Save the Children welcomed yesterday's slight lift in the Family Tax Credit and Best Start Payments that would give around 346,000 families an average $20 extra a week, but said the increase was not enough to make a tangible difference to the lives of families struggling with the impacts of COVID-19.

"This is a good start, but more needs to be done if we are to make meaningful change for Aotearoa's tamariki and their whānau. Families are hurting right now, particularly families in Tāmaki Makaurau still in the grip of COVID-19 lockdowns, and the increased costs of Christmas looming.

"We'd like to see the Government fast track these increases and implement them pre-Christmas. Waiting until April for these payments to kick in just means families continue to struggle on incomes too low to cover the basics."

© Scoop Media