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StudyLink’s cruel and unusual punishment
StudyLink’s cruel and unusual punishment
26 November 2015
Media Release: New Zealand Union of Students’ Associations
Students with only one parent
due to death should not be repeatedly tested by StudyLink to
check if their loved one is still dead, the national student
union says.
Josie Mason, whose mother passed away nine years ago, is this week completing her third annual student allowance application.
While students with a deceased parent are eligible for allowances through the Student Allowance One Parent application form, there is no category to declare that parental death is the reason for the application. This means that each and every year students like Josie must fill out a new form and find some way of declaring it.
Josie says “It seems ridiculous to me that on the returning student application form for StudyLink that there is no option to select that one parent is deceased. And the system won't allow only one parent's details to be entered in, so every single year I have to do a first time student allowance application which takes twice as long for something that is out of my control.”
Miss Mason, who is in her second year of a film degree at Victoria University, says that the only way around the requirement to write a parent's name was to write “deceased” as her mother’s name, which is a “horrible thing to have to do, because ‘deceased’ isn’t her name.”
“Her name is part of her memory and being asked to bypass that, even on a form, is disrespectful. Her death isn't what defines her.”
National student president Rory McCourt says Miss Mason was not alone, and thousands of students with deceased parents have to go through the bureaucratic indignity every year.
“There’s no doubt that this invasive, inconsiderate process can be quite troubling for many students. And it could be easily fixed.”
The union believes there should be a simple tick-box for students eligible for allowances due to the death of a parent, alongside the current categories for students who have suffered physical, sexual and psychological abuse by a parent or otherwise have no relationship with them.
Mr McCourt says after their first application, where students are required to give a “full and detailed explanation” about the why they are eligible through the category, student allowances should be able to be applied for online in subsequent years, rather than through paper forms.
“It makes no sense to check whether a student is still a past victim of sexual abuse at the hands of a parent, or if their parent is still deceased. In fact, it’s a cruel and unusual punishment for students who have already suffered.”
Mr McCourt says the tick-box and online application are relatively small changes to implement, but would mean a world of difference to the lives of thousands of students.
Mr McCourt and Miss Mason will be writing to the Minister Responsible for StudyLink, Jo Goodhew, to request a change.
"It's time for some compassion from the state. We should be supporting these students, not putting them through a nightmare like this each and every year." says Mr McCourt.
ENDS
NZUSA - New Zealand Union of Students' Associations
We stand for opportunity, for all.
NZUSA is the New Zealand Union of Students' Associations, the national body that represents New Zealand's students' associations and the interests of New Zealand's 400,000 students at universities, polytechnics and in trades training.
We conduct original research, advocate to Government and through the media, and support New Zealand's students' associations to be more effective on behalf of their members. We advocate alongside Te Mana Akonga – The National Māori Students' Association, and Tertiary Women New Zealand – The NZUSA Women's Caucus.
Since 1929, we've believed in a society rich in opportunity, where anyone from anywhere can become any thing. We support accessible, affordable quality public tertiary education.
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