The Green Party is calling for compensation for people who have experienced hardship, debt, hunger, or homelessness from the welfare cuts caused by processing delays due to the Government’s Mandatory Review policy.
“The Government needs to include the option of compensation as part of its review into the wrongful welfare cuts, due to be released on 10 September,” says Green Party Social Development Spokesperson Ricardo Menendez March.
“If Louise Upston’s apology is genuine, the review must fully account for the harm caused by her policy. She cannot shift responsibility solely onto the Ministry when it was her legislation that left the Ministry unable to cope with the paperwork the legislation created.”
Countless supplementary payments were cut due to processing delays, and recently the Government admitted that main benefits had also been cut after questions were raised by the Green Party. The main benefits covered by Mandatory Reviews are the Emergency Benefit and the Supported Living Payment, which predominantly support those who are very sick, injured, or disabled.
“The impact of losing your main source of income when you are sick, injured, or disabled can be life changing. Many beneficiaries live week to week, so losing even one payment could be the difference between experiencing hunger, falling behind on rent, or worse.”
“The Minister’s claim that everyone received backpay offers little reassurance when we still don’t know the exact number of people who were affected or the debt, harm, and hardship it caused.”
“Compensation is needed for those harmed to get their lives back on track. The review should set out the scale of the harm and the recommended compensation to address it, so the country knows the real world impact of these welfare cuts.”
“No one should have their life upended because the Government’s decisions were implemented without proper planning or regard for the consequences.”
“If the Minister is genuinely sorry, she will do everything in her power to support people whose lives have been affected by her decisions,” says Ricardo Menendez March.
