In the Poverty Trap
letter by Susan St John, published in NZ Herald on 23 October 1999
There may be a further unpleasant surprise for the mothers of Te Aroha, Te Rapa and East Tamaki who have just lost their jobs due to government policy on tariffs.
Should they now require an unemployment benefit or the DPB they will be treated as ''dependent on the state". This means that they will immediately lose entitlement to the weekly child tax credit payment of $15 a week a child. If they are pregnant they will also lose entitlement to the parental tax credit of $1200, no matter how long they worked for Bendon.
Children of low income parents are penalised once the low parental income is from WINZ (including ACC, New Zealand Super or a student allowance) rather than a low paid job.
Child Poverty Action deplores this unfair situation and its stupidity in the light of well documented child poverty in New Zealand.
Susan St John
Child Poverty Action - Better policies for children.