The Resilient Economy The Current Welfare Reform Debate: Time to Engage Sue Bradford September 2010
www.fabians.org.nz 1
Sue Bradford Fabian Society 13 Sept 2010
This year’s onslaught Future
Focus Bill Government Welfare Working Group Industrial relations reforms
Future Focus • More
SB/IB pushed into work • UB 1 yr+ have to reregister • DPB w children 6+ worktested
Est April 2010, reports Feb 2011 Welfare Forum, VUW June Issues Paper 9 August - subs close 17 Sept Second paper due out November
Members:
◦ Paula Rebstock (chair) ◦ Catherine Isaac ◦ Prof Des Gorman ◦ Prof Kathryn McPherson ◦ Ass Prof Ann Dupuis ◦ Sharon Wilson-Davis ◦ Adrian Roberts ◦ Enid Ratahi Pryor
Reduce long term benefit dependence Opportunities for SB/IB to enter pd work How we might learn from ACC/insurance models Consider whether structure of system contributes to ‘dependence’
NZ
Super
Health/ACC
interface ‘careful navigation’
Tax
benefit interface, WFF
Benefit
levels
Manufacturing
a crisis with shonky stats Insurance model Move on IB/SB Time limited benefits, minimising IB nos Ignoring realities of access to paid work
Only
40 – 45% qualify Precarious work Women 10% lower uptake Lower income = lower payments Employers, workers pay Default scheme v low
(with thanks to Jim Stanford)
HLFS
Aug – 6.8% Annual incr – 16.2% 159,000 officially u/ed 255,700 jobless Maori rate: 16.4%, PI 14.1%, Eur 4.4% End June: 333,000 on main benefits 21% caring for under 6s
Where Maori
are the jobs?
blamed –again
What
does ‘personal support’ really mean?
No
govt commitment to job creation
Established
8 July ff Govt WWG forum
Caritas,
Anglican SJC, BAFNZ fundraised & commissioned
Members: Mike O’Brien, Sue Bradford, Bishop Muru Walters, Mamari Stephens, Wendi Wicks, Paul Dalziel.
Operate
for 6 mths
only Submissions – close 30 Sept Series of public workshops Report delivered 9 December at Parliament
Welfare:
underpinning principles?
Applied,
or not? – where, what & how?
Ideas
for positive change?
Scrap
Social Security Act & start again
Incorporate
In Work Tax Credit/Family Tax Credit – treat all children the same
Universality Sufficiency Simple
to max extent possible “
“
“
to administer – 2 tier system
Respect
– listening Full entitlements Effective complaints & review processes Staff treated well, incl good training & support Funding for beneficiary advocacy
Link
to worker issues – 90 days/ beneficiaries – good wages & conditions, unionised wkforce helps everybody Job maintenance & creation, incl support for community sector role Personalised support – DPB/IB/SB realities Awareness of employers’ realities Training & education
UBI
– A universal tax credit/tax rebate available to every adult alongside a high progressive tax rate
Beneficiaries
& families already adversely impacted
Welfare
threat
Human
system under
toll is & will be enormous if continue down this track
We need to: Defend the welfare state, at a minimum Engage in the reform debates Develop & promote strong, viable alternatives Take action, & support others’ actions