Absolutely livid!!
Printed From: OHbaby!
Category: General Chat
Forum Name: General Chat
Forum Description: For mums, dads, parents-to-be, grandparents, friends -- you name it! And you name the topic you want to chat about!
URL: https://www.ohbaby.co.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=28341
Printed Date: 03 October 2025 at 9:33pm
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 12.05 - http://www.webwizforums.com
Topic: Absolutely livid!!
Posted By: FreeSpirit
Subject: Absolutely livid!!
Date Posted: 26 August 2009 at 10:29am
|
I maybe should have posted this in the vent thread, but I feel that in light of the recent publicity mums on the DPB have had some of you would find this of interest.
Last Thursday night, a dear friend of mine was woken by her neighbour at 5.30am. Her house was on fire and the arsonist had knocked on his door to let him know that the house next door was going up in flames. She dragged her daughters, aged 2 and 8, from thier beds and through the smoke filled house, dragged them out into the rain, and collapsed in shock. Her car had been set alight in the garage, under the house. The garage walls burnt through, the house was badly smoke damaged. All the furniture and bedding and clothing is smoke damaged. The building was assessed as structurely sound, and as she had nowhere else to go (no family in town) she and her girl's have moved back in. The landlord will be getting the house commercially cleaned and repainted. She went to WINZ to ask for a clothing grant for her girls, and a food grant as all the food in the cupboards was inedible, and was told NO. When she got upset and kicked up a stink, her case manager threatened to put a note on her record saying she wasn't coping, so CYPFS could assess her. How is this helpful? How is this fair? To ask for help, and leave feeling threatened? I'm off today to buy clothing for her girl's. This woman is one of the best mother's I know. And thanks to some people she has had no help at a time when she needed more help then ever. ------------- http://www.babysfirstsite.com"> 
|
Replies:
Posted By: Henna79
Date Posted: 26 August 2009 at 10:31am
| that is terrible!! Good on you for helping her out. I can't believe that the system that should be helping her says they can't. Maybe a phone call to an MP might be a good idea and maybe even a local newspaper to get her some help. |
Posted By: pepsi
Date Posted: 26 August 2009 at 10:37am
|
Wow what a scary experience for your friend, thankfully they all got out ok!
Did they say why she couldn't get any money? That's pretty terrible, and good on you for stepping in and helping out your friend. Yeah some good ideas there Henna79. |
Posted By: FreeSpirit
Date Posted: 26 August 2009 at 10:39am
|
I've already rung the paper, followed by a phonecall to the manager of WINZ, who decided that her case manager may have been in the wrong, and is going to "review her entitlements". ------------- http://www.babysfirstsite.com">
|
Posted By: monikah
Date Posted: 26 August 2009 at 10:40am
|
oh my god that is distgusting!!! have you got an account set up cos i'd totally put a wee bit of money in to help out and im sure there would be other ppl willing to help too. my gosh that makes me so angry!! ------------- 
|
Posted By: Bobbie
Date Posted: 26 August 2009 at 10:45am
|
OMG that's horrible! I'd say her case manager is wrong and has totally overstepped the mark. Glad the manager is reviewing it. If you have no luck there then I definitely second getting in contact with your local MP.
I think setting up an account for donations is a great idea! 
Do they know who the arsonist was? That's pretty scary in itself. I hope the police catch them. -------------  
 
|
Posted By: FreeSpirit
Date Posted: 26 August 2009 at 10:53am
|
Yes the arsonist was identified by the nieghbour and has been to court, sentenced with 14 years.
The reporter I spoke to at he local paper had been at the court house on the day of the trial, so found it interesting that my friend had no help from WINZ. It's just such horrible thing to happen to good people. I will talk to her later today when I drop off some stuff about if she'll accept money to help (she hates asking for help which is why I'm so involved at the moment). ------------- http://www.babysfirstsite.com">
|
Posted By: palomino
Date Posted: 26 August 2009 at 10:56am
| omg thats terrible, when someone who is actually in need gets turned down. Good on you for helping and going to the paper! |
Posted By: CuriousG
Date Posted: 26 August 2009 at 11:09am
|
OMG at WINZ! Man they really rile me. This is totally the type of thing they should be helping with!!!
