• BEFORE YOU LEAVE HOSPITAL GET THE SOCIAL WORKER AND A BUDGET ADVISOR THEY ARE FREE AND YOURS BY RIGHT. Let them sort Winz out on your behalf.
• Budgeting: http://www.familybudgeting.org.nz/contact-us/
• WINZ: Essential house repairs, maintenance, costs for disabilities, Community Services Card, Special Needs Grant eg Docs and transport, gardeners, Temporary Additional Support and Accommodation costs etc
• Beneficiaries Union for my area it is 09 376 4760 Winz will not be helpful - get an advocate and then get these guys.
• The Dole is now the sickness benefit with medical certificates to prolong your return to work
• The Dole will not allow you to live the lifestyle you are use to, it's less than a wage and is hopeless; but once they start tacking on the extra bits you will soon have enough to pay a bill. Not many more than one, so lets hope you have insurance, and your stroke will see you back to work inside six months.
• There is no such thing as ACC assistance for rehab for stroke survivors, not in my experience so good luck with that
• If you damage yourself however due to no rehab or a lack of home help that falls under ACC
• Acc will then be able to do a review of your needs so they don't foot the bill and can on charge to the District Health Board , Yay.
• Your better off if you've reached retirement age - I had four reviews before I started to get my entitlements.
• Cancel all your direct auto debit things quick smart as once the money is gone there is no getting it back, and then you can negotiate a drip feed of your bills
• Also with your new Stroke Memory - you will forget stuff and next you will be handing dishonor fees to the bank
• You don't have transport to anything, so try and get medical certificates from the Doctors at the same time as any WINZ appointments, as to start with they need you to fund this yourself, only once your in the system will they start to pay mileage to your doctor. They will back date it but they are horrible to deal with.
• Mileage to a hospital or specialist over 80kms from your home will be reimbursed by the District Health Board
• The Hospitals have shuttles across the main rural routes, but they leave once a day so make your appointments suite, you will indeed waste the day waiting for a ride home but still at least it helps.
• Even if you live on a state highway they will not stop for you, only where and when they say.
• No such thing as a living alone benefit, so get flatmate's even if you hate people
• Your options are Dole, only a permanent disability will get you on the sickness benefit only
• Accommodation support will not cover your costs, boarders how ever are income tax free if there is less than three of them.
• Your third boarder will be tax free if under $80 per week, so charge utilities on and above rent
• Only have cash paying boarders in advance
• Check all your insurances - car payments with UDC often will pay out monthly, just send them copies of your WINZ medical certificates when they are renewed
• Credit cards do not have an automatic cover - much as the advertising leads us to believe this is the case
• When waiting at WINZ for several hours before being seen even tho you made an appointment, make it for the first appointment in the morning. Have them acknowledge you need a chair for balance and water for blood pressure. Use their loo.
• If your mood swings from the stroke don't allow you to stay calm, have an advocate with you.
• You need to be open to get everything done, and part of the crushing new way of life is to have lost all independence and reliance on others sucks. Select a representative (not a power of attorney)

Power of attorney

If someone has your power of attorney or enduring power of attorney, they can act as your representative.

You can change or cancel someone's power of attorney but not someone's enduring power of attorney.

Having a Representative is different to a power of attorney, no sense in giving up quiet yet!@!!

Winz will begrudginly deal with an Advocate. They have to, you need to fill in a form and that's all there is to it.