Media Releases

30 July 2009

Attention: Education and Political reporters

For Immediate Release

STARTS

We applaud the Minister’s decision to review the Student Loan and the Training Incentive Allowance schemes, as she stated yesterday.

The Training Incentive Allowance has, in the past, significantly helped by covering the shortfall in expenses some beneficiaries incur when they undertake any form of study. The MSD’s own research highlights lack of funding as a major barrier for beneficiaries in terms of successful outcome and moving off the welfare system.

The crucial issue has always been that neither the student loan scheme as it stands, nor any other allowances, cover the costs that beneficiaries incur in studying.

“That's why removing the TIA created a barrier to them going on to higher level study. It created a shortfall. We anxiously await Ms Bennett's solution to this major problem," says Trudy Basire, a spokesperson for Hand Up,

 “Our group does not ask for a handout, only a HAND UP to help beneficiaries move off the benefit and into productive, paid employment.”

Hand Up is a growing group of diverse New Zealander’s who strongly believe that the Government’s recent policy change to the Training Incentive Allowance severely affects many beneficiaries’ ability to undertake higher level education (Level 4 and above on the NZQA framework).

It is important for us to state that our group is not affiliated with any political party and remains independent of any such links.

The recent disclosure and dissemination of private financial details of two of our supporters has, we believe, breached their personal privacy rights under NZ Privacy Law. Interestingly, in 1995 the then Minister of Health, the Honourable Jenny Shipley, made a similar disclosure about a NZ citizen and was found to be at fault by the Privacy Commissioner.

This situation has caused two of our supporters to be vilified in the public domain and this is unacceptable by anyone’s standards. The Minister has caused this to happen through her actions and we feel that New Zealander’s rights as private individuals have been seriously undermined.

Given the vitriol these women have suffered, this group will no longer undertake any debate regarding the private lives of any of our supporters. Natasha Fuller has told us she has removed herself from public discussion around the TIA and we completely support her in that decision.

Hand Up, however, is more than happy to discuss the issue of the Training Incentive Allowance and how the Government’s policy change affects the lives and future employment opportunities of beneficiaries.

We are in contact every day with dozens more beneficiaries desperate to get off the benefit through education.

Hand Up is a group of ordinary New Zealander’s, sitting at our dining tables or computer desks with our computers and often unreliable internet access, fighting for what we believe in.

We do not have the luxury of being advised by a Ministerial department. We do not have press secretaries to help us and we do not have the obvious oratory skills of a Minister of the Crown. We do have, however, the right and motivation to speak out and lobby for change in Government policy, and are pleased to be able to do so.

ENDS

© Handup 2009