Press Release

Immediate

'New Welfare reforms Catch grandparents raising Grandchildren'

The new welfare Job Seeker reforms have had a detrimental effect on grandparents who are raising their traumatised grandchildren due to family breakdown.

Diane Vivian Chair of Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Trust NZ says their phones have been ringing non-stop from upset grandparents who have received letters stating they now need to go into W & I for an appointment to seek work. Most of these people are aged 55 to 64. They are tired and worn out from their role of raising their precious grandchildren whom many have special needs and psychological damage and many have abandonment issues and grandma is needed to be there for them. These people are not the parents of the child and in some cases not even related but had been placed on a DPB. If the child they care for is severely disabled then they can go on a DPB for care of the sick and infirm with no job requirements, but in many cases these particular children are just below the criteria.

Vivian says, it is time a Carers Benefit was looked at to enable them to safely care for these vulnerable children, these wonderful grandparents have sacrificed their later years and in many cases their careers to support these children. They have raised them on a pittance, faced adversity, possibly saved their lives and this Job Seeker reform may indeed be the final nail in the coffin.

ENDS

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