Welfare slasher Paula Bennett's electorate mobile.
Only a few weeks to go until the general election in New Zealand, and with the incumbent government treating it as a foregone conclusion that they’ll be back in charge, it seems some of them can’t even be bothered showing up for public meetings in their electorates.
Paula Bennett, for example. She who – in the event of an election win – is about to preside over major changes to welfare that will affect people with experience of mental illness that are currently unable to work.
The Herald on Sunday last week reported about the large number of people who are on sickness benefits due to depression or other mental illnesses, along with the positive recovery story of Veronica Linfoot:
“Linfoot now works fulltime and is in control of her life. She has just finished a job at the Heart Foundation and is temping while looking for another fulltime role.
Getting back to work was the key. “Keeping a routine and keeping in life is the most important thing.” Linfoot said more needed to be done to help sufferers when they were ready to re-enter the workforce. “There needs to be help and coaching with CV and interview preparation but with a mental health focus. At the moment, there is no help like that available.””
Getting back to work. Getting back to work. Getting back to work. Yes, when you’re unable to work because of a mental illness, that little sentence rotates in your brain like a stuck record.
During my recent three-week breakdown, it plagued me constantly, and I knew that I had a secure job to return to. God only knows what it’s like for someone who is more seriously ill, with no work prospects, and like Veronica says of her darker moments, can’t “even get out of bed to go to the toilet”.
So what’s going to happen to sickness beneficiaries? Well, first of all, we’re going to give them new names – job seekers. This from a government that railed against “political correctness” and “social engineering” while it was in opposition.
If the phrase “job seekers” sounds eerily familiar to you, then maybe it’s because you’ve heard it somewhere before:
Yes, your sickness benefit is to be renamed “Jobseeker Support”, and according to the government factsheet:
“This benefit has a clear work expectation for all beneficiaries of it, though some will have temporary exemptions based on individual circumstances. The majority of Jobseekers will be capable of taking work as it becomes available.”
Yes, you vill be capable of verking! Because work fixes everything. Any work, it would seem. Whatever’s available. Former accountant suffering from a stress burnout? There’s a job going at McDonalds – off you go. Would you like to upsize your dignity for $1?
What evidence has the government used for making these changes? Paula’s ahead of us there. From the Q&A:
What medical evidence have you based the policy of putting work obligations on sickness beneficiaries on?
Society’s expectations about work have changed. Not only can many sick and disabled people contribute through employment, there is evidence that points to improvements in health and wellbeing through taking up appropriate work.
Translation: “society” doesn’t want you bludging anymore. It’s time you started to “contribute” – not for your own wellbeing, but for…whose? The right-wing voter base?
Similar welfare reforms in the UK, also fuelled by an underlying assumption that people with mental illnesses on benefits “aren’t sick really”, has fuelled counter-campaigning from organisations like Mind.
Mind ingeniously produced a faux-tabloid called The Daily Stigma which volunteers handed out at busy points of transit. Cleverly playing to stereotypes with a screaming front page headline “BENEFIT FRAUD EXPOSED”, the main article turned the perception of bludging on its head by exposing the real fraudsters – a welfare system forcing assessment onto a vulnerable group of people:
“Despite widespread reports of people cheating the system, The Daily Stigma can reveal that only 0.5% of the money spent on Incapacity Benefit is lost to false claims. In the meantime, hundreds of thousands of genuinely disabled and ill people are living in fear of having their benefits taken away while they are still too sick to work.”
Do we have similar figures on false claims in New Zealand? Has any journalist asked for them?
No, because it seems we’ve swallowed a discourse even more damaging: simultaneously believing that people are genuinely sick, and that work is the best form of treatment for their woes.
Is there a danger of having your benefit taken away under Paula’s new scheme? Back to the FAQ:
Will people lose their benefits if they can’t get a job?
No. People are expected to be trying to get work and they will need to show what efforts they are making. They will only face sanctions if they make no effort.
