Gloriavale singled out again

The Herald reports:

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

So what? Isn’t that what WFF is for?

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

Again so what? They’re making it sound sinister.

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

WFF is not a benefit. It is part of the welfare system, but it is not a benefit.

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.

Choosing the most extreme example. Gloriavale has 164 students at their school out of a population of 500. They do have some large families but obviously on average not many.

I don’t like Gloriavale, but the media are not treating them fairly. This article makes their taking WFF as something sinister or inappropriate.