Downtown Community Ministry

Bulletin

10 July 2008

Food Grants Finally Increase

Last week’s announcement by the Government to double food grant entitlements is great news for people struggling to put food on the table this winter.

Downtown Community Ministry Director Stephanie McIntyre says, “We welcome these changes because they will provide real relief for people in need. Back in May we called for the food grant entitlement to double because we found more and more DCM clients were making choices between having food to eat and paying their bills”.

“Increasing costs for rent, food, transportation and power have forced people on low incomes to rely on organisations like DCM for food parcel support.

“These changes come at the right time but they have taken too long,” she says.

While the amount of the food grant remains the same, the allocation period has been halved from 52 weeks to 26.

“A lot of focus has been given to the Working for Families package and without doubt thousands of New Zealanders have been helped through it, but single people living alone whose sole income is a benefit are still missing out.

“People on Invalid benefits need to be supported, not penalised.

“The cuts to the welfare system in 1991 by the then National government are still being felt and benefits levels need addressing accordingly”.

“We’d like the government take some decisive action on addressing benefit levels.”

ENDS

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