True leadership must recognise the times, adjust to the times and have a vision that is relevant to the realities of today and not what was or what we might wish it to be. For many Bermudians this is a time of great fear and anguish as so many of us are unemployed, have seen our wages slashed or been called upon to support family and friends who are also suffering under the weight of this recession.

Despite the new circumstances facing our people, there are those who continue to deride recipients of Financial Assistance and continue to act as though the majority are people attempting to scam the system as opposed to being in genuine need. Times change and so must we when it comes to how we approach Financial Assistance and how we perceive the people on it.

Financial Assistance Reform must begin with the understanding that many new recipients have, up until recently, been tax paying, contributing members of our society. With surging unemployment, people who have diligently paid their taxes must not be treated like social outcasts or be looked down upon. They have paid their way and we must support them in their time of need.

Further reform is required in terms of policies that hurt rather than elevate the conditions of people forced to turn to Financial Assistance. The PLP proposes:

1) A temporary change to the Financial Assistance policy to allow people who have lost their jobs to apply for assistance immediately and not have to wait three months, by which time their savings have dwindled and their personal debt is likely to have grown.

2). A temporary suspension of the policy that restricts individuals with over $5,000 in assets from receiving aid. Many Bermudians are land rich, but cash poor and unable to support themselves. Furthermore, home ownership is a key component of ending multi-generational poverty. For that reason we propose a loosening of this policy to enable people to be supported, while retaining their property for future generations.

3) A reassessment of the verification process used to determine if recipients are seeking work. In light of the current job market, many recipients of Financial Assistance simply have run out of places to look for work. A new process, more reflective of this reality, is needed.

4) Temporarily allowing part-time employees who earn under $20,000 annually (with children under 18-years of age) to apply for a food voucher or non-cash card to supplement their ability to purchase staple food/groceries for one year.

5) Temporarily allowing recipients on FA to keep their vehicles. Many employment or entrepreneurial opportunities today call for workers to have their own vehicles. The days when cars were a luxury item are a thing of the past as to many who are seeking work, it has become a necessity.

6) Substantial increases in the penalties for Financial Assistance fraud. With so many of our people in dire straits, those who would exploit the system and take from those in genuine need must face the full weight of the law.

This reform reflects our times and addresses the needs of today’s unemployed in a real way. While we push for these proposals to become a reality, FA applicants should be reminded that there is an appeals process that allows anyone denied benefits to subsequently present their particular hardship circumstances to the director of FA and if still unsuccessful, a further appeal can be made to a three-member tribunal that has the power to ultimately approve an application.

We can pull through this recession, if we continue to support each other and work together to ensure that none of us are left behind.