Work and Income virtue signalling belittles beneficiaries as well as taxpayers

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
31 OCTOBER 2018

Work and Income's decision to waste $2.5 million on “makeovers” to waiting rooms so that they are more colourful is infantile, says the New Zealand Taxpayers' Union.

"Making WINZ offices more colourful doesn't make it easier to for those in need to access a hardship grant, or pay the rent,” says Taxpayers' Union Executive Director Jordan Williams. “In fact, WINZ wasting money on decorations means there is less funds available for core government services and those who most need it most."

"Beneficiaries are adults, not primary school children. It's infantilising to suggest that pretty colours is equivalent to helping beneficiaries.”

“In our most recent report, our Research Fellow exposed that ten percent of unemployment beneficiaries work full-time. Rather than trumpeting paint jobs, the Government should be using the $2.5 million to investigate welfare fraud ensure taxpayers money is going to those who actually need it."

The report, Benefit Sanctions - help but hassle welfare reduces child poverty, by Jim Rose, is available at www.taxpayers.org.nz/benefit_sanctions

ENDS

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