Housing NSW says the amnesty does not apply if you have already received from Housing NSW a letter indicating that Housing NSW believes you have not properly disclosed your income and assets (Housing NSW calls this a 'natural justice letter').
In these circumstances, any disclosures you make will not be protected by the amnesty, and all the usual things may happen: Housing NSW may vary or cancel for rent rebate retrospectively; it may take proceedings to terminate your tenancy; and it may prosecute you for offences under the Housing Act.
If you think you may have received this sort of letter from Housing NSW, please seek advise from your local Tenants Advice and Advocacy Service before disclosing information under the amnesty.
If you've already disclosed under the amnesty and think you may have self-incriminated, seek advise from a TAAS.
If you've any questions about the amnesty at all – seek advise from a TAAS.
The idea of a citizen payment, that is payment that everyone gets and getting rid of the petty bureaucrats seems like great idea and is being debated in Europe at the moment. Australia demonises and criminalises people, no room here for thinking outside of the criminality that is thought to exist wherever poor people are. People need housing, am I the only person who finds the attitude to people in public housing sickening?
ReplyDeleteYou are definitely not alone. Many thinking people consider this an erosion of the social fabric and a huge step backwards. Very sad. I haven't heard of the citizen payment, I imagine it must be means tested or, like Medicare, well to do people need to pay an extra "levy" so money can go to where it's needed.
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