Pushing Agendas

On Saturday August 21st Paula Bennett stated: “From May next year beneficiaries assessed as being capable will be required to work part time.” Reports of this interview (on The Nation) state “the Government is to crack down on sickness beneficiaries”

Urban Dictionary defines “crack down” as:

1. to enforce the laws or rules more vigorously 2. to make punishments for a crime or violation more severe

However, what the Government is talking about here is changing the laws so they can punish people for imagined crimes.

Rebecca Occleston, spokesperson for Beneficiary Advisory Service states that the language and implications used are deliberately offensive and inaccurate.

They want to declare beneficiaries lazy and not wanting work and this is simply not the case. Most beneficiaries want to work. They would much rather be in work because they would feel more valued as a person, less marginalised by Work and Income and society and they would receive more money. The reason some people on the benefit do not have jobs (and many of them do!) is either their medical or domestic circumstances prevent them from working right now, or there are no suitable jobs available.

A lot of the Government’s talk recently is how to punish people not working. They know there has been (and still to a certain degree is) a recession and there are a lot less jobs. The Government needs to be creating jobs not punishing those victimised by circumstances for imagined crimes.

This talk of “cracking down on beneficiaries” and similar negative language is to encourage society to believe that people on benefits are living the good life without having to work for it. This is simply not true. Life on a benefit is extremely difficult and no one wants to be there. If people get a better offer (eg a job) they will take it.

Ms Bennett talks about people on the Sickness Benefit being assessed for part time work. If these clients are capable of working, I’m sure they would do so if given the chance. Talking about punitive measures is not the way to heal society. However, she also states: “You know we put people on benefits and leave them there, why aren’t we actually working towards what will get them well. Should we be frontloading a bit more support which I'm pretty keen to look at as well.” This sounds a lot more positive (although whether it turns out that way can depend on how these ideas are executed). What needs to be looked at is how individuals can be helped to support them into work (when they are ready). This is a lot more effective than saying “Oi, you! Work or we’ll punish you!” which seems to be the current philosophy.

We believe that all this negative wording about beneficiaries by the Government is, of course, so they can push their own agenda and make these new punitive laws, feeling justified doing so.
Rebecca Occleston
Spokesperson
Beneficiary Advisory Service

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