27 May 2019

Struggling parents hope for boost in Wellbeing Budget

From Morning Report, 6:41 am on 27 May 2019

A single mother who works full-time yet struggles to provide the basics for her children says she'd like to see more funding in this week's Budget go towards helping struggling parents obtain better qualifications.

Funding to tackle child poverty is expected to be a big focus in the Budget announcement on Thursday - but where should the money go?

Benny Hone, from Flaxmere, works nights driving a forklift for minimum wage, and her days looking after six of her 10 children still at home.

She'd love to become a truck driver so she could earn a better living - but she can't afford the cost. She says the government should provide more opportunities for lower income families to gain higher paying jobs.