Today, Lindsay Mitchell blogged:
Mitchell has linked to a table of Special Needs Grants and benefit advances, which does not include actual funeral grants.
The table listed as funeral grants is for additional costs ie people needing additional assistance to travel to a funeral.
National changed WINZ policy so that grants to travel to funerals have to be paid back, meaning that less poor people now attend their family members funerals. The effect of this policy is to reduce family cohesion, which is ultimately detrimental to a functional society.
John Key wasn't talking about a brighter future for poor people.
According to Stuff "Department of Work and Income statistics show in the 12 months to the end of March, 5473 funeral grants were made, totalling $9.8 million.....In 2011, Work and Income issued 5412 grants totalling $9.3m, and in 2010, 5562 grants cost $9.3m. "
Check out this MSD table which shows that in the financial year 2009/10 only 26 funeral grants were made.
I have searched 'funeral' in the latest MSD Statistical report and no other results are found.
Mitchell has linked to a table of Special Needs Grants and benefit advances, which does not include actual funeral grants.The table listed as funeral grants is for additional costs ie people needing additional assistance to travel to a funeral.
National changed WINZ policy so that grants to travel to funerals have to be paid back, meaning that less poor people now attend their family members funerals. The effect of this policy is to reduce family cohesion, which is ultimately detrimental to a functional society.
John Key wasn't talking about a brighter future for poor people.
