lindsaymitchell.blogspot.com While Thursday morning’s news heralded 134 job losses at the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Social Development has just announced their own plan to achieve the 6.5% savings requested by the new government: We will begin by offering people in some parts of our
lindsaymitchell.blogspot.com When news media took a pummeling last week at both TVNZ and TV3, a number of critics said part of the reason ratings are poor is the public don’t trust them. The public believes that the media is biased. The print media is similarly suspect. An
lindsaymitchell.blogspot.com Sometimes the gems are buried. My ears pricked up when the following statement was reported on a news programme playing in the background: “MSD staff assessing anyone applying for emergency housing will increase their scrutiny of whether they have unreasonably contributed to their immediate emergency housing need
lindsaymitchell.blogspot.com Question: Do you understand how the child poverty statistics are derived? Clearly some people do not. Last week the latest child poverty statistics were all over the media. But there are a number of misunderstandings that need addressing. Like this one from NewstalkZB’s John MacDonald who
lindsaymitchell.blogspot.com In today’s State of the Nation speech Christopher Luxon talked repeatedly about getting young people off welfare. It seems that National has devised a traffic light system which will use increasing levels of sanctions – welfare deductions – when beneficiaries fail to meet their obligations. He uses the
When National became government in 2008, Finance Minister Bill English’s determination to understand the extent of benefit-dependency led them to commission Taylor Fry to produce annual actuarial reports. These were duly published at the MSD website every year but ceased when the government changed in 2017. Now however, an
When did you last read a headline in MSM about more children being raised on welfare? Yet latest Ministry of Social Development benefit statistics (1) show at the end of 2023 the number reached a new high of 222,500. I predicted this would happen when Jacinda Ardern became Prime
On the face of it I have some sympathy for Mr Singh who claims to have worked hard in prison to turn his life around and has passed drug tests since leaving there in September. But, due to violent neighbours, he has rejected a lodge where Work and Income placed
Lindsay Mitchell lindsaymitchell.blogspot.com Lindsay Mitchell has been researching and commenting on welfare since 2001. Many of her articles have been published in mainstream media and she has appeared on radio, tv and before select committees discussing issues relating to welfare. Lindsay is also an artist who works under
Lindsay Mitchell bassettbrashandhide.com Over the past week, New Zealand has seen the Maori Party forcefully assert that it is the true and authentic voice of Maori, and other parties equally strongly assert the Maori Party does not own Maori. Neither faction has provided factual evidence for their position although
lindsaymitchell.blogspot.com Appointed by new Labour PM Jacinda Ardern in 2018, Cindy Kiro headed the Welfare Expert Advisory Group (WEAG) tasked with reviewing and recommending reforms to the welfare system. Kiro had been Children’s Commissioner during Helen Clark’s Labour government but returned to academia subsequently. In 2019
lindsaymitchell.blogspot.com A hugely significant gain for ACT is somewhat camouflaged by legislative jargon. Under the heading ‘Oranga Tamariki’ ACT’s coalition agreement contains the following item: • Remove Section 7AA from the Oranga Tamariki Act 1989 According to Oranga Tamariki: “Section 7AA is our practical commitment to the principles
lindsaymitchell.blogspot.com The Domestic Purposes Benefit has been variously described as a “disaster” (David McLoughlin 1995), an “economic lifeline” (Jane Kelsey 1995) and “an unfortunate experiment” (Muriel Newman 2009). Its effect on family formation can never be definitively ascertained. But the growth of the sole-parent family dependent on welfare
lindsaymitchell.blogspot.com Stuff claims a letter was dropped off anonymously to the organization detailing the deaths of 57 children since Oranga Tamariki came into being in 2017. OT’s chief social worker was interviewed by Jack Tame and did not deny the number. It is consistent with the oft-cited
Three weeks ago I highlighted a very disturbing trend in benefit numbers. In the 10-week period to September 15, 2023 the number of people on a main benefit rose by 6,768 or almost two per cent, whereas, in the 10-week period ending September 16, 2022, the numbers were virtually
Lindsay Mitchell lindsaymitchell.blogspot.com Radio NZ reports that Minister for Social Development Carmel Sepuloni was on the campaign trail in Christchurch yesterday defending her government’s performance. She said that: “Her government had seen higher numbers of beneficiaries moving into jobs …” Yet the numbers on a Jobseeker benefit continue
