In the States this week, Reform Jersey politicians Deputies Sam Mézec, Geoff Southern and Montfort Tadier accused the Social Security Department of failing to explain properly and clearly how the changes that will apply from next year will affect individuals.
The move follows a decision by the States to cut some benefits to fund investments in Health and Education in the face of a predicted deficit of £145 million in Jersey’s public finances by 2019.
Deputy Mézec criticised Social Security Minister Susie Pinel’s department, saying that some letters sent out to claimants notifying them of the changes did not clearly give people a figure for what they currently receive and what they will receive from January.
He added that it applied particularly to people who received benefits, such as disability allowance, on top of income support.
Deputy Southern added: ‘Nowhere in the letter does it say: “This is what you were receiving, this is what you will receive”.
‘That is what people need to know – how much less am I going to have to survive on under the new regime?’
Deputy Pinel said that 17 different letters tailored to specific types of claimants had been sent out last month, giving people ten weeks’ notice of the changes.
She contended that the letters did give people sufficient information but she agreed to ask her officers to release the letters to the Deputies for analysis.
‘Those letters were tailored to each person and included the money they would receive from January, breaking it down into components,’ she said.
