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December 11, 2012
Advocates fight for beneficiaries’ entitlements
Waatea Team
Posted On December 11, 2012
Beneficiary advocates have been outside Work and Income's Onehunga office dispensing advice and encouraging beneficiaries to get what support they are entitled to.
Sarah Thompson from Auckland Action Against Poverty says they're fighting a long running effort by politicians to make beneficiaries to blame themselves for a problem that is to do with government politics, colonialism and racism.
She says Work and Income has a culture of denying people their full entitlements, so the three-day event aims to bring some Christmas cheer.
“Things are getting worse for everybody all the time, particularly in Auckland and particularly for Māori and Pacific Islanders. With the advocates out there we really wanna work with people to help get them things, like food grants. Christmas time can be a really difficult time so if we can get some people some good grants or maybe they need a washing machine or a fridge freezer or a television, we can work with them to get those things”.
Sarah Thompson says people are often not told when they are eligible for Temporary Additional Support and the Disability Allowance, and they could also benefit from advance payments to get into better housing.
Copyright © 2013, Uma Broadcasting Ltd
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