Poverty reducing for Children
By | Jul 4, 2008
Fewer children are living in poverty – but working-age singles are increasingly the new poor, according to the Social Development Ministry. For more, see The Dominion Post, and the Ministry of Social Development. The government have understandably been making the most of this good news – and it really is good news – the government have done a good job on this, especially when we think where things were at the end of the 1990s.
There have been a number of expected press releases from agencies saying effectively how pleased they are with the government’s work. And yes, of course, we still have no agreed measure of poverty – but we do have a functional measure – 60% of median income.
Working For Families has done a great deal to reduce poverty numbers by connecting with those just on the ‘edge’ of poverty – getting people into work and providing tax breaks connects the ‘marginally poor’ with a way out of poverty.
But it doesn’t do much for the poorest in our society, does it. Will the changes to the core benefit system offer a way forward there, I wonder? Will we have the time to find this out? Will October equate to stepping back in time?
It’s time for a change. But what kind of change? ….that’s the real question we need to be asking ourselves.
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