Welfare review

Jonathan Boston’s piece (All to benefit from welfare review, Feb 20) presented some good pointers about the nature of our current welfare system.

Added to the issues he raises is a poorly administered review process.

In theory, disputed decisions are heard by a committee of two other staff members and a community rep four weeks after the original decision to decline.

Ministry statistics show that in some parts the four-week timeline is achieved 75 per cent of the time. In the Wellington region it is more like 25 per cent.

I have four such reviews in the next month. Reviews were lodged in February 2016, another in October 2016, a third in August 2017 and the fourth was lodged this year.

The Benefit Rights Service (BRC) has two ministry staff not supposedly involved in the decision and a community rep. The ministry staff on these committees are imbued with the prevailing ministry ethos rather than ever having read the0 Social Security Act.

0BRC decisions can be appealed to an independent tribunal called the Social Security Appeal Authority, but hearings before the SSAA are usually 12 months after the original decision was made.

Decisions are often overturned and in one sense of it justice is achieved, but this is 12 months after the event.

GRAHAM HOWELL Benefit Rights Service, Wellington