Welfare Sanctions: a form of institutional stigma
The Beneficiary Advisory Service (BAS) has long been trying to challenge the narrative around welfare receipt. This persistent narrative maintains that beneficiaries are somehow lesser individuals simply because they need the support of the state for a period of time....
OFFICE UPDATE – COVID-19
In response to the changing COVID-19 all of our staff will now be working from home. We ask all clients to please phone, email or message our office for advice. We will no longer be holding face to face appointments but should still be able to assist clients remotely....
OFFICE UPDATE – COVID-19
In response to the changing COVID-19 pandemic our drop-in service has been SUSPENDED until further notice. We ask all clients to please phone, email or message our office for advice or for an appointment. We will only be holding appointments if we cannot assist in any...
COVID-19 Economic Package
As many of you will have seen the government announced a economic stimulus package on the 17 March in response to COVID-19 situation. Part of this package is to address those on benefits. The changes which will be seen on benefits are a $25/week increase for main...
Sanctions Research Survey
Thanks to a generous grant from Lotteries, BAS is conducting research into the impact of welfare sanctions. In the year ending December 2018, 44959 beneficiaries were sanctioned. Our project seeks to assess whether these sanctions are having their designed effect in...
Designing for the Majority
Home BAS provides free advice and advocacy to people on benefits and low incomes BAS provides free advice and advocacy to people on benefits and low incomes Media release 9th October 2018 When we talk about paid work, we don’t concentrate on the few that rip off...
BAS’ Vision for Beneficiaries part 5: Review Process
Media Release 5th July 2018 BAS’ Vision for Beneficiaries (part 5): Reviews Beneficiaries get a very raw deal from dispute resolution compared to accident compensation claimants, according to Christchurch’s Beneficiary Advisory Service (“BAS”) on their fifth segment...
Urgent Action Still Needed for Beneficiaries
Media Release 29th May 2018 Urgent Action Still Needed for Beneficiaries We are pleased to see the Government has established an expert advisory group for the welfare overhaul. However, changes they suggest are not likely to be made for a year or so yet, which...
BAS’ Vision for Beneficiaries part 4: Individuals
Media Release 16th May 2018 BAS’ Vision for Beneficiaries (part 4): Individual Benefit Entitlement This is our fourth segment in our series of suggestions for the future based on our vast experience helping people on benefits. In addition to raising benefit levels, we...
BAS’ Vision for Beneficiaries part 3: Grant Levels
Media release 7th May 2018 BAS’ Vision for Beneficiaries (part 3): Grant Levels This is our third segment in our series of suggestions for the future based on our vast experience helping people on benefits. This suggestion is about grant levels and that the guideline...
BAS’ Vision for Beneficiaries part 2: Benefit Levels
Media release 23rd April 2018 BAS’ Vision for Beneficiaries (part 2): Benefit Levels This is our second segment in our series of suggestions for the future based on our vast experience helping people on benefits. Our main & most urgent suggestion for changes in...
BAS’ Vision for Beneficiaries part 1: Improving Attitudes
Media release 19th April 2018 BAS’ Vision for Beneficiaries (part 1): Attitudes We have been noticing positive change recently in society’s attitude towards beneficiaries. This more positive view of the previously maligned group will lead to some much-needed changes...
Pleased With Direction
Media Release 15th November 2017 Pleased with Direction “We are very pleased to see the new Government intends to scrap the 70A deduction which cuts the benefit of people refusing or unable to name the other parent,” says Rebecca Occleston speaker for Beneficiary...
Attitudes and Assumptions
Home BAS is a free service helping people on benefits and low incomes with problems with welfare BAS is a free service helping people on benefits and low incomes with problems with welfare Last month, Rebecca Occleston of Beneficiary Advisory Service released an...
BAS FAQ Sheet 1: Grants available from Work and Income
Home BAS is a free service helping people on benefits and low incomes with problems with welfare BAS is a free service helping people on benefits and low incomes with problems with welfare There are a number of grants that Work and Income may be able to provide if...
Working and Welfare: how do they mix?
Home BAS is a free service helping people on benefits and low incomes with problems with welfare BAS is a free service helping people on benefits and low incomes with problems with welfare Rebecca Occleston of Beneficiary Advisory Service states that she read...
Children Suffering in Poverty
Home BAS is a free service helping people on benefits and low incomes with problems with welfare BAS is a free service helping people on benefits and low incomes with problems with welfare “I find many people are shocked by the poverty of others, but still blame...
Income Policies for Beneficiaries
Home BAS is a free service helping people on benefits and low incomes with problems with welfare BAS is a free service helping people on benefits and low incomes with problems with welfare “We were very pleased to see some much-needed Welfare Policies proposed by...
#IamMetiria
Home BAS is a free service helping people on benefits and low incomes with problems with welfare BAS is a free service helping people on benefits and low incomes with problems with welfare "We at BAS are saddened to hear that Metiria Turei has made the decision to...
Missing out on the Missing Day
Home BAS is a free service helping people on benefits and low incomes with problems with welfare BAS is a free service helping people on benefits and low incomes with problems with welfare Hundreds of thousands of people have had their benefits paid a day late...
Answers to Poverty
Home BAS is a free service helping people on benefits and low incomes with problems with welfare BAS is a free service helping people on benefits and low incomes with problems with welfare There’s no point saying to someone with little to no education “Just get a...
Communication from Work and Income re recent tragedies
Home BAS is a free service helping people on benefits and low incomes with problems with welfare BAS is a free service helping people on benefits and low incomes with problems with welfare We have received an email from Work and Income and were asked to distribute...
April Fool’s Poverty
Home BAS is a free service helping people on benefits and low incomes with problems with welfare BAS is a free service helping people on benefits and low incomes with problems with welfare Human Poverty in NZ – it’s no joke! Today was April Fools’ Day, many...
Voting with Love, a Valentine’s Day Special
Home BAS is a free service helping people on benefits and low incomes with problems with welfare BAS is a free service helping people on benefits and low incomes with problems with welfare While some of us celebrate this traditional Day of Love with a Significant...
How the Law Keeps You Down
Home BAS is a free service helping people on benefits and low incomes with problems with welfare BAS is a free service helping people on benefits and low incomes with problems with welfare Don’t Let the Bastards Get You Down! How they put you down: “With changes...
Working Parents
Home BAS is a free service helping people on benefits and low incomes with problems with welfare BAS is a free service helping people on benefits and low incomes with problems with welfare “We have pointed out many times some of the issues that make it hard for...
Poverty, Fraud & Fairness
Home BAS is a free service helping people on benefits and low incomes with problems with welfare BAS is a free service helping people on benefits and low incomes with problems with welfare Parenting vs poverty There was a debate on “The Vote” earlier in the year...
Thinking about Hardship
Home BAS is a free service helping people on benefits and low incomes with problems with welfare BAS is a free service helping people on benefits and low incomes with problems with welfare Affording Shoes I had bare feet this morning in support of Child Poverty...
Choices
Home BAS is a free service helping people on benefits and low incomes with problems with welfare BAS is a free service helping people on benefits and low incomes with problems with welfare We have seen the announcement that the Government has made about what...
Patronising Food Issues
Home BAS is a free service helping people on benefits and low incomes with problems with welfare BAS is a free service helping people on benefits and low incomes with problems with welfare Paula Bennett has stated she found herself pregnant at 17 but “I didn’t...