Tuesday, May 05, 2015

Increase benefits!

A petition has been launched. It appears to be a collaborative effort from Unicef, CPAG,  the NZ Council of Christian Social Services and a couple of others:
To John Key, Bill English and Anne Tolley,


One in five children in New Zealand live in poverty. This is not only a national crisis, but an entirely avoidable one, and it’s time to take action. Every year we delay is a year hundreds of thousands of our children cannot get back.
Budget 2015 needs to be a budget to end child poverty.
I’m calling on you to treat all children fairly in this Budget and boost the incomes of the poorest families in New Zealand by including children who currently miss out on adequate state support.

At least the demand is plain. Increase benefits.

Would it be fair to "all children" to take more money away from parents who have taken responsibility for their families and give it to parents who have not?

Would it be fair to "all children" to increase the motivation for drop-kick parents to produce babies as meal tickets?

Would it be fair to "all children" to further incentivise fatherless families?

I have an idea.

It's a compromise because I accept that in the short term, a boost in income might help some children.

The government could agree to increase the benefit payment IF the parent accepts income management. That means their rent and power are paid direct. They are issued with a payment card for groceries. The remainder is paid in cash. It wouldn't be much. But the children would be assured of a home, heat, food and a caregiver who isn't mentally wrung-out struggling to cope with burgeoning debt from money mismanagement. The last is often to their greatest detriment.

Parents who accept  will be those genuinely motivated to do the best by their children. They'd quite probably also have no interest in extending the arrangement indefinitely.

If nothing else, it would be an interesting exercise testing a parent's commitment to their children.

I accept it's paternalistic, maybe even draconian. But it would meet what the petitioners want. More income for beneficiary children.

In respect to disadvantaged children, New Zealand dug the hole. We can't just keep digging it deeper.

4 comments:

Unknown said...

absolutely spot on Lindsay BUT the handwringing set will never accept such an infringement of drop kick parents inalienable rights to live the way they want and bludge off the system

Jamie said...

Outrageous. I tell ya those commies won't ever quit

http://www.nationaldebtclocks.org/debtclock/newzealand

[Shakes his head]

The People just don't get it...

Y'all caring on like it's 1999. Dammitt it's 2015. Get real!!! Sh*t's coming down. All indicators are pointing South

My only suggestion - them that can't find jobs let them grow food on council land

Jigsaw said...

I think Jamie must be smoking something different....
The cry of 'poverty' is something of a catch-cry at the moment especially amongst some of the middle class who can't seem to imagine anyone who doesn't think like them. No word of any personal responsibility just a whole lot about people who they imagine are just a little away from managing and a lift in the benefits will immediately fix this. It's a strange affliction!

S.Beast said...

Sounds like a good idea to me providing there is a freedom of choice.

Given it may even end up saving money surely it would be worth a pilot program.