Women are struggling to make ends meet as they receive less pay than men and head more than half of the Island?s single parent home and Government must have more of a conscience when it comes to ensuring that everyone in need are helped without embarrasment and in a caring and timely manner. emotional speech was closely followed by who has spoken publicly on the results of an independent study on the status of women in Bermuda, commissioned during her five years as Premier.

Mrs. Roberts Holshouser said much progress had to be made to deliver the PLP?s 1998 election platform of a Government which pledged its commitment to social programmes.

She said 55 percent of the Island?s single families were headed by women. She said eighteen percent of homes in Bermuda are under the poverty level.

Mrs. Roberts Holshouser said she has individually been working with several women to ensure they receive financial assistance. She pointed out that the system is flawed as it overburdens officers at the department with 125 clients each.

Applications for financial assistance also take 11 days to process, a necessary fact, but one that extends the applicants anxiety.

Pointing out that she was not able to make contact for a particular individual after having left messages and getting the run around through the department as she could not find the person dealing with the woman?s case.

During her equally compelling speech, Ms Smith, who has publicly spoken about the results of an independently commissioned study of women?s issues, said: ?I know what you?re saying, I?ve gone through a similar situation and I can empathise with what you?re saying.?

?We need to hire more qualified individuals to ensure that these issues are addressed and to alleviate some of the case work on officers.?

She continued: ?Women are not paid equally, but they have the same responsibilities as men and they have more emotional ties to their families.?

The woman she is helping secure assistance makes a rate of $6.73 an hour during a 40 hour work week, and $6.57 an hour for each person she cleans for. Her income totals at $321 per week without deductions.

?The woman is receiving $1,400 for a Bermuda Housing Corporation Home. She has bills to pay off which total more than $50,000 including funeral expenses after her sister died.

?It is obvious she cannot survive,? said Mrs. Holshouser. She said the stress of the situation was enhanced when she went with the woman to the Department of Financial Assistance for support.

?How frightened and disappointed I was when the individual was questioned as to why I was brought in, this is not acceptable,? said Mrs. Roberts Holshouser. ?I hope to never hear again that a person is intimidated when they ask an MP to go with them for support.?

?With the PLP Government we have looked forward to that change,? she continued.

Ms Smith, who had been closely following the speech said: ?It?s not easy to change institutional practices.?

Mrs. Holshouser responded ?It should be when you set regulations and rules that hold individuals accountable. We need to learn from our past mistakes?.

The former premier shot back: ?If you stay around for 20 years and when you?re on the other side, you?ll see how difficult it is to change institutional practices.?

?I do not accept institutional discrimination in any form,? replied Mrs. Holshouser.

She highlighted another personal situation involving a 90 year old woman who was immobilised, living with a son in the similar condition. Both are pensioners.

The home, which she owned values at $15,500. According to regulations under the Department of Financial Assistance, if you have a home with an annual rental value of more than $9,900 you cannot receive financial assistance.

?I understand the challenge is great, but what I am hoping that financial assistance will do is look at cases on a one to one basis from a humanistic perspective,? she said.

?Our Government is saying we want fast ferries, we want GPS, but what we really want is to be cared for by a Government that has promised to be a caring, social Government.? said the Department of Financial Assistance needs to be held more accountable for money it claims goes towards helping the needy.

In his take note motion of the practices, procedures, and policies of the Financial Assistance Department, Mr. Dunkley said the middle class is shrinking, which threatens the Island?s stability, and social programs appear to have very little impact.

As its mandate the Financial Assistance Department makes a commitment to ensuring individuals in need of financial assistance have access to services which eventually encourage economic independence.

?Sadly there are those among us who struggle from day to day to make ends meet. Some of our brothers and sisters can?t find a place to call home,? he said.

Mr. Dunkley pointed out that the Government made a commitment during the budget debate to focus on housing, substance abuse, disability, mental illness, and the aged. The Government also pledged to conduct a study of the homeless.

