The face of beneficiaries is changing: people who've never before needed help are seeking it now, writes Rebecca Blithe.
Colourful scribbles adorn the back wall of an otherwise plain, small office in the Glenfield Community Centre. Bright juvenile smiles drawn by visiting children are in stark contrast to the faces of desperate people turning up at the Beneficiaries Advocacy and Information Service.
Manager Pam Apera says most of these people belong to a demographic not previously seen so often at the service. High rents, job shortages and marriage break-ups have brought in more unemployed, middle-aged people needing assistance. Beneficiaries fundraiser Ruth Greenaway has compiled figures showing 45 per cent of the service's clients are in their 40s, and about 85 per cent identify themselves as European.
"A lot of these people have spent their lives paying taxes. Their biggest gripe is there's no work. We're seeing a lot of people moving from the unemployment to sickness benefit because they're becoming depressed."
Worst affected are often those recently separated. If they have a cash asset from a break-up, WINZ won't provide a benefit. NOTE: this was incorrectly reported. Cash assets over the cut out point affect supplementary assistance such as accommodation supplement and temporary additional support, NOT the main benefits such as Unemployment, Sickness, DPB, Invalids etc. These are income tested ONLY.
"So they have to eat away at it.They'll never have that money again," says Ms Apera. "When you've got a recession, financial stresses contribute to marriage break-ups. We're seeing people who have been living on high incomes."
Fellow advocate Karen Pattie says long-secure lifestyles can suddenly become unaffordable. "They come in and they're in shock. They'll have life insurance, health insurance, Sky [television]. We had a woman in recently who'd had a marriage breakdown. The kids had to leave their school, she was absolutely stressed. Mothers often lose their skills."
Staff say benefits are ridiculous: "Often people are left with $40 or $50 a week for power, water and food. I see people coming in and they are starving; they haven't eaten for days," says Ms Pattie.
Many are grandmothers trying to look after grandchildren. "Grandparents coming through are a lot younger. In their 50s ... I've seen grandmothers in here crying. We're encouraging those people to at least come and see us. So you're getting what you should be getting.
"You can't pretty it up. It's tough out there."
Benefit of the doubt
Unemployment or sickness benefit with children:
Sole parent: $326.82
Married, civil union, or de facto couple with one or more children: $375.04
DPB or Widows benefit:
Woman alone or single adult: $234.39
Sole parent: $326.82
All are gross weekly rates. To contact the Beneficiaries Advocacy & Information Service,
ph 444 9543, email: info@bais.org.nz
