Inland Revenue on the hunt for 170,000 bank account numbers to process Cost of Living Payment
As many as 170,000 people are at risk of missing out on the Government's $350 Cost of Living Payment, because the Inland Revenue Department (IRD) doesn't have their bank account numbers.
Addressing Parliament's Finance and Expenditure Committee, IRD acting commissioner and chief executive Cath Atkins said she is confident the tax department can track down most of these people.
It has already sourced around 130,000 bank account numbers, which it didn't have.
But IRD believes it'll struggle to contact 11,000 of the 170,000 people it still needs to get hold of.
Around 2.1 million people, who earn less than $70,000 a year (before tax) and don't receive the Winter Energy Payment, are eligible for the payment, unveiled at the May Budget.
Atkins said as many as 750 IRD staff will be required to administer the scheme at peak times when payments fall due.
She said 300 of these staff are being contracted for a five-month period, largely to deal with inquiries from the public.
The payment will be paid in three monthly instalments of $116.67 starting from August 1.
Those eligible don't need to apply; they'll receive it automatically. But they may like to check, via the myIR online portal, whether IRD has their correct bank account number.
People have until March 31, 2023 to update their details with IRD to get the payment.
Finance Minister Grant Robertson has allocated $814 million towards the payment.
IRD confirmed $14m of this will go towards the 300 contractors' wages, office space, IT infrastructure, postage and printing.
Pressed by National MPs Andrew Bayly and Nicola Willis about the cost associated with administering the payment, Atkins said some of the contractors had been working on projects that are wrapping up, including IRD's Business Transformation project, and Covid-related support.
She said it was important IRD was adequately staffed to address public inquiries, which are likely to escalate when payments fall due.
Green MP Chlöe Swarbrick asked Revenue Minister David Parker, who also appeared before the committee, whether IRD would be able to employ fewer contractors if the payment was more universal.
Parker said this would simply cost a lot more.
He also said employing 300 contractors isn't as material as one might think, given IRD has been cutting staff in recent years.
It employed 4106 full-time equivalents in the year to June 2021 – a drop from 5401 in 2017.
Parker said IRD needs to be able to continue doing its other work while it administers the Cost of Living Payment.
He said IRD having more people's bank account numbers will also make the tax system more efficient in the long term.
National Party finance spokeswoman Nicola Willis characterised the Cost of Living Payment as a "bureaucratic dog's breakfast".
"IRD is now having to build a massive bureaucracy to administer it, and taxpayers are being landed with the bill," she told.
She questioned exactly how much the 300 contractors were being paid, noting IRD's recruitment effort is taking place at a time the labour market is exceptionally tight. IRD wouldn't disclose this information.
Furthermore, she said, "Far from targeted, IRD has confirmed that many high-income earners will qualify while thousands of lower income earners will miss out due to missing bank account details.
"Instead of going into bureaucratic overdrive, the Government should have simply inflation-adjusted existing income tax brackets."
Act leader David Seymour believed the Cost of Living Payment exemplifies "rushed policy by ministers who don't ask practical questions".
"The payment is inflationary to the extent that it helps," he told.
"The Prime Minister said, earlier in the week, that she didn't think it would be inflationary because it wouldn't last very long. Well, it also makes it less effective at achieving its underlying goal.
"There are a whole lot of reasons why it's not a good policy. The only conclusion you can come to is, they felt a need to do something to address the political imperative of having an answer to the cost of living crisis."
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Poll: 🤖 What skills do you think give a CV the ultimate edge in a robot-filled workplace?
The Reserve Bank has shared some pretty blunt advice: there’s no such thing as a “safe” job anymore 🛟😑
Robots are stepping into repetitive roles in factories, plants and warehouses. AI is taking care of the admin tasks that once filled many mid-level office jobs.
We want to know: As the world evolves, what skills do you think give a CV the ultimate edge in a robot-filled workplace?
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52.2% Human-centred experience and communication
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2.8% Other - I will share below!
