Grandparent caregivers receive “dreadful” treatment by Work and Income
An in-depth analysis of more than 800 grandparent care families desperately seeking support needed to look after their
grandchildren has revealed concerns about our welfare systems in New Zealand. Kate Bundle, Chief Executive of
Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Trust, says that their large research had identified “massive problems” with their
clients accessing the Unsupported Child Benefit (UCB).
The figures speak for themselves, she notes. “Only fifteen percent are told they are entitled to the UCB on first
approach, while many others are erroneously told they are not entitled to any support”. Bundle notes that many
grandparents wait “years” for assistance. “Last year one woman bringing up five grandchildren received years of arrears
in a lump sum and an apology, although she still only has about half the amount she was actually entitled to and she is
not alone. We have many grandparents turning to us for help to get financial support for the children in their care,
when they should have received it years ago”.
Grandparents are shocked at the state of Work and Income offices, where they are made to stand or sit in line for ages,
declare their business in front of “everyone”, have their papers lost, receive conflicting advice, explain their
business over and over and often get given incorrect information. Bundle says that “the majority find the quality of the
service dreadful. Some are even fearful of Work and Income staff and the whole experience and some even give up rather
than put themselves through the stressful rigmarole.”
Even worse than the office processes are the attitudes frequently found in these offices. “Many grandparents comment on
the rude attitudes of staff. There is little respect for clients and many staff act as if ‘it is their own money’,
providing support only grudgingly if at all,” says Bundle
“These grandparents are caring for some of our most vulnerable and traumatised children who would be in state care if it
wasn’t for their grandparents taking them on. Just like children in care, they need help and financial support and
that’s all they’re asking for. Support for the children, not for themselves. Is it too much to ask that they be treated
with respect and advised from the get-go as to the supports available if they meet the criteria, rather than being
punished and denied supports by staff who very often aren’t even applying the law correctly?” asks Bundle.
“Grandparents seeking income support reveal “Daniel Blake”-like experiences”, says GRG Researcher, Dr Liz Gordon of the
participants in the study. The award-winning British movie ‘I, Daniel Blake’, told the fictitious story of one man
seeking to get income support after a heart attack. “Director Ken Loach noted that “hundreds of thousands of people –
the vulnerable and the poorest people – are treated by this government with a callousness and brutality that is
disgraceful” and that is what it is like for many grandparents seeking support for the children,” says Gordon.
In the recent paper authored by Gordon and published in the journal Kotuitui, which is part of a series being published
on the 2016 Grandparents and Whanau Caregiver research project, the data led to three conclusions. First, that the
grandparents are in an excellent position, as older persons often with years of work experience, to critique the
practices they find in Work and Income offices. Second, that grandparents seeking support for bringing up their
grandchildren should take advocates (or ‘gradvocates’) with them to ensure they receive their entitlements. Finally,
that the service standards published by Work and Income are continually breached, not displayed in offices and are not
subject to a complaints procedure, thus have no teeth at all.
A summary of key findings is included below. The full report is available at this link:
ENDS