?A submission was to be made to cabinet. Well, months have come and gone, the problems have grown but what has happened with the promise??

He said the Department of Financial Assistance was spending money in increasing numbers since 1998, however, a deterioration continued to remain in the lower end of society.

The Department was budgeted with 14.1 million from 2002-2003, 15.5 million from 2003-2004, and 15.6 million this year.

The Department is committed to providing funding for parish council committees, Care of the Blind, Meals on Wheels, Social Assistance, Salvation Army Shelters, Hope Homes, Packwood Rest Home, Housing Allowance Programme, and others.

He said parish councils received a significant amount of funding but show very little results for the funding they receive. Parish councils are responsible for maintaining homes for the elderly, however, only two parish councils currently maintain oversight of homes in Pembroke and Warwick.

?Why increase funding under the PLP, what do they do, they are not even accountable.?

Mr. Dunkley said in the annual auditor general?s report, the auditor had suggested the Department of Financial Assistance explore ways to improve the allocation of financial grants to parish councils. He pointed out that the Parish councils did not always issues their financial statements in a timely basis.

He said one million dollars was spent every year since 1999. ?But the question still remains, what has been done??

Mr. Dunkley said there have been concerns from members of the public about the care received at the Packwood Home. He also pointed out that Lefroy House has been awaiting repairs since hurricane Fabian, and Government has not released details of a plan for a rest home in St. George?s.

?I think the community would like to know what the plans are for our seniors, our rest homes, and when it will be implemented.?

rose to answer the concerns raised by the Opposition on the Department of Financial Assistance.

Regarding the question of the Department allowing people to travel while on Financial Assistance, she said clients usually need the Department?s permission ? but sometimes that was at the discretion of Financial Assistance workers.

Saying people needed a home address to become eligible for Financial Assistance, she pointed out that Government is encouraging families to take in older family members, and is providing special financial assistance for such families who take care of their seniors.

During her term as Minister she will continue to do her best to assure sensitivity to Financial Assistance clients, she said, and will ensure throughout the entire Health Ministry that a sense of ?integrity and dignity? is instilled into clients.

As for the funding of grants, Mrs. Minors said the Ministry has prepared a document regarding the new grant process which will be released shortly.

In the example of Hope Homes, she said she was not surprised that the media had not chosen to focus on the accountability of the main party involved: the Hope Homes Board.

Department staff are currently being retrained regarding new Financial Assistance regulations which went through on July 1, she said.

Statistics are currently being gathered on the families who will be affected by the change in the annual rental value criteria for Financial Assistance, she said.

Calling for planning for seniors, she said those who own properties but do not make enough income do still have options, such as renting out their property and going into a rest home. Admitting that was not ideal, she said it was, nevertheless, an option.

And regarding comments on parish councils and rest homes, she said those parishes without rest homes consequently receive less funding. A report will shortly be released on the decisions regarding rest homes and parish councils.

The homelessness report has been completed, she said, though she will not bring it before the House of Assembly until the resulting decisions and plans have been made, saying she did not want to go through the process ?piecemeal?.

Saying repeatedly that Government does care, she added: ?This is not pie in the sky?.

Seniors remain high on the social agenda, she said, adding that just last week she met with the executive of Age Concern and was pleased with and encouraged by their partnership and common goals.

After the Minister took her seat, however, rose to speak to the debate, despite Government?s concerns that the Minister should have been the last to speak.

Criticising the ?practices, procedures and policies? of Government, he criticised the stance on homelessness, pointing out that while the homeless may not be eligible for Financial Assistance, they can vote. ?Vote for us, but we won?t take care of you.?

Certain families are building up a culture of Financial Assistance dependence, he said, calling for a way to break the cycle.

And he called on the PLP caucus to rethink their move to put housing allowance and Social Assistance into the same package. Although the legislation was already passed, he said it was not too late to change the law, adding that the Opposition will support the decision.