The Gospel’s Relevance Today**
The Gospel, meaning ‘good news’, is the cornerstone of the message contained in the Bible’s first four books—Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. While these records were written approximately 2,000 years ago, a natural question arises: why is this Gospel still relevant and vital for us today? This analysis seeks to explore what the Bible itself defines as the Gospel and to understand its enduring significance.
**Defining the Gospel: Core Biblical References**
The Gospel is not a vague concept; Scripture provides clear descriptions of its content and focus.
* **The Gospel of the Kingdom:** In Matthew 4:23, as Jesus begins his ministry, he is described as “preaching the gospel of the kingdom.” This immediately establishes that the good news is centrally about a kingdom—the Kingdom of God. His accompanying miracles served to validate the authority of this message.
* **The Gospel of Jesus Christ:** Mark 1:1 opens with, “The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.” Here, “Christ” is a title meaning ‘anointed one’. Thus, the good news is intrinsically about Jesus: his identity as the Anointed One and his unique status as the Son of God.
* **The Gospel of God’s Grace:** In Acts 20:24, the Apostle Paul speaks of his mission to “testify the gospel of the grace of God.” Grace signifies an undeserved gift. This reveals that the Gospel involves a gift from God, offered not because it is merited, but out of His benevolence.
* **The Gospel of Salvation and Peace:** Romans 1:16 declares the Gospel is “the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes,” breaking down barriers between Jew and Gentile (Greek). Furthermore, Romans 10:15 calls it the “gospel of peace,” pointing to a future state of peace brought about by this message.
* **The Gospel Summarised:** 1 Corinthians 15:1-4 provides a foundational summary. Paul reminds believers of the gospel he preached, “by which also you are saved.” He then states its core historical facts: “that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures.” The Gospel is therefore rooted in the sacrificial death and resurrection of Jesus.
In synthesis, the Gospel is the good news of **salvation and future peace in the Kingdom of God**, made possible by **the grace of God** and **the obedient sacrifice of His Son, Jesus Christ**, and offered to all who believe.
**Old Testament Foundations: The Gospel Preached to Abraham**
A crucial question is whether the Gospel is confined to the New Testament. Scripture shows its foundations were laid much earlier. Galatians 3:8 states explicitly that “the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel to Abraham beforehand, saying, ‘In you all the nations shall be blessed.’”
This reference points back to Genesis 12:1-3, where God made profound promises to Abraham: to make him a great nation, to bless those who blessed him, and that “in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” These promises—later reaffirmed to Isaac and Jacob—form the bedrock of the Gospel hope. The good news of salvation through Christ is the fulfillment of how **all nations** would be blessed through Abraham’s “seed.”
**The Gospel’s Personal Relevance: Good News for You Today**
How does this ancient message become “good news for you” today? The application is clearly outlined in Galatians 3.
* **Access through Faith in Christ:** Galatians 3:26 declares, “For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.” The promise made to Abraham is now extended to anyone with faith in Jesus.
* **The Role of Baptism:** Verse 27 explains, “For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.” Baptism is the God-appointed act of faith that identifies a believer with Christ’s death and resurrection.
* **Unity and Inheritance:** Verses 28-29 reveal the glorious outcome: “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.” Through the Gospel, all barriers are removed; believers become spiritual descendants of Abraham and heirs to the promises of the Kingdom.
This Gospel was once a mystery hidden in God’s purpose (Ephesians 3:3-9). Now, it has been revealed: the unsearchable riches of Christ, offering salvation to all who heed the call, believe the message, and are baptised into him.
**Conclusion: An Enduring and Open Invitation**
The Gospel is far more than a historical account; it is the living, powerful good news of God’s plan for salvation. It is rooted in promises to Abraham, accomplished through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, and open to all people without distinction. It offers a tangible hope—the hope of resurrection, peace, and an inheritance in the coming Kingdom of God. This is why the Gospel remains profoundly relevant. It is an invitation to listen, believe, and stand firm in this hope, linking our lives today to the eternal purpose of God.
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