Over time, the DPB has evolved - it's now the sole parent benefit - and critics of the benefit may feel their concerns were justified. There has been an increase in the number of single mothers; it is easier for men to walk away from their obligations; some people take the benefit rather than find work. But I believe that to be a very small minority.In response, here are ten DPB facts:
1/ One in five children will be on it by the end of their birth year
2/ At April 2012 there were 179,204 children dependent on the DPB
3/ Sole parents spend an average 15.8 years on benefit
4/ Going back just ten years, researchers found at least a third of sole parents had started on welfare as teenagers
5/ 46 percent of sole parent support recipients are Maori (4 out of 5 Maori children are born outside of marriage.)
6/ 83 percent of all children with a substantiated finding of abuse had appeared in the benefit system before age two
7/ 48 percent of sole parents on the benefit had no educational qualifications; 44% had school qualifications only (2005)
8/ 6 out of 10 were in debt to MSD
9/ Sole parents and their children are more likely to have mental health problems
10/ Of all children turning 15 in 2008, one in five had spent seven or more of their first 14 years on a benefit - usually the DPB
McIvor finishes her column with this:
I'm grateful to live in a country where there's a safety net for vulnerable children - because after all, that's who the DPB really benefits.
7 comments:
Correlation is not causation.
Wow, insightful comment Muerk, can I play too?...lets see
3 is not an even number...
cysteine-tyrosine-isoleucine-glutamine-asparagine-cysteine-proline-leucine-glycine-amide (or oxytocin to you and I)does not have a molecular mass greater than 1000 daltons
Lake Horoko is not in the top ten deepest lakes in the world (it's actually 16th)
I could play all day...
I'm grateful to live in a country where there's a safety net for vulnerable children...
What does that even mean? When people can only speak in euphemisms, you're left to make assumptions about what the hell they think they're saying. In this case, if we take "vulnerable children" to mean the ones at highest risk of suffering neglect and abuse, the stats suggest that this "safety net" has a lot to do with creating the "vulnerability." It would be nice if what we had really was a "safety net," but it seems to be mostly fulfilling an entirely different function.
3/ Sole parents spend an average 15.8 years on benefit
This is nonsense on its own. You need to say what you mean by “sole parents” – presumably a particular cohort of people who entered the benefit system as a sole parent in a particular year? It certainly doesn’t apply to all sole parents, many (now most?) of whom do not go on benefit.
4/ Going back just ten years, researchers found at least a third of sole parents had started on welfare as teenagers
Again, you need to clarify which “sole parents” this refers to. Current sole parent benefit recipients for whom there were records going back ten years? Again, a minority of sole parents.
9/ Sole parents and their children are more likely to have mental health problems [than partnered parents]
Such as anxiety and depression. Not surprising, given the stigmatisatiion people like you perpetuate.
3/ http://www.msd.govt.nz/about-msd-and-our-work/newsroom/media-releases/2013/taylor-fry-welfare-valuation.html
4/ http://www.msd.govt.nz/documents/about-msd-and-our-work/publications-resources/research/sole-parenting/understanding-sub-groups-of-sole-parents-receiving-main-benefits.doc
3/ “Sole parents spend an average 15.8 years on benefit”
The source confirms that “sole parents” refers to those currently or recently in receipt of a sole parent benefit and the figure of 15.8 years is an actuarial estimate of their future liability on any benefit (not just sole parent benefit). It certainly doesn’t mean all sole parents.
Note there is an important caveat on the use of this data on page 220 of the source document:
“This report has been prepared for the specific purpose of assisting MSD in determining an
estimate of the current client liability for those on or recently on benefit plus future client
liability costs over the next five years. No reliance should be placed on this report for any
other purpose without confirming with us that such a purpose is appropriate.”
4/ “Going back just ten years, researchers found at least a third of sole parents had started on welfare as teenagers”
The source states:
“On average, sole parents receiving main benefits had more disadvantaged backgrounds than might have been expected:
• just over half had spent at least 80% of the history period observed (the previous 10 years in most cases) supported by main benefits
• a third appeared to have become parents in their teenage years.
“This reflects the over-representation of sole parents with long stays on benefit among those in receipt at any point in time, and the longer than average stays on benefit for those who become parents as teenagers.
“Had the research considered all people granted benefit as a sole parent, or all people who received benefit as a sole parent over a window of time rather than at a point in time, the overall profile of the group would have appeared less disadvantaged.”
You must have read this. Leaving out that context confirms your well-known bias.
"The source confirms that “sole parents” refers to those currently or recently in receipt of a sole parent benefit and the figure of 15.8 years is an actuarial estimate of their future liability on any benefit (not just sole parent benefit). It certainly doesn’t mean all sole parents."
I didn't say "just sole parent benefit". My 'fact' was a direct quote from the Minister. And any reference in my 'DPB facts' to sole parents clearly refers to those who depend or have depended on welfare.
"Leaving out that context confirms your well-known bias."
The next 'fact' referred to the teenage aspect.
The economic disadvantage when considering DPB beneficiaries at a point in time as opposed to over a period of time has been well-canvassed earlier on this blog.
And of course I'm biased. My view point, which I don't hide, is that long-term welfare is bad for women and children.
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