Fewer sanctions this month, but who is being sanctioned and why? / A.J. Hendry
Concerns that sanctions are disproptionately causing harm to our most vulnerable...
When implementing policy that impacts structurally marginalized communities, it's important, not just to view the data as a whole, but to pay attention to how the decisions being made are impacting those who are pushed to the extreme margins of society.
Though it's encouraging to see that in this month at least, there have been fewer sanctions (and its important to note we don't have enough data to know if this is a trend), what's probably most important for us to understand is who is being sanctioned and why?
What we are seeing at least, is young people being sanctioned who often have some form of disability (though often undiagnosed and not recieving correct support or entitlements), significant trauma history's, experiencing homelessness, and lacking the resources to engage with MSD in the way they are required to (i.e they literally don't have a phone, a safe place to live, money to access public transport etc).
I think it's important to acknowledge we have some really heart led public servants that are doing what they can do to serve the people and work within the framework the Government has set, in a flexible way that enables the best outcome for people (I suspect this may have something to do with the data this month, will be interested to see how this develops). The problem we have is a system issue.
The system does not adequately take into account the vulnerability of those it serves, and the significant implications that loss of income will have on an individual who is already struggling.
The sanction as a tool of coercion to enduce engagement inevitably impacts those our society makes most vulnerable, those experiencing homelessness, suffering from mental illness, people with disabilities, and the young.
It also assumes that the reason a person isn't meeting the "reasonable expectations" the Government has set is because they are "just lazy" and need the right motivation. This is a very paternalistic view, and lacks understanding of what is going on in a persons life.
I think of a young person I met recently. They had fled home due to a lack of safety, were dealing with trauma, a disability, significant mental illness and didn't have access to a phone or a social network that was able to support them.
As a result of all this they ended up sleeping rough, lost contact with MSD and were sanctioned. We got connected with them, and were able to work with MSD to get their benefit reinstated and support them to access shelter.
But, that was after 3 months of sleeping rough, where they had been at risk of significant harm and where their long term health and wellbeing had been critically and negatively impacted.
These are long term issues, though we are seeing an increase in a more punitive approach for some people, story's like this one were equally common under the last Government.
The issue is the system.
Our current system is not designed to serve us. It is not built to meet the needs of those in our society who need it the most. It has not been designed with the people in mind.
Throughout the system there are amazing individuals, public servants doing what they can to humanise the system and make it work the best they can within the frameworks imposed upon them.
But, if you were to design a system, to meet the needs of such a diverse and often structurally vulnerable community of people, who would build it like this.
If the goal, is to ensure that we have a safety net for people, to support those who need it when they need it, than we need to begin talking about how we redesign this system to meet the needs of those it is required to serve.
That system would have embedded within it the values of manaakitanga and aroha, would be responsive to the needs of the diverse communities it serves, and be empowered to support people to implement their own solutions for themselves and their whānau.
#LoveIsTheWay
It is a political choice to make the system difficult and abusive towards people needing help. It’s a disgrace and our national shame.
Paternalism is embedded in our welfare system, and even more so in our mental health system. I was shocked by that in my experience supporting a friend in extreme mental distress over an extended period. Lack of funding and staffing issues are obviously major factors, but they’re not the whole problem; there’s a certain attitude, ime, that seems to be an empathy issue. The education system is way ahead in terms of putting every student *as an individual* at the centre of everything, although schools differ vastly, of course. (I’m lucky enough to work in a school where that’s how we roll :))