The Green Party is criticising the $8 million cost to set up the Government’s traffic-light system for beneficiaries, which includes new non-financial sanctions, calling it “smoke and mirrors”.<\/p>\n
The Greens have drawn attention to the number, after Ministry of Social Development (MSD) bosses revealed, during Scrutiny Week, that just 12 people had received non-financial sanctions in the six months they’ve been available.<\/p>\n
Nearly 13,000 sanctions were issued in total in the September quarter this year.<\/p>\n
Green social development spokesperson Ricardo Menendez March said Minister Louise Upston had been “wasting everyone’s time” and money to create more layers of bureaucracy and “effectively unworkable” new sanctions.<\/p>\n
Non-financial sanction options are mandatory community work or money management payment cards.<\/p>\n
Those too sick to work under health and disability compensation are now also in the sights. (Source: 1News)<\/p>\n
“These were supposed to be a less punitive way of addressing people’s engagement with Work and Income,” Menendez March said. “Clearly, the minister has instead chosen to continue a punitive approach.”<\/p>\n
He said the new system merely added another interface for people to interact with, rather than meaningfully assisting people into employment.<\/p>\n
“The only thing the traffic light has told us is that most beneficiaries are complying with their obligations… it doesn’t actually solve any problems.”<\/p>\n
In response, Upston told RNZ the traffic-light system was “working well”, as it helped people understand their obligations.<\/p>\n
In a statement, MSD spokesperson Graham Allpress said the new regime was intended to help beneficiaries avoid sanctions by meeting their obligations, of which more than 98 percent currently were.<\/p>\n
Thousands of young people could lose access to Jobseeker Support under new parental income rules, while others may qualify for a $1000 bonus for staying in work for a year. (Source: 1News)<\/p>\n
“We invested $8.11 million into a variety of changes, which make it quicker, simpler and easier for our clients to check whether they’re doing what they agreed to do.<\/p>\n
“It’s working as intended. People are engaging with us more often.”<\/p>\n
Allpress said the small number of non-financial sanctions was because they could be applied only in specific circumstances.<\/p>\n
For example, to be eligible, the individual would need to be in case management or have dependent children, fail an obligation just once, and then meet with a case manager within five days of that failure.<\/p>\n
Parents, rather than the state, will now have to support their unemployed teens If they fail to meet the tighter eligibility criteria. (Source: 1News)<\/p>\n
Appearing at a select committee on Wednesday, during Parliament’s scrutiny week, MSD chief executive Debbie Power denied those circumstances were too narrow, despite just 12 people having received non-financial sanctions, saying, “We’re just starting”.<\/p>\n
Power said she had heard from the front-line that staff and clients appreciated the transparency of the system’s colour arrangements to better understand what was expected of them.<\/p>\n