Advocating for the Community
For more than a decade, BAMA (Beneficiaries Advice Mt Albert) has been providing advocacy and advice to beneficiaries and other vulnerable people navigating a complex welfare and support system.
BAMA oversight is provided by a Board of Trustees with members representing both congregations - the Mt Albert Methodist Church and St Luke's Anglican Church. An advocate is employed on a part-time basis to journey with clients requiring support. The advocate’s role is dedicated to building or restoring the clients’ confidence, equipping them with information about their eligibilities and obligations, and enabling them to develop the capacity to manage their own affairs. Those who are more vulnerable or who face a complex situation are given more ‘hands-on’ help to understand processes and access the benefits and allowances for which they are eligible.
A recent summary of advocates actions included:
Assisting applicants to get their entitlements or at least interim support, while advocating on their behalf for their full entitlements.
Helping applicants with long-term disabilities to get financial support, including Job Seeker Support and Disability Allowance.
Gathering and researching ACC and medical records for applications for the Supported Living Payment. WINZ often reject such applications, so the advocate works with clients to seek reviews of such decisions and prepare documentation for the Medical Appeals Board if necessary.
Providing advice on applications for the Unsupported Child Benefit.
Accessing the Accommodation Supplement. This can be difficult particularly where people own property or have savings.
Advising how to respond to a cut in one or more benefits due to a Working for Families Tax Credit increase.
Referring people to the Tenancy Protection Association to help them access social housing more quickly.
Helping people on benefits apply for an extension of time beyond the 28-day limit for overseas travel. Extension can be granted on humanitarian and compassionate grounds.
Navigating resistance and unwillingness to recognise applications for help made to relevant responsible agencies, even when obvious need and vulnerability such as youth, older age, disability, or terminal illness are being presented.
Real Impacts & Ongoing Need
Statistics from 2023 indicate BAMA engaged with 89 clients, representing 12 different ethnicities, located in suburbs all over the Auckland district. The majority were aged between 30 and 60 years old, and 24 dependent children were affected by the situations presented.
Initial contacts and consultations are divided almost equally between telephone and email. Some consultations require subsequent meetings with the client at the BAMA office or result in the BAMA Advocate contacting MSD, WINZ or other agencies. Some clients request support when attending WINZ appointments.
Fundraising is a key priority for the Board of Trustees. In 2023 four successful funding applications provided $21,000 and this support was augmented by a few small donations. In general, funders are reluctant to finance on-going operations, making it difficult for BAMA to commit to providing an essential community service in the long term.
The Board of Trustees recognises that further opportunities exist to work with people who self-refer or those who are referred to BAMA. Now in its 12th year, BAMA was established to meet a real community need that is currently escalating, as the rising cost of living and the shrinking of employment opportunities impacts on the lives of vulnerable people.