15 May 2020

Coronavirus: Is Budget welfare spending enough?

From Morning Report, 7:44 am on 15 May 2020

Those hoping for a further rise in welfare payments to feature in the budget have been disappointed, despite predictions that the Covid-19 outbreak will create tens of thousands of new beneficiaries.

But there is funding for a range of other social services, including a $220 million for the expansion of the government's food in schools projects school lunch program.

There is also money for 8,000 new public and transitional homes to be built over the next several years.

But is it enough for New Zealand's most disadvantaged families?

Liz Davies, general manager of SociaLink in the western Bay of Plenty, Mariameno Kapi-Kingi of Te Runanga o Whaingaroa and Scott Figenshow, CEO of Community Housing Aotearoa, speak to Kim Hill.