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A mother of two says she is struggling to make ends meet because the single parent benefit was awarded to her former partner, even though they share 50/50 custody.
He said he’s been repeatedly told by Work and Income staff that benefit is allocated on a first-come, first-served basis, and since he applied first, there is nothing they can do.
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That left her paying $ 80 a month in child support and living with her parents to save rent, while her ex receives up to $ 375 a week in single parent support.
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It’s a “disgusting” system, he said: “It favors one parent over the other and it’s very, very difficult for the other to stay out of it.”
Grant matthew / Stuff
A single mother says that without sole child support, she has no choice but to live with her parents. (File photo)
Only one parent can claim sole parent support. When care is divided equally, it is assumed that who receives it is decided by work and income based on who takes more responsibility for things like buying clothes and doing school.
If Work and Income cannot solve it, it is up to the parents to decide.
But the mother said that was not what happened when she separated from her partner almost five years ago. He started claiming the benefit without her knowing it, she said, not realizing that only one of them was entitled to it.
The part-time job she has alongside her studies doesn’t bring her much, about $ 350 a week. She receives $ 170 a week in family tax credit and work tax credit, plus a $ 100 lodging supplement. At the moment, she also receives $ 40 a week in temporary additional support to help pay bills.
“I’m really struggling,” he said.
But she has been left behind when they asked for another type of support: “They just tell me that since he receives the benefit of a single father, I do not receive any help.
It was the same story when she recently applied for the Out of School Care and Recreation (OSCAR) grant so she could put her daughters on a vacation program.
They told her that she needed her ex-partner to sign a statement saying that she is the main mother, despite providing Work and Income with a court order showing that care is shared 50/50.
He said that his ex-partner would not be willing to give him that because it would affect his benefit.
She also couldn’t ask him why they are not talking, saying there was a history of abuse.
Outside of daycare during the holidays, she said her father had to take time off to take care of his daughters while she worked and studied.
Ricardo Menendez-March of Auckland Action Against Poverty, who is also running for the Green Party elections in Maungakiekie, said the current system “creates financial imbalances” among caregivers.
MIKE WILSON / remove the splash
The mother of two says the current system favors one parent over the other. (File photo)
“The benefit system is not structured for co-parenting,” he said.
He said a better system would be to have a “parent benefit” rather than the sole parent benefit, whereby caregivers receive adequate income support regardless of marital status.
Kay Read from the Ministry of Social Development said the ministry understands “the difficulty parents face under the benefit system where they share childcare.”
He noted that changes are taking place in the way shared care arrangements are recognized in the welfare system, and said that as part of the welfare system review, the ministry will provide advice to the Minister of Social Development on the matter.
He said that if the client is not satisfied with Work and Income’s decision, they have the right to request a review.
“This process allows independent consideration of whether decisions are made in accordance with appropriate legislation.”
Where to get help for domestic violence cases
- Women’s shelter 0800733843 (female only)
- Shine Free call 0508744633 from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. (for men and women)
- 1737, do you need to talk? Call toll free or text 1737 to speak with a trained counselor.
- Kidsline 0800 54 37 54 for people up to 18 years old. Open 24/7.
- What happens 0800 942 8787 (from 5 to 18 years old). Telephone advice available from Monday to Friday from 12:00 to 23:00 and on weekends from 15:00 to 23:00. Online chat is available from 3 pm to 10 pm every day.
- Youthline 0800 376 633, free text 234, email [email protected], or find online chat and other support options here.
- If you or someone else is in immediate danger, call 111.
Need help? If you or someone you know is in a dangerous situation, please click on the Shielded icon at the bottom of this website to communicate with Women’s Refuge safely and anonymously without your browser history being tracked. If you are in our app, visit the mobile website here to access Armored.
