Italian women who reject abortion could soon receive income support from the state. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s government is promoting a “maternity income” bill that proposes aid of 1,000 euros (about NZ$1,800) for five years to Italian women who reject abortion. Meloni (pictured) says payments would target women who could not otherwise cope financially with Read more
Amending the End of Life Choice Act to safeguard people with disabilities is a priority for Te Pāti Māori. The End of Life Choice Act, which legalised euthanasia in 2019, has insufficient safeguards, Te Pāti says. It wants to amend the Act to ensure disabled people are not targeted. The moves are part of Te Read more
For the last two decades critics have seen Working for Families (WFF) as discriminatory, poorly designed, far too complex and woefully ineffective in addressing the worst child poverty. In 2004, CPAG explained what was so wrong in a publication called Cut Price Kids and has been campaigning to fix WFF ever since. After the WEAG Read more
Low income New Zealanders now owe more than $2.1 billion to the Ministry of Social Development as they continue to have to borrow money to survive. The latest figures show beneficiaries owe $200 million more than the same time last year. In this year’s Budget, the Government gave those over 18 and earning $70,000 or Read more
Support for struggling families, our homeless whanau and those living in poverty has not been up to the task for decades says Bernie Smith, CEO of Auckland’s Catholic Monte Cecilia Housing Trust. He is adamant. We might want to blame COVID and the war in Ukraine for our economic woes, he says. But everyone (except Read more
Since the start of the Delta outbreak lockdown, 8500 more people have ended up on the benefit, Ministry of Social Development figures show. While job losses have been nowhere near as severe as the first lockdown in March last year, many thousands of whānau are still struggling to make ends meet, as COVID-19 restrictions remain Read more
Results of polls show 69 percent of us want the government to increase income support rates for those on low incomes and not in paid work. The UMR poll was commissioned by a super-group of NGOs who are pushing to release families from the severe constraints of poverty. The group includes unions, social service NGOs, Read more