Economic Review of the Status of Beneficiaries in New Zealand

Abstract This paper is an investigation of the human rights of beneficiaries against those of wage and salary earners and highlights some major differences. It was prompted by the realisation that the income (transfer) to beneficiaries was not given in kind as a wage or salary and that privacy and freedom to act were diminished by payment inhibitions and penalties on personal decisions related to disbursement of the income. This paper proposes a new approach to benefits by regarding each individual as an economic unit due a basic income (BI) such that full rights and participation in society is achievable.