The Government is facing the real-life consequences
of its public service cuts following the scathing review
into Ministry of Social Development’s (MSD) payment
errors.
“These errors would not have happened if the
Government had not cut hundreds of workers from MSD over the
past three years leaving those remaining with unmanageable
workloads,” said Fleur Fitzsimons, National Secretary for
the Public Service Association Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga
Mahi.
MSD’s internal review into the errors,
released today, details how, in addition to the 6,270
pensioners that missed out on Winter Energy Payments due to
errors in rushed legislation, 14,450 people had their main
or supplementary benefits incorrectly cut due to a
processing backlog caused unmanageable workloads involved in
implementing legislative changes.
“It is clear from
this review that New Zealanders missed out on money they
need to survive because public servants are struggling with
widespread burnout and unmanageable workloads,” said
Fitzsimons. “The chickens are coming home to roost and it is
New Zelanders who are paying the price for cuts made by this
Government.”
MSD has cut
more than 700 roles, almost 10% of its workforce, under
the Government’s drive to cut costs. MSD workers were on
strike yesterday.
The report describes how the problem
was compounded by clients receiving automatic emails from
MSD telling them their payments would be suspended: “This
increased the number of clients contacting MSD at a time
when staff were already managing higher-than expected
mandatory CYC review workloads.”
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“This is what happens
to real people in the real world when National, ACT, and New
Zealand First prioritise tax cuts for landlords and tobacco
companies,” said Fitzsimons. “We will see more errors like
this, as long as we have a government intent on dismantling
the public service.
“This Government dismissed
thousands of public servants and plans to dismiss thousands
more,” said Fitzsimons. “The damage done will last for
generations to come.
About Public Service Association
(PSA):
The Public Service
Association Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi is Aotearoa
New Zealand’s largest trade union, representing and
supporting more than 95,000 workers across central
government, state-owned enterprises, local councils, health
boards and community
groups.
