Benefits for jobless ex-sex workers

Photo / Herald on Sunday

Two former sex workers who have been without an income since a six-month job scheme ended on May 21 were granted unemployment benefits on Thursday.

Work and Income Auckland regional director Losa McAlpine met the transgender group of former sex workers at the Mangere East Family Service Centre on Thursday and also agreed to post a staff member to the centre for half a day a week from next week.

Briannah Swift, 18, and Isles Posimani, 24, said in Wednesday's Herald that they had been unable to get jobs or benefits since finishing their six-month Community Max scheme, which aimed to help them into new jobs outside the sex industry.

Ms Posimani said that she had not attended appointments at Work and Income's Mangere service centre because, "I have my reasons".

Community worker Mama Tere, who runs a support programme at the Family Centre for Maori and Pacific gay, bisexual and transgender people, said transgender people did not feel comfortable visiting the service centre.

"When the case manager says, 'Are you he or she,' straight away the girls feel very unsafe," she said.

Ms McAlpine said her staff had been discussing ways to improve support for the transgender community. "Every effort is and will continue to be made by Work and Income in supporting these young people into work," she said.