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National would not award cash grants to new parents. Rather, they would receive a nominal amount of funding with which they could purchase approved services, including midwifery services or access to tutoring.
The funds could only be used to purchase approved and specified services, however, parents would have complete autonomy on how to allocate their funds among the approved options.
Most parents would receive a funding allocation of $ 3,000, while those identified through National’s promise to improve screening as higher risk or in need of additional needs would receive up to $ 6,000.
Seymour said improved newborn screening is smart, but universal wellness is irresponsible in today’s climate.
“After COVID-19, the government committed to borrowing $ 140 billion in addition to the $ 60 billion debt it had before COVID,” he said. “For many families, their greatest debt will be the one that the government assumed for them.”
ACT has proposed cutting benefit rates, reinstating 90-day lawsuits for businesses, halting minimum wage increases for three years, returning interest on student loans, eliminating KiwiSaver subsidies, and abolishing the winter energy payment. .
Auckland Action Against Poverty spokesperson Brooke Fiafia told Newshub last month that the proposal to cut benefits would only deepen New Zealand’s inequality crisis.
National’s new policy came after a new UNICEF report reflected the low rates of child welfare in New Zealand between 2013 and 2018.
Prime Minister and Minister for Child Poverty Reduction Jacinda Ardern said the report predates progress on the implementation of the Government’s $ 5.5 billion Family Package and setting child poverty reduction targets.
Data released by Stats NZ in February found that there had been no “significant change” in rates of material distress since 2017.
But Ardern has argued that the government improved welfare by increasing benefits by $ 25 a week and doubling the winter energy payment during the colder months.
“That report uses data as old as 2013 so it is not necessarily a snapshot of the progress that has been made in recent times in New Zealand,” Ardern said Thursday.
“But it does emphasize that it is as important as a country that we continue to focus on the well-being and mental health of children and young people.
“Obviously, this predominantly reflects the last government. It’s old data. What we do know from the latest data we have is that this government has improved child poverty in seven out of nine of the measures.
“However, what we want to do is move on.”
Ardern said there is always more to do.
“Our work will not be done until we, as a country, see children fully lift themselves out of poverty. We are, relative to many other countries, a country that is rich enough to be able to achieve that goal. However, we need more than three years to achieve it. “
National would uphold the government’s BestStart policy, where qualifying families can receive a payment of $ 60 per week until their baby turns one, no matter how much they earn.
After the first year, a parent can continue to receive payments until their child turns three if they earn less than $ 93,858.
