Gloriavale accused of claiming thousands in benefits

Gloriavale is like Christian communities elsewhere in the world - a male-dominated mix of good intentions and flawed beliefs.

Gloriavale Christian Community families could be claiming many thousands of dollars a year in Working for Families subsidies.

However, a Gloriavale elder this week refused to answer questions about any allowances being claimed, saying it was their personal business.

Working for Families pays extra money to thousands of New Zealand families with children.

While Gloriavale residents do not claim the unemployment benefit, members who have left claim those in the community claimed Working for Families allowances.

The Canaan family alleged recently that everyone had a bank account but no one knew how much was in it. They found just $5 left in their account when they left the reclusive commune, at Lake Haupiri.

Inland Revenue said it was unable to release Working for Families information because it could identify individuals.

The Greymouth Star used the official government on-line calculator to work out how much Gloriavale parents might be getting.

Because they work for a charity, and possibly do not get paid, we entered zero income, although Gloriavale leaders dispute that. Those with the smallest income are eligible for the greatest amount of the allowance. If the family had nine children and no income, they could receive $672 a week.

If there were, say, nine families in the same position, they would receive $6720 a week, or $336,000 a year.

The Gloriavale website says: "We do not take welfare benefits, borrow money, or invest money on interest."

It is home to about 80 families or 256 individuals. About 35 babies are born a year.

Gloriavale spokesman Fervent Stedfast disputed that they did not pay tax, saying they did like everyone else.

He declined to say if they claimed the Working for Families allowance.

"That's our personal business," Mr Steadfast said.

The Gloriavale website says members put their money in non-interest bearing bank accounts, while a booklet given out at the biennial Gloriavale concerts says: "We do not take welfare benefits, borrow money, or invest money on interest".

The Department of Internal Affairs confirmed late last week it was investigating Gloriavale's charity status.

The community owns $36.6 million in assets, including a dairy farm, deer enterprise and an aircraft repair firm, all at Lake Haupiri.

- Greymouth Star