Child hardship package – a very modest start
Thanks to the widespread public concern about New Zealand’s appalling child poverty levels the government has taken a
few small but positive steps towards addressing some aspects of this critical social problem.
Our most vulnerable families will be pleased to be given a modest increase in their weekly wage and the government is to
be congratulated for being the first to increase the level of budget for this group since 1991’s savage 20% cuts to
benefits that set structural inequality in place in this country.
Today’s announcements are a good start and we look forward to further increases in the next budget. However, as pleased
as these families will be, they will find the inexplicable wait from now until the increases take effect in April 2016 a
wearying challenge to their families’ well-being.
The positive nature of these changes is tempered by the increased obligations being placed on sole parents at a time in
their children’s lives when the bond between parent and child is most important.
Unfortunately, the increases to social services funding appear to be mainly focussed on the support government offers
families directly, or to assist the operations of the Public Service. They will in no way assist New Zealand’s community
social service providers as they seek to meet the deep needs of struggling families and whānau. Indeed, in light of the
changes to social service organisation funding proposed by the Ministry of Social Development, it is disturbing that the
budget offers no increase in support for the community social service sector.
The current funding crisis faced by Relationships Aotearoa is in danger of offering a very sour foretaste of the
community sector’s future. Social service organisations feel increasingly helpless and hopeless as they struggle to
provide essential social services to clients without any increase in funding at a time when even their current funds are
being actively re-allocated.
There is no indication in the budget, for example, that the government has heard calls for increased wages and
conditions for care workers or for providers who deliver services to older people both in their homes and in residential
care.
We also remain concerned that government social housing initiatives focus on only a small increase in income-related
rents with no additional houses to be built by social housing and state housing providers. While the proposal to utilise
crown land to build a range of houses, including affordable housing, may make the home ownership dream more accessible
for middle-income Aucklanders, our agencies see ever increasing demand for quality low cost rental accommodation. The
budget does not address this basic human right for low-income families.
Overall, it is good to see the government starting to respond to the needs of the most vulnerable New Zealanders by
increasing benefits and the level of working for families support. From this small beginning we hope to see considerably
more growth.
ENDS