Tuesday, June 17, 2014

Very odd numbers

About the Growing Up In NZ third report, the NZ Herald reports today:

Families Commissioner Belinda Milnes highlighted the study's findings on changes in the number of women without a partner, from 212 in the pregnancy phase, to 439 at the 9-month interview and 319 at 2 years.

There is something very odd about those numbers.

Of 7,000 children followed, at 9 months the percentage was 6.3%.

Whereas there are consistently around 20 percent of babies dependent on welfare by the end of their birth year. Most on a sole parent benefit.

Additionally, Counties Manakau has a higher proportion of benefit uptake than nationally.

I know the study has a reasonably high drop-out rate but the numbers seem, as I said, very odd.

One implication is that a lot of people who have partners are claiming a sole parent benefit. A lot.

The report doesn't appear at the Growing Up In NZ website yet.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Whereas there are consistently around 20 percent of babies dependent on welfare by the end of their birth year.

Far far more than that: almost all Kiwi "babies" come in through the public health system, which is welfare, and go to public schools, which is also welfare.

So tell the truth - something like 90% or more of Kiwi "babies" are on welfare from day 1.