26 Jan 2022

Anti-poverty group says families package still falling short

From Midday Report, 12:42 pm on 26 January 2022

The government's touting the success of a families package scheme, saying it helped more than half of all families with children in its first year.

Introduced in 2018, the Families Package boosted social assistance payments for low and middle income families.

The Social Development Ministry says it has helped more than two thirds of all Maori and Pacific whānau with children.

On average, families had an an extra $55 a week.

A spokesperson for child poverty action group professor emeritus Dr Innes Asher told Māni Dunlop that Covid was disproportionately hitting the poorest.