What sanctions apply to people who don’t meet their work obligations?
The same graduated sanctions will apply under the new system as they do now.
Jobseekers are expected to be available for and looking for work unless they have a temporary exemption. Those who do not make genuine efforts will face sanctions.
Sanctions… sounds like that thing the UN do to countries when we want them to stop murdering and torturing citizens. Usually involves things like cutting off aid. Weasel word, much? Maybe we could ask Paula this if she shows up to one of her meetings.
So how will you be assessed to see if you’re capable of working?
How will people be assessed if they are sick or disabled?
There will be a stronger focus on what people can do, not what they can’t do. Health professionals will provide medical information to allow Work and Income to ascertain what kind of work an individual can do and how long they may be exempted from being available for work.
Those who are permanently or severely disabled, severely mentally ill or terminally ill, will be fast-tracked into the Supported Living Payment.
In addition, we are going to introduce much more comprehensive work capacity assessments to get a better picture of what people can do and to determine what the right obligation is for each person.
An expert Health and Disability Panel will give specialist advice on new assessment processes.
Let’s see…your medical records will be handed over to Work & Income (presumably with your consent, although this isn’t made clear) so that a bunch of people completely unqualified and ignorant about mental health issues can make an assessment about whether or not you can work. Given that the directive from above is “make them work”, you can see how most of these assessments are likely to turn out:
“The Government is reforming New Zealand’s welfare system with an active, work-based approach, starting with the belief that most people can and will work…The expectation is for the majority of beneficiaries to be available and looking for work.”
Fairly unambiguous. After you’re assessed, a panel of unnamed health and disability experts will sit around having cups of tea and develop sets of criteria completely divorced from the reality of everyday living circumstances just to keep the whole shitty new system ticking along.
How can I make such guesses? Because it’s already happening in the UK. People with genuine mental illnesses are being assessed as “fit for work” and threatened with sanctions, while for some the mere idea of being reassessed is putting an added strain on their already stressful situation: Back to The Daily Stigma from Mind:
“We deal with many people who have been told they are ‘fit for work’ under the new system despite experiencing serious mental health problems. The other day I was speaking to a man who has schizophrenia. He has it quite well under control, but still struggles with paranoia and can’t cope with much pressure.
He’s been found ‘fit for work’ so no has to look for work, but the anxiety caused by the assessment process and now the prospect of job hunting is really destabilising him. I’m very worried it’s going to push him back into severe illness, and last time that happened he ended up in hospital for two months. But what can we do? (benefits adviser)”
But it doesn’t end there. Paula has not ruled out that sickness beneficiaries may also be subject to the demeaning new “payment card” policy being forced onto youth beneficiaries, changes which include:
- Essential costs like rent and power being paid directly on behalf of the young person;
- Money for basic living costs like food loaded on to a new payment card that could not be used for thing like alcohol or cigarettes;
- A limited amount of money for young people to spend at their discretion.
Well, not to worry. At least we can sleep well knowing that further stigma and discrimination being heaped upon the mentally ill is saving the country money:
The reforms will cost $130 million a year, with an expected saving of $1 billion over four years.
Ooh, a billion that’s a lot. Compares well with the following spends:
- Amount borrowed by the government last year alone to fund tax cuts for the rich: $1.1 billion
- Cost of staging the Rugby World Cup: over $400 million
- Estimated cost of bailing out AMI Insurance: $1 billion
There’s been a lot of focus on the potential damage being done by these welfare reforms to young mothers on the DPB and youth in general. With the large amount of people with mental illnesses on welfare, the implications of these changes affect a far larger group.
And there’s little evidence that any of the money “saved” by these initiatives will be invested in support services that are desperately needed for the “unemployable” people with a black hole in their CV after leaving the workforce due to mental illness.
