tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3612441315352179822.post1416896451178727416..comments2024-03-28T00:33:53.397+13:00Comments on Local Bodies: WINZ Bureaucracy FailingDave Kennedyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12428353657153292616noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3612441315352179822.post-18396370945532718262017-03-01T21:56:49.699+13:002017-03-01T21:56:49.699+13:00Thanks, Karl, that is useful advice. Good luck wit...Thanks, Karl, that is useful advice. Good luck with your situation.Dave Kennedyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12428353657153292616noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3612441315352179822.post-226331592926171032017-03-01T14:56:46.558+13:002017-03-01T14:56:46.558+13:00I am all too familiar with the hopelessly flawed s...I am all too familiar with the hopelessly flawed system you are describing.<br /><br />I'm currently working part time myself and I am on Jobseeker Support. Because of a medical condition I'm not required to front up for full time work but I'm still battling what you describe: the abatement rate.<br /><br />It's a pretty appalling situation. No matter what your situation, every dollar over $80 that you earn is abated at 70 cents on the dollar. Once I take out all the tax, my income actually decreases the more that I earn.<br /><br />This rate of $80 means that the much vaunted increases in minimum wage make zero difference to my income in real terms. All it does is decreases the number of hours I can work before the penalties kick in.<br /><br />This rate of $80 was set more than twenty years ago. It has not changed since then.<br /><br />What I suggest your friend does, if the employer is willing, is declare a few hours a week in order to prove employment, but not exceed $80 or the abatement rate will kick in.<br /><br />Then once the hours have got to 30 or so, declare them in one go. All Winz will look at is the hours you have made for that week. There will be no penalties or debt. All that will happen is that your friend will lose the benefit for the next week, but then when they declare their hours for the following week, things will go back to normal. This will mean their income is consistent most of the time. <br /><br />Good luck.<br /><br />By the way, an increase in the abatement rate to a much more reasonable $160 was part of Labour policy a few years ago, but of course they lost the election and the opportunity to implement it. Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00703276959440635686noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3612441315352179822.post-28157522369410412162017-02-28T23:12:45.289+13:002017-02-28T23:12:45.289+13:00The narrative that many beneficiaries are just laz...The narrative that many beneficiaries are just lazy unemployed drug addicts has been discredited too:<br />http://norightturn.blogspot.co.nz/2017/02/bill-englishs-bullshit-victim-blaming.htmlDave Kennedyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12428353657153292616noreply@blogger.com