Submission to Budget Policy Statement (BPS) 2023

Summary

• The Salvation Army welcomes to clear goals to focus on supporting families and households experiencing cost of living pressures and prioritising crucial government services of health, education and housing. 
• We support the Wellbeing approach to intergenerational wellbeing and use of He Ara Waiora framework to guide work to reduce the continuing large inequities in outcomes faced by Māori. 
• Fiscal policy needs to support the wellbeing approach and the stated aim to constrain government expenditure and debt levels carry the risk that those who rely most on publicly funded services could miss out on support they need. 
• The forecast recession during 2023 is a concern and we urge the government to ensure that those already at the margins, or who are already only just getting by, do not have end up carrying the main burden of an economic recession. 
• Cost of living pressures mean that it is crucial that levels of assistance are adjusted in this year’s Budget and in future Budgets to maintain the real value of social assistance, and resourcing of work to address household debt and financial mentoring support services. 
• Housing need continues to be high, and responses need to recognise the complexity of people’s situations and the need for a range of responses. Expanding Financial support for people on low incomes to move into home ownership through progressive home ownership schemes, better support for low income renters, and exploring options around increasing supply-side solutions for housing need are crucial 
• Child poverty is a focus of this government and further investment in support for lower income households with children through changes to Working for Families, and other welfare support is urgently needed to ensure child poverty reduction targets are met. 
• Mental health and income levels are the two main determinants of life satisfaction and mental and addictions are closely interrelated. Greater regulation adequate resourcing of harm prevention work and addiction treatment services is urgently needed. 
• Remand population in prison is very high and creating significant injustice for all those affected. Urgent investment is needed in the justice and court system to reduce this and fund alternatives to remand in custody and support for people on remand 

 

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