[ad_1]
A National Party policy has come under criticism from members of the disability community who are concerned that they would receive less financial support under it.
National’s welfare and work spokeswoman Louise Upston revealed last week that if the party wins October’s general election, benefits would rise by the rate of inflation.
This would reverse a law change introduced by the Labour Government in 2020 to increase benefits by the rate of wages, as wages usually rise faster than inflation.
Under National’s policy, a single person on the supported living benefit would be $6 a week worse off in the first year, rising to $19 a week by 2026. A disabled couple would be $9 a week worse off in the first year, and $33 a week worse off by 2026.
The supported living payment helps people if they have, or are caring for someone with, a significant health condition, injury or disability.
AIMAN AMERUL MUNER/Stuff
National Party social development spokesperson Louise Upston confirmed plans to increase benefits in line with the consumer price index, a move which has been criticised by disability advocates.
Disability advocate Huhana Hickey said the policy dismisses the need of disabled people to be able to live a good life.
“Benefits have fallen way behind where they’re 50 to 60% of the minimum wage, which no one can live on. The minimum wage people can barely live on [it]. So you try living on 60% of the minimum wage, it doesn’t work,” she said.
“These are the people less likely to be able to work… I’m lucky I can still work, but what if I couldn’t work? It would be a hardship that I know I wouldn’t manage, and I know a lot of other disabled wouldn’t.
“We’re already facing a lot of hardships now, this will just make it even harder.”
RYAN ANDERSON/Stuff
Disability advocate Huhana Hickey said the policy will make it harder for disabled people to live a good life.
Disability Connect chief executive Mike Potter said the change would hurt disabled people’s ability to support themselves and their families.
“Disabled people as a group don’t have the same choices as everyone else, and one of the means to get choices is through the money that we have.
“If we’ve got less money coming in with a supported living benefit… then they’re not going to be able to support their family as well.
“They’re probably going to give up some choices to be able to do that, which could possibly include around their own healthcare and their own personal needs… because that’s essentially where the supported living payment comes in.”
Max Rashbrooke, a senior research fellow at Te Herenga Waka Victoria University of Wellington’s school of government, was also critical.
“I think it’s a really unfortunate policy. It’s one of those subtle things that the public mightn’t notice, and it sounds very technical.
Senior research fellow Max Rashbrooke says National’s policy will hurt the living standards of beneficiaries.
“But these are these little tweaks that politicians can make that make enormous differences for people’s lives.”
Rashbrooke said it was crucial that benefits increase in line with average wages.
“That means beneficiaries’ living standards have a chance of keeping pace with the living standards of working people, because we know in the long run that wages rise much more quickly then inflation does,” he said.
“So if you only increase benefits in line with inflation… it becomes harder and harder for [beneficiaries] to afford what other people have, and so they get more and more excluded from society, and I think that is extremely regrettable.”
Upston has been approached for comment.
[ad_2]