Media Release
22 PERCENT OF BABIES BORN IN 2011 ON WELFARE BY YEAR-END
Monday, 28 May, 2012
Welfare commentator Lindsay Mitchell said that data released to her
under the official Information Act show that 22.2 percent of babies
born in 2011 were dependent on a caregiver receiving a benefit by
the end of the same year.
"Over one in five babies reliant on welfare by year-end is a
sobering statistic. Almost half of the caregivers were Maori and
half were aged 24 or younger."
"There is an established pattern of childbearing followed by
reasonably rapid, if not immediate, recourse to welfare in New
Zealand. This occurs during good and bad economic periods."
"The implications for this high percentage lie in the likelihood of
these children remaining on a benefit for many years. Ministry of
Social Development research found, 'The older the child
when they first have contact with the benefit system, the greater
their likelihood of leaving benefit. Compared to those in
contact at birth, those who first have contact between birth and
six months have a 15% increase in the probability of leaving
benefit. Between six months and one year there is a 33% increase,
between one and two years there is a 41% increase, and first
contact between two and three years is associated with a 56%
increase in the probability of leaving benefit.' "
"These are the circumstances which are overwhelmingly contributing
to New Zealand's child poverty problem."
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3 comments:
This is a situation of catastrophic proportion.
It is, to coin a phrase, "unsustainable".
Considering the parents of most babies are on "Working for Families" I'd say the majority of babies in New Zealand are on welfare before they're a month old.
NZ's state sector is now 55-60% of the economy.
Given plunket, state hospitals, WFF, ACC, EQC, paid parental leave and all the rest, I think you'd be doing very well indeed to find one in five babies born in 2012 who are not on welfare
Paid Parental Leave. Plunket. And of course those trendy birthing suites, midwives and all the rest - the are all state welfare Lindsay as you know only to well. Not to mention the WFF, the interest free student loans the parents will be having, along with criminally low interest rates.
And every cent NZ spends on welfare of all types is borrowed. Every damn cent.
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