Welcome to the Machine

A UW member recently received a letter from WINZ thanking him for notifying a change of address and going on to inform him of his right to have that decision reviewed! Evidently the decision to send him that letter was made by a computer programme, as was the letter itself. No doubt it is the same computer programme that is responsible for suspending thousands of benefits when the unfortunate recipients are a little late lodging a review form or turning up to an interview. Yesterday morning (the day that Paula Bennett claimed NZ has one of the world's most generous welfare systems) our secretary received a call from a distressed invalid beneficiary who had built up $500 of debt since having benefit stopped for lodging her review for late. So much for generosity. If someone could design software with a heart, Paula would have it cut out.