Welfare attacks published by WINZ. Coming into action in July.

Work and Income has published details of its latest welfare  attacks.

The three new categories are
Supported Living Payment
Sole Parent Support
Job Seeker.


The Invalids Benefit stays under a new name "Supported Living Payment." Invalids are still recognised as needing support, and are not work tested.
However  Work and Income is using designated doctors to get thousands of people off this benefit.
The sickness benefit has been abolished.  All sickness beneficiaries are classified as Job Seekers even though some of them obviously cannot work! Some will temporarily have exemptions from seeeking work, and others will be allowed to seek work at limited hours.
Single parents get "Sole Parent support" which requires many parents to have to be available for work, and even requires parents with babies as young as one years old to be available for full time work if they have another child aged fourteen or over!




Here are the links to the  WINZ posts:
http://www.workandincome.govt.nz/individuals/benefit-changes/index.html

http://www.workandincome.govt.nz/individuals/benefit-changes/new-benefit-catagories.html#PartnersofpeoplereceivingJobseekerSupportandSupportedLivingPayment4

http://www.workandincome.govt.nz/individuals/benefit-changes/moving-from-invalids-benefit-to-supported-living-payment.html

We have been campaigning against these attacks for years!!

We participated in a National Day of Action against these attacks last October:
http://waitemataunite.blogspot.co.nz/2012_09_01_archive.html
See our press statement here:
http://waitemataunite.blogspot.co.nz/2012/09/why-we-support-national-day-of-action.html
See our submission here
http://waitemataunite.blogspot.co.nz/2012_11_01_archive.html

May Day Protest 2012
http://waitemataunite.blogspot.co.nz/2012/05/motherhood-is-work-john-key-keep-your.html
http://waitemataunite.blogspot.co.nz/2012/04/may-day-mothers-protest-aotea-square.html

See the blog archive for other other protests and statements!

You can  also  get  more information about the welfare attacks by looking at our links column.

May Day Workers Day, Living Incomes for Paid and Unpaid Workers Now!

Unite Waitemata members at picket supporting workers' strike at  McDonalds Queen St.

On 1st May, International Workers Day, the government introduced Youth Rates which discriminate against workers on grounds of age, and further discriminate against youth who have previously been on benefits for six months.  Meanwhile many workers such as mothers and carers, work for no wage at all. The welfare changes place  the health and safety of many families in danger  from sanctions for failing work tests;  not using  childcare, or failing employer's drug tests.

Employed and Unemployed Unite for  a living income for all!