Thought you all might find my latest experiences with WINZ an enlightening laugh.
As you should know the Govt last year introduced a new package called sustaining tenancies. The idea being that when a tenant gets into trouble paying their rent and they WINZ will pay the rent directly to the landlord in accordance with a clause they have recently discovered in the Social Security act that has been around for years and years. This is clause 82(3) where “good cause exists”. Well last week I had such a tenant. Woman with four children (one still at the breast). Her man had done a bunk over the season of good cheer and left her on her own. I took her to the tribunal and had a little heart to heart chat with her before the mediation. WE both agreed it would be a great idea for WINZ to pay the rent. This would avoid her occasionally being slapped with a default “fine” by her bank for failed auto payments. Well her nice little WINZ caseworker rang me the day before the scheduled mediation and tried to tell me nothing. (Have you ever noticed how they make a science of telling people “nothing”.)?
I asked if she was supplying the tenant with he V19 form that she would need to reassign part of her benefit to me to pay the rent and arrears. Tenancy Services send out a letter offering such a service of paying the rent from WINZ so the tenants have an expectation that this is a valid option.
“We do not have that form,” I was told. When I offered to collect a form from another office of WINZ in order to be my forever-helpful self I had an interesting response.
Well the tenant turned up next day at mediation with the correct form without any assistance at all from me. I can only presume that some offices of WINZ have decided they do not need to be directed in their policy by the Minister of Social Welfare. After the mediators order clearly specified that the rent was to be paid by WINZ to me my tenant told me that the case worker rang several people trying no doubt to avoid complying.
I wonder how many other tenants have been evicted with babies clutching their mother’s breasts all because some little jumped up caseworker thought she would turn back the clock and resist any changes that the Minister of Social Services wished to instigate.
As you should know the Govt last year introduced a new package called sustaining tenancies. The idea being that when a tenant gets into trouble paying their rent and they WINZ will pay the rent directly to the landlord in accordance with a clause they have recently discovered in the Social Security act that has been around for years and years. This is clause 82(3) where “good cause exists”. Well last week I had such a tenant. Woman with four children (one still at the breast). Her man had done a bunk over the season of good cheer and left her on her own. I took her to the tribunal and had a little heart to heart chat with her before the mediation. WE both agreed it would be a great idea for WINZ to pay the rent. This would avoid her occasionally being slapped with a default “fine” by her bank for failed auto payments. Well her nice little WINZ caseworker rang me the day before the scheduled mediation and tried to tell me nothing. (Have you ever noticed how they make a science of telling people “nothing”.)?
I asked if she was supplying the tenant with he V19 form that she would need to reassign part of her benefit to me to pay the rent and arrears. Tenancy Services send out a letter offering such a service of paying the rent from WINZ so the tenants have an expectation that this is a valid option.
“We do not have that form,” I was told. When I offered to collect a form from another office of WINZ in order to be my forever-helpful self I had an interesting response.
Well the tenant turned up next day at mediation with the correct form without any assistance at all from me. I can only presume that some offices of WINZ have decided they do not need to be directed in their policy by the Minister of Social Welfare. After the mediators order clearly specified that the rent was to be paid by WINZ to me my tenant told me that the case worker rang several people trying no doubt to avoid complying.
I wonder how many other tenants have been evicted with babies clutching their mother’s breasts all because some little jumped up caseworker thought she would turn back the clock and resist any changes that the Minister of Social Services wished to instigate.
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