Sugarcoated welfare reform hides further attacks on beneficiaries: Picket this Sunday outside National’s Xmas Party

Media release Friday 4 December 2015

National’s latest welfare reform is a sugarcoated disguise for further attacks on beneficiaries.

“The Support for Children in Hardship Bill which passed its third reading in Parliament yesterday offers a pittance to some while making life even harder for many,” says Auckland Action Against Poverty spokesperson Sue Bradford.

“Many of those lucky enough to qualify for the extra $25pw from next April will lose some of it again through loss of supplementary support; parents will be required to look for work from the time their youngest child turns 3; and all those subject to worktesting - including the sick, injured and disabled - will have to look for 20 hours work a week, rather than 15.

“National continues to tighten the screws on our country’s most vulnerable citizen while unemployment rises.

“Instead of forcing parents of young children and the sick into lowpaid casual work, MSD’s priority should be on helping the hundreds of thousands of unemployed people into decent work, backed by affordable training and education.

“This latest law is simply the latest offensive in National’s ongoing war on the poor,

“Auckland Action Against Poverty is organising a picket outside the National Party’s Christmas Party this coming Sunday:

4.15pm Sunday 6 December
Croatian Cultural Society Hall, 161 McLeod Rd, Te Atatu

“Every day we work with people whose lives are disrupted and destroyed by benefits which are too low, a toxic Work & Income culture, and an ever deepening homelessness crisis.

“We’re calling on supporters to join us in telling National it’s no time for celebration and that what we need instead is a total overhaul of our fractured, punitive welfare system and a commitment to accessible education, affordable housing and decent job creation.”

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