Featherston 'suicide' pair win appeal

A severely-ill South Wairarapa couple who considered committing suicide fearing they wouldn't survive once their benefit changed have won an appeal which will ensure their income isn't cut.

The couple, who featured in the Times-Age last month, and want to only be identified as Marie and Anthony, were told by Work and Income under the new welfare system Marie would be transferred from the invalid's benefit to a benefit which required her to work a minimum of 15 hours a week.

She had been on ACC after severely injuring herself while working at a mill about 19 years ago. During the overhaul of ACC she was moved on to the invalid's benefit. She is unable to walk or stand for long periods and experiences pain daily, requiring medication, including sleeping pills along with drugs for anxiety.

Anthony has emphysema and is also unable to work.

With the changes, the pair said they were concerned they would lose about $100 weekly which would place them under severe financial hardship so contacted the Wairarapa Advocate Service for help and applied for a review of decision, which they originally lost.

Applying for a medical appeal their case was heard by three Medical Appeal Board members, Ian St George, Kathleen Williams and Kathy Stone, who overturned the ministry's decision.

In the decisions the board states Marie had tried to work in paid employment but had to stop because of exacerbations of her pain and specialists could do nothing to relieve her daily pain.

The board said Marie was permanently disabled from the work accident and incapable of working 15 or more hours weekly and overturned the original decision to move her on to a job seeker benefit.

Marie told the Times-Age the final decision was a relief.

"It's like winning Lotto only without the money. It's really taken the stress off us both. They have no idea how much pain I was because of the stress ... at least it's over now."

The three reviewers saw her on a better day but realised her anguish, she said.

"They saw me on a good day but I think they saw my true colours ... We can carry on with life now without the worry of how we will cope. Life can carry on as normal now we don't have that hanging over us."

However, she said she couldn't have done it without the help and support of Wairarapa Advocate Service advocate Trevor MacKiewicz and encouraged people unsure about their entitlements to contact him.

"Don't give up. Find an advocate and keep battling. We are so humbled by Trevor's support. He guided us."

Mr MacKiewicz said the service's client list had more than doubled from 100 to 250 since the couple's story was highlighted.

"People are struggling and they are worried about the changes and their obligations especially around drug testing. There are people on medications who think they won't pass the drug test," he said.

Meanwhile, he said he was pleased to get a successful result for Marie and Anthony.

"She can relax now and not worry about being pressured to go to work when she can't work. She'd rather be working but she can't."

But, he said, Work and Income needs to look at the review system and provide adjudicators with all the information to avoid the expense and trauma of appealing decisions.

"How can they make a fair decision if they haven't got all the information laid out in front of them? Work and Income had all the medical information but didn't provide it to the reviewer. This needs to change."

If you need help Mr MacKiewicz or an advocate can be contacted by calling (06) 377-2525.