More bad news for unemployed students

More bad news for unemployed students in select committee report

The New Zealand University Students’ Association (NZUSA) is angry that a Social Services select committee report released today recommends against reinstating the Emergency Unemployment Benefit (EUB) for all students who cannot find work over summer. NZUSA presented a petition to the select committee in August that initiated the report.

The report comes on the tail of an education and science select committee report into fees loans and allowances that failed to make any recommendations on improvements to the student loan scheme, and a Tertiary Education Advisory Commission (TEAC) report that recommended dramatic cuts to student financial support.

“The last month hasn’t been good for students. Its starting to feel like the mid 90s again when the National Party cut support to students budget after budget. There was a clear ground swell of support amongst students for the reintroduction of the EUB which the select committee has ignored,” said NZUSA Co-President Andrew Campbell.

“The select committee has not adequately explained why students should be treated differently from other New Zealanders when they find themselves unemployed. There is no logical justification for this discrimination and it is only penny pinching by the government that has stopped the EUB being reinstated,” said Campbell.

“One positive aspect of the report is that all political parties except Labour support a review of parental income thresholds for allowances. These thresholds have not been adjusted since 1992 and the number of students who are eligible for allowances and therefore the student unemployment benefit has decreased every year since,” said Campbell.

“Students will not give up fighting for the EUB. With both the Alliance, the Greens and New Zealand First supporting its reinstatement the EUB will be an election year issue that Labour cannot ignore,” Campbell.

ENDS
For further information please contact
NZUSA Co-President Andrew Campbell
Wk: 04 498 2500 Cell: 0274 86 86 77

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