Concern for children amid new benefit rules

The Salvation Army is concerned children will be harmed by the Government’s new Jobseeker benefit rules.

The new rules—which include sanctions and penalties that can result in reductions in benefit amounts—come as more people lose their jobs amid a deepening cost of living crisis.

“At a time when the Government has already lowered their child poverty reduction targets, here is a policy that has the potential to put more children into poverty,” says Dr Bonnie Robinson, research and justice stream lead and director of The Salvation Army’s Social Policy and Parliamentary Unit.

“When parents are put on benefit sanctions, children are also sanctioned. This will push more children into poverty.”

Salvation Army frontline services report whānau who need support sometimes struggle to get onto the benefit and stay on it. This can be because of being unable to get an appointment in time, difficulty affording transport to get to appointments, inability to access the internet to fill out forms, and literacy challenges.

Robinson says investment should be made in organisations such as The Salvation Army who help children have what they need to thrive.

The Salvation Army Territorial Media Officer, 021 945 337, email: media@salvationarmy.org.nz (The Media Officer responds to enquiries from media outlets and journalists. If you would like to donate, are in need of help, or have some other non-media-related enquiry, please call 0800 53 00 00.)