Government, community and business come together - Annual Report 2019/20
The partnerships we have are important to help people who need income support.
In Wellington, the Downtown Community Ministry (DCM) works with the most marginalised people who may have no home, no income and no form of identification.
When people have no bank account of their own it can be difficult to access their benefit payments. DCM provides them with a money management service, accesses a benefit for them, pays their bills, and gives them the remainder of their money by cheque to be cashed at a bank – but during the nationwide COVID-19 lockdown, visiting banks was no longer a viable option.
Anticipating this, MSD and DCM worked with Westpac on short- and long-term solutions. Instead of receiving a weekly cheque, people were given a Westpac pre-paid card giving them access to their money without having to visit a bank.
"This is a fantastic step change, as we have grappled for some time with the problem of how to continue to deliver our money management service when cheques are ultimately phased out," says Michelle Scott from DCM.
"This difficult period has also reconfi rmed the value of the true partnership built between DCM and MSD."
"Our key relationships in our mahi to end homelessness are important." – Michelle Scott
