News Jaya

Off the dole - and back into WINZ

National is recruiting staff off the benefit and into case management because too many people are becoming unemployed. Of the extra 300 staff, 206 are to be focussed on "finding jobs" and the rest are going to be answering phones. Could that mean they are going to be case managers or work brokers. Because case managers are not focused on finding people jobs, they are focused on paying people money.

Last year there was hardly one work broker per WINZ Office. And those answering phones merely put people through to answerphones or make appointments for case managers. Ever tried to ring a case manager that actually picks up the phone? Case managers have appointments wall to wall every day. They are over-worked, under-trained, over-stressed and under-valued.

But most of those who are employed will not be focusing on finding jobs, as the media claims. They will be focusing on putting people into short term courses and the like - and some will be irrelevant courses that most beneficiaries will not want to go on, and will not benefit from.