Wednesday, December 05, 2007

Barriers to work

I was thinking about a conversation I had earlier this week. It was with a friend who is on the DPB. Her youngest has recently started school. So she told Work and Income, I want to get back into the workforce. Her daughter has an improving and intermittent health problem which may mean she is more prone to need time off school. Work and Income tells my friend she needs to get the Doctor to sign a form stating the daughter is well enough for her mother to work. My friend says, but her father can take care of her if needed. He is willing and available. Work and Income say, but he is not allowed to be in your home because he isn't allowed to live in your home. So that answer is not satisfactory. As the Doctor had only recently signed a form confirming the daughter still suffers from this health condition and needs continuing medication he can't 'un-sign' until May next year. The upshot is while my friend wants to work, WORK and Income are telling her she can't. I said, if you weren't on a benefit they couldn't tell you what to do and what not to do. In reality there is nothing to stop her finding a job herself, which she intends doing. But she is effectively barred from using Work and Income employment services. And I am guessing if she finds work she could be faced with relinquishing her daughter's disability allowance, as she has more or less asserted her daughter is no longer sick by getting a job. Assuming I am getting the full story, how dumb is all of this?

2 comments:

Swimming said...

Lindsay,if your story reflects the facts, Work and Income staff are wrong. Anyone of working age is able to be registered as a job seeker with work and income - even if they are students, workers or stay at home mums. WINZ does not have the right to get the woman to get a signed doctors certificate stating that the daughter is well enough for a mother to work. However given that the daughter apears to qualify for a child disability allowance, that certificate is evidence that this ongoping benefit should be paid. However child disability allowance must not be linked to the parent's ability or availability to work.

Therefore if she does get work, the child disability allowance is not relinquished, rather the woman gets an OSCAR subsidy to have a special needs carer or somesuch while she is at work - if she is on a low enough income. And if she works 20 hours a week she may also get IWP.

Finally having her partner caring for her daughter while at the itmes she is atschool is no different to getting her mum, neighbour or any other babysitter in terms of legislation.

Tell this woman to get an advocate.

Anonymous said...

Stuffing "clients" around means more hours/jobs for WINZ staff.
This is a Government initiative to maintain low unemployment statistics.
(And votes for Labour).