Organisations join call for harmful relationship rules to be scrapped

On Monday 25th of November, International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, ActionStation, Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG), and Auckland Action Against Poverty (AAAP) will come together with people who have directly experienced the impacts of the punitive Work and Income relationship rules, to launch an open letter calling on the Prime Minister to change how relationships are treated within New Zealand’s welfare system.

Speakers at the launch, which is taking place at the Ellen Melville Centre in downtown Auckland, include Ricardo Menendez March from AAAP and Associate Professor Susan St John from CPAG.

“It’s time for our Government to stop penalising couples by reducing their payments and putting extraordinary pressure on new couples. Nobody should be forced to give up their financial independence, or become trapped in abusive relationships because of government policy,” says Ruby Powell from ActionStation.

Other organisations who support this initiative and have already signed the open letter include the Aunties, HELP and Te Kupenga National Network of Stopping Violence Services.

The open letter will be launched at the Ellen Melville Centre in Auckland, on Monday November 25th. Media are warmly invited to attend.

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