Heatley eyes affordability, supplement

In all honesty, Mr Heatley tends to spread information that is not always representative of the true state of affairs. Claims of rorting by WINZ clients and Housing NZ tenants are rubbish, as WINZ only pays roughly half of actual rent costs to clients (http://www.workandincome.govt.nz/manuals-and-procedures/income_support/extra_help/accommodation_supplement/accommodation_supplement-90.htm). Housing NZ tenants are NOT even allowed to sublet rooms to boarders, and NO one living in a state subsidised home is allowed to claim the accommodation supplement anyway. Only fraud could lead to abuse, and budget advisors have no evidence of "rorting". Also I am not sure that Annette King is quoted correctly here.

Actually they are not rubbish. Our family lived in a state housing area for years although we rented privately, and we saw this kind of rorting going on all around us i.e some state tenants with copious relatives crowded into the house (and might I add creating untold problems in the neighborhood). While they may not all have been entitled to accomodation supplements they WERE on various benefits which is another thing I think needs to be looked at. In some households with various benefits going into the one state house, the principle tenant is paying a peppercorn rental of the amount Heatley refers to yet the total household income exceeds that of most working couples. As for budget advisors having no evidence of rorting of course they don't. People rorting the system are hardly going to tell budgeters now are they?

@ Anna Rogers - Thanks for your honesty that you make clear that you have no proof of these people claiming the accommodation supplement, because I very much doubt they could and would have. There is a difference between "rorting", which both Heatley and Paula Bennett claimed was going on and "not being illegal" and actual fraud, which I am sure happened in this case you refer to. This represents a failure of Housing NZ to check and enforce rules, which is a different story. I know from someone who lives in a Housing NZ home and does NOT "rort" or cheat, but he told me that the person doing an inspection was not much interested in his place or faults needing fixing. She just wanted a list ticked off and get on to have her lunch. Maybe staff morale needs to be looked at, but sacking 10 per cent and restructuring endlessly is hardly helping that. Budget advisers ask clients for documents and proof of their circumstances and spending. So I am sure they are rather well informed. Perhaps affordable rents would also stop what you describe.