[...] is on an invalid’s benefit, thankfully not one of the welfare payments being targeted for extinction by the Bennett regime. But it didn’t make finding childcare any easier. She has few friends and no family where she is [...]
i am on an invalid benefit and have been for 8 years. i suffer from at times crippling depression. i also have periods of chronic pain that leaves me totally unable to function. i spend on average 3-4 times a year ( for up to 4 weeks at a time) curled up in my bed unable to function. it has only been in the last few years that i have been anywhere near stable for periods of time. i am on medication (at last count 13 pills to keep me going everyday) i support my friends and people who need someone beside them. i am lucky that at times i have an understanding person at winz. i have also had people who have tried very hard to destroy me. it is luck of the draw there.
i now live in fear. the changes that have been indicated cause me loss of sleep and stress. unbelivable stress at times. you are welcome to walk in my shoes. for a year. try. please.
Hi Petajon, it doesn’t sound like there will be any changes to the invalids benefit, so I hope this hasn’t caused you any undue stress.
[...] 4. Paula’s benefits [...]
good article going to read the next one about suicide next. This issue is a real concern for many of us on sickness or invalids benefits.
How many of you remember the 70′s movie, Soylent Green, the one where in the future (now) there were death centers, where people could go, when they had had enough of life, and be put down, listen to nice music, watch a lovely movie, and be injected.
Now there was a curly ending to that movie, but the death center idea, i have thought a lot about over the years, and quite frankly, wished thousands of times an idea that would come to pass sooner rather than later.
I’ve been diagnosed bi-polar last month, have had a stroke in May this year, and suffered from chronic pain for 17 years, I’ve been on benefits most of my life for some reason or other, I’m a waste of space, and will be of no use to anyone in the foreseeable future, 17 years ago, i would have been happy to go to a death center and be put down, I’d be first in line now.
Perhaps our government could lead the way of the world, and start building these death centers, it may solve the issue of beneficiaries, unemployment, aging population and a host of other problems all in one go.
Hey Lynn, I’m very familiar with Soylent Green. Great movie, but a terrifying vision of the future.
I’m not in your shoes, so I can’t possibly know how much pain you’re in, but I’d urge you to talk to someone about your thoughts of being a “waste of space” and “no use to anyone in the foreseeable future”. The key there is the last two words: none of us can foresee the future, and we’re even worse at speculating correctly when our brains are clouded by depression.
Please read the post “The good list” and consider making one. I’m sure you have people in your life that you give immeasurably to.
If you’re feeling bad enough that you want to kill yourself, then talk to someone you know ASAP or failing that use the numbers in the help button at the top right.
And write out anything that’s on your mind here too, if you like, it will help to get it out.
take care CB x
Be good if there were jobs to go to. I had to leave my last part-time job due to workplace bullying which left me at risk and also put me in hospital, funnily enough the job was with a NGO in the mental health sector.
I am applying for 2 or 3 jobs a week and have been since August. I still have to contend with the discrimination and stigma that goes with a mental health illness when I disclose it. On top of that after a relpase a few years ago I also have to disclose a criminal conviction.
I have a businble to apply for the enterprise allowerances plan on my laptop and have been waiting over 2 months now to attend a WINZ seminar and to present the proposal so I may be an able to apply for the Enterprise Allowerance. The person that use to look after the Enterprise Allowrance had his role restructred under the public sector cuts and he has not been replaced. I asked if I could do the seminar at a neighbouring office and was advised no as I am not in their catchment region!
I have talked to a number of prople about my business proposal includeing potential clients and all the feedback from them has been positive and I have also mentioned to to a couple of WINZ caseworkers when in for an appt when asked what I am doing to job hunt etc and they are impressed with the idea and believe it is viable and has a lot of potential,
[...] follow up reading, I suggest you look at "Paula's Benefits" over at Bipolar Bear's Blog]. Share [...]
[...] welfare cuts, homophobic despots in Africa and nasty little beggars who like to rap about cutting up women had [...]
I think it probably comes down a lack of understanding about mental health, how it affects people and how it is treated. It’s not like an infection that you can just throw some antibiotics at. Most of the time, medication is a hit and miss affair, I know as someone who also has bipolar that I am still not on an ideal mix of medication, yet changing medications brings it’s own difficulties. Don’t even get me started on medical professionals that are anything but (professional I mean).