I am keen to help out too - if you do set up an account let me know. Every $$ helps - and I hope she accepts it.....  ------------- http://lilypie.com"> 
http://lilypie.com"> 
|
Posted By: flakesitchyfeet
Date Posted: 26 August 2009 at 11:15am
That is so incredibly wrong
I'd love to help as well, not sure how, but keep us informed :) -------------  http://lilypie.com"> |
Posted By: Bobbie
Date Posted: 26 August 2009 at 11:20am
|
Just had a thought - has she got in contact with the Salvation Army in her area. There's probably a food bank she can tap into -------------
|
Posted By: Snappy
Date Posted: 26 August 2009 at 11:37am
Sounds like a good story for Campbell Live 
That is so sad!!!! |
Posted By: jazzy
Date Posted: 26 August 2009 at 11:40am
|
I am shocked. Hopefully you & the news paper can do an appeal for her & the kids, lots of people will want to help. And will want to rub it in WINS face.
I am feed up with the one sided benefit, & I think the whole systems need looking at. Does she have insurance???? That will cover her stuff. |
Posted By: caliandjack
Date Posted: 26 August 2009 at 11:40am
|
That is awful what's happened to you friend and WINZ case manager should be shot.
Not being able to cope with such an awful situation is no excuse to take your kids WTF! I'd be surprised if any one would be coping all that well with this situation. Has she tried the Sallies or even Citizens Advice Bureau as there maybe other organisations that can help her out. I've had a bit to do with WINZ over the last year due to being unemployed, and I've found half their staff don't know what they're doing. ------------- http://lilypie.com" rel="nofollow">   [/url] Angel June 2012 |
Posted By: clover
Date Posted: 26 August 2009 at 12:05pm
|
Horrific! I second the sallies suggestion, or Close-Up or Campbell Live for some more exposure. I cannot believe that she was treated like that by her case manager, they cannot expect her to clothe her children in smoke damaged clothing and eat smoke damaged food!
I would also contribute to an account if she is willing to accept the funds. ------------- http://lilypie.com"> 
|
Posted By: Bombshell
Date Posted: 26 August 2009 at 12:40pm
|
i hope that she is ok with you going to the papers because if WINZ respond that she has had $x amount of entitltements or has a debt or has been in fraudulent relationship etc that may be made public. She may not want that
I am sorry to hear of these events...there are emergency grants for her situation but they can be hard to get - I know of the family in otahuhu that lost kids and saw them still struggling to get help weeks later when at cyfs office (winz below) in mangere. sad but true....even when publicised winz can delay. she would be better off contacting the likes of baptist action, or sallies etc for assistance im guessing she didnt even have contents insurance? a wakeup call - even if on the benefit - your stuff IS valuable - insure it...contents is affordable - even i did it when I was a student! |
Posted By: MamaT
Date Posted: 26 August 2009 at 4:05pm
|
The system is ridiculous. It seems that real deserving cases miss out on basic needs being met - the very thing the system was designed for. Hopefully something gets set up for her soon so we can all support her through this -------------  
|
Posted By: FreeSpirit
Date Posted: 26 August 2009 at 4:39pm
|
Well, I went to the shops and put together a bundle of clothes for her and the girls (3 complete outfits for each girl) and picked up a supermarket voucher for her to fill the cupboards with. Popped out to her place and dropped my package off to her, we spoke, she doesn't want charity (but thank you to all the lovely ladies who have offered financial assisstance).
They're still waiting for the carpets to be cleaned before they judge wether they need to be replaced. Winz have fobbed her off a bit, they want to interview the case manager before they decide what action to take, so she's still waiting. Bombshell, the only entitlement she gets is an accomodation supplement. There is no relationship or debt. She is one of those people that gets the bare minimum and it's enough to provide for her children but not a lot else. She's off to the sallie's tomorrow, but as she lives 6km's from town centre and her car is toast, it's a bloody long walk. She doesn't even have a carseat because that was in the car. ------------- http://www.babysfirstsite.com">
|
Posted By: Bizzy
Date Posted: 26 August 2009 at 5:10pm
|
winz give out food grants but they have to be paid back... i find it hard to believe they wouldnt give her a food grant...
def try the sallies for clothes and a food grant |
Posted By: Treen
Date Posted: 26 August 2009 at 8:21pm
|
This is terrible. She should totally contact Campbell Live or Close Up. So many people would be interested in watching a story like that. If she doesn't want to do it because they'll set up a charity account for her, she could do it to expose WINZ and help stop the same thing happening to another family. ------------- http://lilypie.com"> 
|
Posted By: Bobbie
Date Posted: 26 August 2009 at 10:03pm
|
Get her to ring the Sallies first. It would suck to go all that way to find out there's nothing there. Also they may be able to drop it out to her. -------------
|