Wide ranging review for Welfare System

The public are invited to make submissions to assist in a major review of the $11.3million Social Welfare system administered by the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Social Welfare director, John Henry said the Ministry would like to have as much public input into the review including from those in the outer islands and want as much publicity as possible in the media as well as the various organsiations that have a special interest in social responsibility.
The review will be wide ranging and likely to involve amendments to the Welfare Act 1989, which itself is an updated version which amalgamated the separate acts for old age pensions, child benefits and destitute and infirm under the one umbrella legislation.
Old age pensions and child benefits and infirm are obvious but what constitutes destitute in the context of the Welfare Act and does anyone actually qualify for such payments?
The director said an example are payments made to persons in their 50s who are caring for their grandchildren and under the circumstances are unable to work but are not yet eligible for the age pension. However, there are strict criteria and will depend on the circumstances of each case.
The review will be wide ranging including such questions as to whether there should be means testing and if so, how to independently verify the information provided by the applicants, without impinging on legal constraints that may arise.
Social Welfare has anecdotal tales of cases where mama and papa are caring for their grandchildren because the parents are working or have abdicated their responsibilities. However, the child benefits are being collected the absent parents and not being used for the education and welfare of the child as required by the legislation.
Or perhaps when a mama or papa is too frail to get to the bank and give their bank books to their adult children or adult grandchildren (whether voluntary or involuntary) who then keep the money. However, Social Welfare say they have no evidence as the mamas and papas are reluctant to tell on their own families and so such problems continue.
Submissions can be made by any member of the public without restriction, whether you are a private person, an organsiation, a church, or perhaps a friend or neighbour of a family in need or as a private person with a social conscience.
However, if you would like to have your say, then get those submissions into Social Welfare division of Internal Affairs by Wednesday 17 March 2010.