A telling comment from my mum, who had bowel cancer last year (she’s ok now), was that she now understood why mental illness has been such a long lasting struggle for me. She said that “At least I can have surgery to get rid of the cancer, but you can’t remove what you have”.
Sadly the general public think antidepressants are some kind of magic, happy pill or quick fix, Perhaps I should be happy that they must have never been affected by mental illness either personally, or by watching helplessly as a friend or family member was affected. Yet do those same people have compassion for those that suffer from physical illnesses? I do think that the stigma of mental illness is decreasing, although perhaps a bit too slowly for some political parties to take notice of.
I’ve been on the benefit, whilst trying to manage my bipolar, lately I’ve been studying towards a new career path and have been on the student allowance. Both of which leave me with about $80-90 a week after rent, which needs to cover household bills, groceries, transport etc…Luckily I have no loans or credit cards (apart from student loan) otherwise I would never be able to manage. It’s really a struggle to find the money even for doctors appointments. Why someone would think I want to be on a benefit instead of working, I honestly don’t know.
The same new system has recently been introduced here in Australia. I have a Job Capacity Assessment in 2 weeks. While my GP, Psychologist and my Job Placement Officer have all said they believe that working, or looking for work, would all be damaging to my recovery process just now, they have all agreed that with the new tougher criteria in place, chances are that I will not be granted the Disability Support Pension. The stress and anxiety about attending the Assessment have kept me locked in my bedsit for nearly a week.
And if you look at the cost saving table above, note the ingenius way they word things to make it sound better than it is. It will cost $130 million PER YEAR to save $1 billion over FOUR Years. So, the net saving is in fact only $120 million Per Year. Or less than 1/2 a billion over four years. I’m happy to be corrected on that if I’m wrong.
I heard the other day of WINZ sending someone to a job interview and making sure he didn’t tell them he has a mental illness. a) this is not in the best interest of the interviewee who might need their care, b) it’s essentially keeping something from the employer. If a doctor says you are too sick to work, then who is benefiting from sending that person to job interviews that they won’t be successful in anyway (and it could further impact their health)? This it National’s way of simply massaging the welfare numbers. Each situation needs to be taken on its own merit.
So, if someone doesn’t want to work, they shouldn’t have to? Sure, not all people on the benefit can work, but why should be pretend that everyone who is on the benefit is there because they can’t work?
Back when I was in school, if one person in the classroom mucked up for some teachers, then everyone in the classroom got detention.
Was it fair? Hell no. Did it stop recidivists from mucking up? Hell no. It goaded them on, usually.
I’m tired of the right-wing attitude that you lump all the people who genuinely need support in the “might be faking it” category simply because somewhere in the order of 2-5% of people abuse a system.
You know my attitude towards that abuse? “So what”. Sure, if we can catch people who are genuinely abusing a system, do it. But don’t screw up that system for people who genuinely need it because a few people abuse it.
In Australia I’m in the highest tax bracket, and have been for over the last decade. (Well, highest personal income tax bracket. Companies of course pay considerably less tax than me. Somehow that’s ‘fair’, but that’s another story for another time.)
Do I want to stop systems that support people because they get abused? No. For one simple reason: one day I might need to use that system too.
In fact, I did, ~6 years ago when the previous company I was working for collapsed without warning and I was out on my arse looking for a new job. And our “job seeker” Federal Government department, having been rationalised and rendered spiteful by a right-wing Liberal government treated me like a piece of shit. I walked in having just come back from being told everyone in the company was sacked, and I had some bureaucrat with a bug up her arse treat me as if I was trying to “steal” unemployment benefits.
Those same unemployment benefits that I’d been contributing towards as a high end taxpayer (at the time) for 4+ years.
It’s time we actually started trusting that the majority of people who use these services genuinely need them.