Friday 26 May, 2017

AUCKLAND ACTION AGAINST POVERTY

Budget 2017: Lines outside Work and Income show Budgets fail to address poverty

Every Friday at Clendon Work and Income people and whānau line up to see a AAAP advocate so that they can get basic welfare entitlements denied to them by their own offices.

“The Budget released yesterday does nothing for the unemployed and low-waged workers we see on a daily basis,” says Auckland Action Against Poverty spokesperson Vanessa Cole.

“The increase in Accommodation Supplement (AS) is a con-job, it will mean that people will have their Temporary Additional Support (TAS) reduced.

“Instead of dealing with the housing crisis through building state housing and filling empty ones, the Government are transferring public money to landlords and developers.

“The changes to tax will do little to improve the material conditions of unemployed and low-waged workers who are not receiving enough income to live with dignity.

“This is not a budget for working families. AAAP believe that real social investment would involve ensuring all workers – employed and unemployed – have universal access to state housing and a livable income.

“The lines we are seeing outside of Clendon Work and Income have not been seen since the 1930s. The war on the poor waged over the last 40 years has led to massive levels of poverty.

“The Government boast about having a surplus but have done nothing to redistribute the wealth to unemployed and low-waged workers."

ENDS

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