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Thread ID: 111886	2010-08-15 21:57:00	Some welfare stats.	Cicero (40)	PC World Chat

Post ID	Timestamp	Content	User
1128112	2010-08-15 21:57:00	What is to be done about these #'s As at the end of April, over 365,000 working aged people were receiving welfare benefits - one in eight of the working age population . Of those, around 75,000 were on the dole, 66,000 were receiving a sickness benefit, 96,000 an invalid’s benefit, 108,000 the domestic purposes benefit, 6,000 a widow’s benefit, 3,000 an emergency benefit, and over 2,000 teenage mothers were receiving an emergency maintenance allowance (the sole parent benefit available for girls who are too young to qualify for the DPB) . While these figures included the 13,800 partners of people receiving one of the main benefits, there were an additional 14,000 people under the age of 18 and over 65 who were also receiving full benefits, bringing the total number of welfare recipients to 370,000 . The Welfare Working Group wanted to know how many of those on benefits had been there in the long-term . They found 171,000 had spent more than five of the past ten years on a benefit: 12,000 on the unemployment benefit, 24,000 on the sickness benefit, 65,000 on the invalid benefit, 53,000 on the domestic purposes benefit, 1,000 on the widow’s benefit, 3,000 on an emergency benefit, and 13,000 partners . Almost 60 percent – 100,000 - had spent nine or more years of the last ten years on a benefit .	Cicero (40)
1128113	2010-08-15 22:35:00	while some may report long termers at 0.3%, nominally there are quite of a bit those eh ... well imo, you cannot encourage them, many of them won't take it up, they go to a winz meeting just to maintain the dole. like anything if you want them to change, you force them within boundaries. i mean attending a 1hr seminar every 3 or 6 months is a walk around the park. some of the smarter ones (not all) will try to get on the sickness benefit so they monitored less. i hope those stats are those who have been on it for "total days" of the 10yr period, ie., 5yr worth of total days within the past 10yrs. cos some may withdraw from it and re-enrol .. to fudge the system.	Nomad (952)
1128114	2010-08-15 22:47:00	i think that nz is not ready to just blacklist the dole if you been on it for a while. not sure if you can alloc some jobs just for them like mail sorting and things like that. cos some other people may want it. so maybe investing money into compulsory courses (like winz) for all long termers to attend like 3 days a week every week might be a way. and make it interactive about their current situation, not just turn up and bums on seats and go home with no homework. and after a while compulsory structured courses they need to enrol into. if they don't it's cut. what's the age of children is it still 13 or something, well they are in high school .. supposedly anyway, make it 6yrs cos they should be in primary school.	Nomad (952)
1128115	2010-08-15 22:59:00	Reading our local courier last week, some community/social workers said that some solo mothers were receiving in the "700's" per week in South Auckland There are training schemes generally for unskilled/uneducated young solo's, but I think the Govt. also has to curb the effect of these high weekly payments/subsidies. It was good to see that some young mothers were getting involved and realized the errors of their ways...but perhaps should be reduced or prevented initially... Perhaps Govt can ... - Advertise nationwide the perils (e.g future nationwide welfare costs, abortions, family violence, fatherless families, etc) of young and at risk/dysfunctional family relationships on TV every week for several months. - Maybe include food vouchers - but setting up networks with food suppliers in lieu of cash (I think this is done in USA). - Beneficiaries to do voluntary/paid/trained work - where better than in Govt departments... maybe WINZ of all avenues - Fund family care/creche units for kids of solo parent and that the parent pursue a recognized training/course - and learning progress is tracked by WINZ as well as the training faculty. I know WINZ make unemployed do courses - as I have been there (work in track, work agencies, etc) - but not much emphasis for solo parents or sickness beneficiaries	kahawai chaser (3545)
1128116	2010-08-15 23:00:00	There's a bit over a million people working in NZ (paying taxes). Add into the totals above the retired folk who are also sucking on the tax dollars, and it seems incredible that there is any cash left for health, roads, infrastructure, etc. Something has to change. Problem for the politicians is that messing with welfare will lose you the vote of every bludging beneficiary... so the politicians sit on their hands until the country is in crisis before they do what has to be done. National has to do it, coz labour will only spend more of what we don't have on the folks who do nothing.	Paul.Cov (425)
1128117	2010-08-15 23:04:00	in the many years ago, winz courses are useless, there is not tailoring. it's like sit there and they talk thru topics 1 - 10 and after so many days now you look for a job, bring the newspapers in and use the internet, and only if you need help ask, 2 days, the week is over and you are on yourself. it doesn't address the issue the person may have individually. so some people just use it as another hurdle to do it and then just take the dole. if they cannot do it then contract it out ... it's the same old ... after 6 months gone, they make you do the same seminar for a week perhaps then another 6 months ... and it repeats.	Nomad (952)
1128118	2010-08-15 23:08:00	i hope those stats are those who have been on it for "total days" of the 10yr period, ie., 5yr worth of total days within the past 10yrs. cos some may withdraw from it and re-enrol .. to fudge the system. Good point - as may not be continuous 10 years, as some beneficiaries may have restarted/reapplied a couple of times on the benefit - such as seasonal farm/orchard workers...	kahawai chaser (3545)
1128119	2010-08-15 23:22:00	I reckon the child support thing needs a real good look, I look after my daughter more than the mum, yet Im paying $300 every pay to the silly cow, yet she works, receives grants and student allowance. Although I pay mine to keep the peace, men just have no say in anything, I mean my first phone call was from IRD saying pay this much by this date or face a fine of $2000. Awesome.	rob_on_guitar (4196)
1128120	2010-08-15 23:48:00	I reckon the child support thing needs a real good look, I look after my daughter more than the mum, yet Im paying $300 every pay to the silly cow, yet she works, receives grants and student allowance. Although I pay mine to keep the peace, men just have no say in anything, I mean my first phone call was from IRD saying pay this much by this date or face a fine of $2000. Awesome. Saw this couple the other day,they couldn't keep their hands off each other,I should have told them to have a word with old Rob,about what to expect in a couple of years down the track. The professionals of course laugh in the face of $2000 fines.They get it the other way round.	Cicero (40)
1128121	2010-08-16 01:57:00	I reckon the child support thing needs a real good look, I look after my daughter more than the mum, yet Im paying $300 every pay to the silly cow, yet she works, receives grants and student allowance. Although I pay mine to keep the peace, men just have no say in anything, I mean my first phone call was from IRD saying pay this much by this date or face a fine of $2000. Awesome. You made it, pay what the system says, or use your head and reduce the ammount you are paying. The balls in your corner.	angry (15305)
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