John MacDonald: Beneficiary-bashing. It must be election year

I’ve never been on a sickness benefit. But I imagine that, for anyone who is, the government telling you what you can and can‘t spend your benefit money on, and spying on you to make sure you toe the line would be pretty degrading.

Tell that to the ACT Party, though.  

Not only that. In this policy announced yesterday, instead of your own GP signing you off for the sickness benefit, you'd need to see a government-approved doctor. 

Which sounds a bit like ACC, doesn’t it? 

Last week, when we were talking about ACC, people were telling us about their dealings with ACC’s own doctors and how it felt like their main priority was turning people down. 

Which is exactly what it would be like under this system David Seymour wants to introduce for the sickness benefit. 

He says a person’s GP or specialist would still be able to provide medical history details, clinical notes and supporting evidence. But it would be doctors employed by the government who would decide whether someone qualifies. 

And we know what would happen, don’t we? More and more people would be turned away. We know that, because the only reason David Seymour wants to make these changes, is to get less people on the benefit.  

David Seymour says these government-employed doctors would have one job. Getting people back to work. Which sounds all kind and supportive. But I don’t buy that for a minute. 

Then there’s this bit where he wants to stop paying the sickness benefit into people’s bank accounts. 

Instead, the benefit would go onto a payment card that would track how the money is spent and wouldn’t let people spend it on alcohol, gambling and tobacco, or get cash out.  

This would kick-in after someone has been on the benefit for four  months. 

I’m not sure which of these two ideas is worse. 

Getting through the hoops with these government-employed doctors, as I say, sounds like ACC all over again.  

But I actually think telling people what they’re allowed to spend the benefit money on and forcing them to use this special card that would be monitored by the government would be nothing short of degrading. 

Because, yes, I know there will be people out there on the sickness benefit who are taking the mickey. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Canterbury Mornings podcast with John McDonald
from News Talk ZB.

Speaker 2 (00:13):
I've never been on a sickness benefit, but I imagine
that for anyone who is the government telling you what
you can and can't, spend your money on your benefit money,
and spying on you to make sure you toe the line,
I imagine that would be pretty degrading. Tell that to

(00:33):
the act Party though, to them. Not only that, and
this policy announced yesterday, Instead of your own GP signing
you off for the sickness benefit, you'd see a government
employed doctor, which sounds a bit like ACC, doesn't it.
You might recall remember this last week when we were
talking about ACC and people were telling us about their

(00:54):
dealings with ACC's own doctors and how it felt like
their main priority was turning people down. Well, that's exactly
what it would be like under this system. David Seymour
wants to introduce for the sixes this benefit. He says
a person's GP or specialist would still be able to
provide medical history details, clinical notes and supporting evidence, but

(01:17):
it would be doctors employed by the government who would
decide whether someone qualifies for the sickness benefit. And we
know what would happen, don't we More and more people
would be turned away. And we know that because the
only reason David Seymour wants to make these changes is
to get less people on the benefit. I bet the doctors,

(01:40):
if they were listening this morning, loved this scenario he
talked about when he was on with Mike earlier.

Speaker 3 (01:47):
At present, I think, if we're honest with ourselves, we've
got gps made to do this job. And if you've
got someone who's a bit abusive and saying, sign this
so I can keep getting my benefit, you know that
you've got a waiting room filled with people. Are you
going to say no, hang on, hang on, hang on,
you need to get back to work, or are you

(02:08):
going to sign it and try and clear waiting room.
I think we all know what human nature dictates. Much
as we admire the work that our gps do.

Speaker 2 (02:16):
Could you get more patronizing? And so what David Seymour
wants is a group of doctors who would be employed
by the government. He says they would have one job
getting people back to work, which sounds all kind and
supportive that I don't buy that for a minute. What
about you? Then there's this bit where he wants to

(02:37):
stop paying the sickness benefit into people's bank accounts, and
instead the benefit would go on to a payment card
that would track how the money is spent, and it
wouldn't let people spend it on grog, gambling and tobacco. Also,
wouldn't let them get cash out this wild kick in
after someone's been on the benefit for about four months
or four months now, I'm not sure which of these

(02:59):
two ideas is worse. Getting through the hoops with these
government employed doctors. As I say, it sounds like acc
all over again. So that's pretty bad. But I actually
think telling people what they're allowed to spend the benefit
money on and forcing them to use this special card

(03:19):
monitored by the government, that would be nothing short of degrading.
Because yes, look, I'm as aware as the next person
that there will be people out there on the sickness
Benefit who had taken the mickey, but they will be
the minority. And if I was one of these people who,
through no fault of their own, need our support because

(03:41):
of their health, I would be disgusted at this policy
forcing the majority of people who genuinely need to be
on the benefit into this big brother kind of setup
would only achieve one thing. It would get the beneficiary
bashes cheering from the sidelines, which, as we know, would

(04:02):
be music to David Seymore's ears Flabby Mornings.

Speaker 1 (04:07):
For more from Category Mornings with John McDonald, listen live
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