Disabled Kāpiti Coast man lives in car for 19 years, calls for benefit bump

Monday, 15 March 2021

A disabled man has been living in his car for 20 years due to high medical bills.

A disabled man who has been living in his car for 19 years is calling on the Government to increase welfare support for people with medical bills to pay.

Paraparaumu resident Gerard Zwartjes, 65, developed chronic fatigue and multiple chemical sensitivity syndrome after suffering from lead poisoning in 2001.

But a Ministry of Social Development spokesperson said Zwartjes holds “sizeable cash assets”, limiting the amount of support he can receive.

Gerard Zwartjes has been living in his car due to high medical bills associated with his disability.

'I've spent thousands of dollars in the last year on medication. A person on the benefit can’t afford that unless they're doing what I'm doing, which is living in a car,” Zwartjes said.

Zwartjes has chronic fatigue syndrome and extreme chemical sensitivity. He has been unable to work since he developed these conditions due to lead poisoning in 2001.

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Zwartjes says the benefit is “woefully inadequate” for people with ill health to survive on.

'I'm not a beneficiary, I'm a disabled person that needs to rely on a benefit. It's a completely different mindset.'

The Paraparaumu resident has to cough up thousands of dollars to pay for his medication. He wants the government to boost financial support for disabled people.

Chronic fatigue syndrome means activities like engaging in a conversation can cause Zwartjes to pass out from exhaustion.

His extreme chemical sensitivity means substances commonly found in the environment cause his cognitive function to “complete crash', he said. He often wears a respirator to mitigate this.

Zwartjes often wears a respirator due to his multiple chemical sensitivity syndrome, which also impacts his cognitive function.

Zwartjes said he had to sell his house in 2002 to keep up with the costs of his medical treatment and appointments. The back seat of his Toyota Sprinter Carib station wagon has been his bed ever since.

“I’ve become numb to the cold. My insomnia means I’m up most nights just twiddling my thumbs,” he said.

'You wake up every morning feeling like you've been run over by a steamroller. I’ve been living in a vehicle nearly half my working life, and I'm completely over it.'

Work and Income provides financial assistance for disabled people in the form of a supported living payment, and a disability allowance for those with medical bills.

Zwartjes is able to access $307.14 from supported living payments and a maximum of $65.36 a week from the disability allowance.

But he believes the support the Government provides is too low for disabled people to “live a life of dignity”.

Ministry of Social Development regional commissioner Craig Churchill said he was sorry to hear of the challenges Gerard is experiencing in finding long-term accommodation.

'We can confirm that Gerard is receiving his correct entitlements but is limited from receiving some types of additional assistance due to sizeable cash assets,” he said.

'When Gerard came to us seeking financial support for accommodation in March and April 2020, he was told he wasn’t eligible due to having cash assets.'

Zwartjes admitted he had money left over from selling his house in 2002, but wanted to save it so he could one day have the “security of his own place”.

“I need a place where I can control the environment, so that it is not toxic for me,” he said.

'That money has been ring-fenced to purchase another house, but with my condition that's been really hard to do.'

Churchill said attempts to support Zwartjes in finding private housing fell through after he failed to attend two arranged meetings.

Zwartjes said he did not intentionally miss the meetings, but claimed communication was poor, and he was unsure where to go.

Zwartjes has been involved in organising a protest calling for more disability inclusion in government decision-making, which was triggered by statistics revealing discrimination against the disabled community is rising.

Te Hikoi o Te tumanako mo o whanau hauaa, or March of Hope for disabled Kiwis, will take place on March 23.