Scoop has an Ethical Paywall
License needed for work use Register

Gordon Campbell | Parliament TV | Parliament Today | News Video | Crime | Employers | Housing | Immigration | Legal | Local Govt. | Maori | Welfare | Unions | Youth | Search

 

Grandparents still waiting for Labour promises


Grandparents still waiting for Labour party promises

11 September 2007
Media Release 11 September 2007

For Immediate Use

Grandparents still waiting for Labour party promises

The National Grandparents raising Grandchildren Trust is still waiting for the Labour Party's promise to provide financial equity to Grandparents raising their Grandchildren.

In September 2005, Prime Minister Helen Clark stated that the longstanding anomaly where grandparents receive approximately $3000 a year less in board payments than unrelated foster parents would be removed for the 700 superannuitant grandparents. This did not extend to those who were under 65, whether they were working or not.

In February the Hon Ruth Dyson announced a $10.00 a week increase to foster parents and $20.00 per week increase to all kin caregivers receiving the Unsupported Child Benefit. The anomaly still remains.

Additionally, unrelated foster parents also receive clothing allowances averaging $950 a year and can claim for school and medical expenses, holiday expenses and Christmas and Birthday allowances. Grandparents and other "kin carers" who take on custody or guardianship of children get only the unsupported child benefit.

The National Convener of Grandparents Raising Grandchildren™ Trust, Diane Vivian, said “while grandparents were pleased for the increase, they very often struggle to make ends meet, particularly when they are caring for children with severe psychological and physical problems arising out if the abuse and neglect they have suffered.”

Advertisement - scroll to continue reading

Are you getting our free newsletter?

Subscribe to Scoop’s 'The Catch Up' our free weekly newsletter sent to your inbox every Monday with stories from across our network.

Research commissioned by the Trust with 323 Grandparents who were raising their Grandchildren showed that many grandparents have had to return to the workforce, having retired, to make ends meet. Figures gained from Child youth and Family in November last year showed that over 50% of children who have come to the notice of Child Youth and Family are in extended family care, particularly Maori and Pacific Island children.

In addition, many families have voluntarily accepted responsibility when the children were deemed to be at risk, before Child Youth and Family had to intervene, and these families are not counted at all.


ends

© Scoop Media

Advertisement - scroll to continue reading
 
 
 
Parliament Headlines | Politics Headlines | Regional Headlines

Gordon Campbell: On How Climate Change Threatens Cricket‘s Future

Well that didn’t last long, did it? Mere days after taking on what he called the “awesome responsibility” of being Prime Minister, Christopher Luxon has started blaming everyone else and complaining that he's inherited “economic vandalism on an unprecedented scale” - which is how most of us would describe his own coalition agreements, 100-Day Plan, and backdated $3 billion handout to landlords... More


 
 
Public Housing Futures: Christmas Comes Early For Landlords

New CTU analysis of the National & ACT coalition agreement has shown the cost of returning interest deductibility to landlords is an extra $900M on top of National’s original proposal. This is because it is going to be implemented earlier and faster, including retrospective rebates from April 2023. More


Green Party: Petition To Save Oil & Gas Ban

“The new Government’s plan to expand oil and gas exploration is as dangerous as it is unscientific. Whatever you think about the new government, there is simply no mandate to trash the climate. We need to come together to stop them,” says James Shaw. More

PSA: MFAT Must Reverse Decision To Remove Te Reo

MFAT's decision to remove te reo from correspondence before new Ministers are sworn in risks undermining the important progress the public sector has made in honouring te Tiriti. "We are very disappointed in what is a backward decision - it simply seems to be a Ministry bowing to the racist rhetoric we heard on the election campaign trail," says Marcia Puru. More

 
 
 
 
 
 

LATEST HEADLINES

  • PARLIAMENT
  • POLITICS
  • REGIONAL
 
 

InfoPages News Channels


 
 
 
 

Join Our Free Newsletter

Subscribe to Scoop’s 'The Catch Up' our free weekly newsletter sent to your inbox every Monday with stories from across our network.