Coalition Ministers Differ on WINZ Shared Care Parenting Law

Press release- Fifty Fifty Campaign. 20 May 2014

Social Development Minister Paula Bennett has defended social welfare legislation which Associate Social Development Minister Tariana Turia recently described as discriminatory.

They were both responding to a questionnaire from the Fifty Fifty campaign, which seeks to change the way Work and Income treats beneficiaries who share the care of their children following separation.

Currently one parent receives the full Sole Parent Support Benefit and associated work seeking exemptions from WINZ. The other parent can only get a benefit at the single adult rate, and is obliged to be seeking fulltime work, regardless of the age of the dependent children.

“It’s unreasonable to expect a parent caring for a toddler half the week to seek fulltime work.” said Duncan Eddy, a single dad from Purakaunui, near Dunedin.

“Minister Bennett was the only MP who went so far as to defend the unequal treatment of equally involved parents. All other MPs who responded recognised the downsides of the current approach.”

Results are viewable online at: www.fiftyfifty.org.nz/mpsmay2014.htm

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