The Child and Youth Wellbeing Strategy Report released today shows that Labour’s plan to lift children out of poverty is moving at a snail’s pace, National’s Child Poverty Reduction spokesperson Louise Upston says.

“The report shows just a 1 per cent reduction in children living in households experiencing material hardship.

“It also shows an increase in the number of children living in households with less than 50 per cent of the median income after housing costs.

“Labour promised to lift 100,000 children out of poverty by 2020, measured as children living in homes on less than 50 per cent of the median income. But two years after their target date came and went, 80 per cent of those children are still waiting on Labour to deliver on its promise.

“After five years of this Labour Government, 35,000 more children are living in benefit-dependent homes; enough to fill the entirety of Wellington’s Sky Stadium.

“When asked what the Government is doing to reduce the number of children in benefit dependent homes, the Minister for Child Poverty Reduction, Jan Tinetti, continually references Labour’s $5.5 billion Families Package. However, today’s report clearly shows Labour’s continued inability to deliver. Labour is spending more money but not delivering improved outcomes.

“National understands that simply throwing money at a problem through increasing benefit amounts and other futile avenues is not how we get people off welfare and children out of poverty.

“National’s Welfare that Works policy will see more Kiwis in jobs and the advantages that come from being employed.

“Under a National Government, jobseekers would receive a proper needs assessment, a plan to address any barriers to work, job coaching from community organisations, and would be subject to a reward/sanction approach where warranted.”

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