike wrote:If he can't afford food mike, I guess locking him up is one to feed him? Can this govt afford the costs of it's crimes against our Society at this time?

19/09/2012 9:39:51 a.m.

Josephine Rena Maniapoto wrote:

I cannot believe the heartlessness of that staff member. It's bad enough for an ale bodied person, to be treated disresectfully by a government employee, but for some one who is disabled to travel that distance, I would smah that window

19/09/2012 9:38:31 a.m.

Andy wrote:

It's all vefry well blaming gverments , the problem is unless society as a whole takes a stand the govt won't to anything , in essence govt policies are a reflection of social attitudes in many countries people protest for fair and equitable treatment of all people in society , unfortunately it is something that Kiwi's don't seem to do , when we get into the situation where we have growing social problems , and poverty it in many ways a case of society as a whole not taking social responsibility . Social problems as a whole have never been properly or adequately addressed as the govt is expected to fix every thing , social problems affect everyone to some extent , if the were they are everyones problems , hence the term social problems , so people need to show social responsibility by making sure the govt addresses the problems properly , if we did do this the economy would grow and things would be better for everyone , the cost of addressing them is high , but the cost of not addressing them is far higher . Current attitudes toward social issuer are the sign of a weak society , a weak society means a weak economy .