Child Poverty Measures Bill Welcomed
“It is the right thing to do to set clear measures to reduce poverty and make Government accountable for targets to
achieve this,” says NZCCSS President Ian Hutson.
Setting measures to reduce child poverty is a vital step towards better lives for hundreds of thousands of children in
this country.
Putting those measures into legislation and requiring the Government to set targets and report annually on progress to
achieving them is also an important way to ensure that reducing child poverty becomes the central focus of Government
policy. We look forward to seeing the Government announcing its specific targets to aim for.
Setting measures and targets is an essential step to ensure that the Government fulfils commitments it has already made
to the rest of the world through the Sustainable Development Goals to halve all forms of poverty by 2030.
“We look to the Government to set ambitious targets. Achieving any significant reduction in child poverty will be
challenging and will require structural changes to how we support low-income families. The government must provide
strong leadership across all of its legislative programme if these targets are to be met,” says NZCCSS Executive Officer
Trevor McGlinchey. “The income support currently provided through the welfare and benefit system is not enough for
families to live with dignity. Changes to the benefit system coming into effect in April and the Families Package
starting in July will make a difference and start progress towards achieving targets. But these changes alone will not
be sufficient.”
“More will need to be done to lift the incomes for the low- income families with children. The simple steps of lifting
core benefit rates further, reducing the rate at which benefits are abated and improving the way that Work & Income operates so that they ensure people get all the help they are entitled to, will all help to achieve the
targets.”
Improving access to affordable housing is also critical to reducing child poverty. Housing NZ and community housing
providers have central roles in housing and supporting families. Effective action to ensure in the private rental market
provides healthy and affordable homes is also needed if the poverty rates, after housing costs are counted, are going to
be reduced.
“NZCCSS works with social services agencies throughout the country. It is the feedback from these agencies working with
families, whānau and communities living on low incomes that will help to report on progress to reduce poverty,” says
Trevor McGlinchey. “In its work to reduce child poverty the Government must ensure that there is a strong and capable
social sector to help achieve its goals.”