IRD blunder: 240,000 letters sent cancelling Working for Families payments
The Notice of Entitlement letter told recipients they would not receive any payments from April 1. An Inland Revenue spokeswoman confirmed to the Herald "around 240,000" letters were sent, and they were investigating how it came about. "Essentially, the letters shouldn't have gone and we're sorry for any distress caused," she said. On social media, Inland Revenue posted an explanation, saying no payments had been cancelled, and an apology for the confusion caused. "If you have received a notice implying that your Working for Families entitlements will cease as of 1 April 2020, please ignore it. "You can refer to your most recent Notice of Entitlement which includes the amount that you will continue to be paid. "Apologies for any confusion this may have caused." The post has drawn hundreds of comments, many upset at the stress caused and the timing with the Covid-19 lockdown. "What a stressful time to stuff up," commented one person. "I freaked out thinking we were going to be homeless because we now rely on this money now because of this Covid-19 and how it has affected hubbies work. "I just hope you send another letter to everyone because not everyone will have Facebook and see this."
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What word sums up 2024, neighbours?
If 2020 was the year of lockdowns, banana bread, and WFH (work from home)....
In one word, how would you define 2024?
We're excited to see what you come up with!
⚠️ DOGS DIE IN HOT CARS. If you love them, don't leave them. ⚠️
It's a message we share time and time again, and this year, we're calling on you to help us spread that message further.
Did you know that calls to SPCA about dogs left inside hot cars made up a whopping 11% of all welfare calls last summer? This is a completely preventable issue, and one which is causing hundreds of dogs (often loved pets) to suffer.
Here are some quick facts to share with the dog owners in your life:
👉 The temperature inside a car can heat to over 50°C in less than 15 minutes.
👉 Parking in the shade and cracking windows does little to help on a warm day. Dogs rely on panting to keep cool, which they can't do in a hot car.
👉 This puts dogs at a high risk of heatstroke - a serious condition for dogs, with a mortality rate between 39%-50%.
👉 It is an offence under the Animal Welfare Act to leave a dog in a hot vehicle if they are showing signs of heat stress. You can be fined, and prosecuted.
SPCA has created downloadable resources to help you spread the message even further. Posters, a flyer, and a social media tile can be downloaded from our website here: www.spca.nz...
We encourage you to use these - and ask your local businesses to display the posters if they can. Flyers can be kept in your car and handed out as needed.
This is a community problem, and one we cannot solve alone. Help us to prevent more tragedies this summer by sharing this post.
On behalf of the animals - thank you ❤️