Quake accommodation package too little for many

new-zealand-labour-party

Fri Feb 18 2011 13:00:00 GMT+1300 (New Zealand Daylight Time)

Quake accommodation package too little for many

Friday, 18 February 2011, 11:43 am
Press Release: New Zealand Labour Party

18 February 2011

Quake accommodation package too little for many --- and too long coming

After almost six months the Government has failed to put together a robust package to help Canterbury earthquake victims, says Labour’s Earthquake Recovery spokesperson Clayton Cosgrove.

“As far as earthquake victims are concerned, any package is better than nothing, but Earthquake Recovery Minister Gerry Brownlee hasn’t delivered a package that meets the individual needs of victims,” Clayton Cosgrove said.

“What victims have ended up with is a cobbled-together, hybrid version of the benefit system.

“A two-person household will get $275 a week, for example, but many such households are actually paying up to $400 a week or more for available accommodation. That’s a considerable shortfall.

“What should have been developed is a package that is tailored as much as possible and flexible enough to meet the individual needs of victims, but this hasn’t happened,” Clayton Cosgrove said. ”What has been developed is a sort of generic three-grade benefit system that won’t meet the real needs of many victims, and will leave them struggling to cope and meet the shortfall in rent.

“The situation for many victims had also been made worse by the Government’s failure to make this announcement earlier,” Clayton Cosgrove said.

“Gerry Brownlee should have announced a package well before Christmas. People have been absolutely stressed out.

”Those people whose temporary accommodation insurance cover runs out after six months have been taken right to the brink. That’s not fair and it’s not right.”

Clayton Cosgrove said the package as designed would create the same sort of age-old arguments that always existed around pensions.

“The costs for a single person receiving $180 a week and a two-person household receiving $275 might well be largely the same. Gerry Brownlee hasn’t taken this into account.”

ENDS

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