Kerre Woodham: At what point does it become unaffordable to work?

To me, what is news is the fact that there are so many people who are working vital jobs, who are doing incredibly important work like our home support workers, and they are really struggling because of the petrol prices. That to me is news, and that to me is something we can do something about. That is going to impact us all as petrol prices surge past three bucks a litre. Sky appears to be the limit. It's going to impact all of us, even the EV drivers who'll end up paying more for anything that's delivered by road. But it's the people like the home support workers who rely on their own cars and fuel to visit their clients that you worry about. It's particularly tough.  

Their union, E tū, is urging the Minister of Health to step in and increase the mileage reimbursement rate for home support workers. There is a review scheduled of travel payments before the 20th of May, but for many that'll be too late. Home support workers are currently reimbursed at 63.5 cents per kilometre, averaged to 3.8kms per visit regardless of the actual distance, unless they reach a specific threshold. The rate was last increased in 2022 – things are vastly different now. Workers receive nothing towards vehicle registration, warrant, servicing, tyres, or insurance, all of which they must cover themselves. Freight companies have contracts that enable them to hedge their fuel costs, but of course home support workers don't.  

At what point is it actually costing you to go to work? There was a text a few days ago from, I think it was a St John trainer, but they were a person who taught CPR and they have to wander around with a dummy to do the CPR on and said they couldn't catch the bus, but I felt that if you put the dummy next to you on the bus then you wouldn't have to sit next to someone you didn't want to. Thought that would be a useful shield. But they were saying they have to go city to city, Auckland to Hamilton, Auckland to Tauranga. At what point does it cost you to go to work? At what point do you say I simply cannot afford to do this? And there are so many workers who need their cars to either do the job, as in our home support carers, or to get to work. You're living somewhere where the rent is cheaper or the cost of a home is cheaper, but you have to drive a long way to get to your actual place of work.  

In this week's edition of Fuel Watch, I'm asking at what point do you think ‘I simply cannot afford to do my job any longer or to get to work any longer’? Have you reached that point yet? I mean we're past $3, I think, at one of the cheapest fuel stations, this was for 95 though, it was $3.26. Hitting $4 is not beyond the realm of possibility. At what point are you going to go I can't do this anymore? E tū are saying the Government, the Minister of Health, needs to step in and help out the home support workers whose work is vital. Without them you would have people in wards, in hospitals, clogging them up. You need to have that continuum of care starting with GPs working your way through to the home support workers. They're a vital part of the chain. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Carrywood and Morning's podcast from News
Talks hed B.

Speaker 2 (00:11):
To me, what is news is the fact that there
are so many people who are working vital jobs, who
are doing incredibly important work, like our home support workers,
and they are really struggling because of the petrol prices.

(00:32):
That to me is news, and that to me is
something we can do something about, and that is going
to impact on us all. As petrol prices surge past
three bucks a liter sky appears to be the limit,
it's going to impact all of us, even the ev
drivers who will end up paying more for anything that's
delivered by road. But it's the people like the home

(00:54):
support workers who rely on their own cars and fuel
to visit their clients that you worry about. It's particularly tough.
Their union A two is urging the Minister of Health
to step in increase the mileage reimbursement rate for home
support workers. There is a review scheduled of travel payments
before twentieth of May, but for many that'll be too late.

(01:18):
Home support workers are currently reimbursed at sixty three point
five cents per kilometer average to three point eight k's
per visit, regardless of their actual distance unless they reach
a specific threshold. The rate was last increased in twenty
twenty two. Things are vastly different now. Workers receive nothing

(01:42):
towards vehicle registration, warrants, servicing ties or insurance, all of
which they must cover themselves. As we were talking earlier
in the week, freight companies have contracts that enable them
to hedge their fuel costs, but of course home support
workers don't. At what point is it actually costing you

(02:05):
to go to work? There was a text a few
days ago from a Saint John I think it was
a Saint John trainer, but they were a person who
taught CPR and they have to wander around with a
dummy to do the CPR on and said they couldn't
catch the bus. But I felt that if you put
the dummy next to you on the bus, then you
wouldn't have to sit next to someone you didn't want to.
Thought that would be a useful shield. But they were

(02:26):
saying they have to go city to city, Auckland to Hamilton,
Auckland to Totonger. At what point does it cost you
to go to work? At what point do you say
I simply cannot afford to do this, and there are
so many workers who need their cars to either do
the job as in our home support careers, or to

(02:51):
get to work. You're living somewhere where the rent is
cheaper or the cost of home a home is cheaper,
but you have to drive a long way to get
to your actual place of work. In this week's edition
of fuel Watch, I'm asking, at what point do you

(03:13):
think I simply cannot afford to do my job any
longer or to get to work any longer. Have you
reached that point yet? I mean we're past three dollars
I think at one of the cheaper fuel stations this
was for ninety five, though it was three dollars twenty six.
Hitting four dollars is not is not beyond the realm

(03:34):
of possibility. So love to hear from you on this one.
At what point are you going to go I can't
do this anymore? ATWO are saying the government, the Minister
of Health, needs to step in and help out the
home support workers whose work is vital. Without them, you
would have people in wards in hospitals, clogging them up.

(03:55):
You need to have that continuum of care, starting with GPS,
working your way through to the home support workers. They're
a vital part of the chain.

Speaker 1 (04:04):
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