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Estimated 2200 parents face benefit cut

16:06 Wed Sep 12 2012

AAP

Social Development Minister Paula Bennett announced the new welfare reform on Tuesday (Getty)

More national news

Government officials estimate 2200 parents will have their benefit cut in the first year of the new regime that will penalise them if they don't send their children to early childhood education centres.

Green Party co-leader Russel Norman tabled a cabinet paper including the estimate in parliament on Wednesday and questioned Acting Prime Minister Bill English about it.

Mr English said ministers didn't agree with the estimate.

"We take a more optimistic view than the officials do in the cabinet paper," he said.

"We think most parents, in fact almost all parents, are likely to comply with those obligations."

The government announced the latest welfare reform on Tuesday, saying beneficiary parents would get three warnings and then their entitlement would be cut by 50 per cent if they didn't send their children to ECE centres when they were three years old.

Opposition parties say it will penalise the most vulnerable families and there will be a severe impact on the children of those families.

"What kind of monstrous government punishes children because it doesn't like the actions of their parents, and is it not a policy of laying the alleged sins of the parents upon their children?" Dr Norman asked.

Mr English replied, "What kind of monstrous government, of which the Greens were part up to 2008, did absolutely nothing for the most vulnerable children and the most impoverished families in this country?"

User comments

This is crazy, 1. waiting lists at early child centers are huge, and some kids arnt getting in till there over 4. 2. Some 3 year olds are not ready. How is taking money off them going to help exactly? although i think kindy or daycare is great for kids its not for all kids, and every family situation is different.

Key govt should understand the problems that middle class people are facing and try to solve not make them worst

My personal opinion to this decision is most definitley out of touch for these families. Yes we have families whom are taking advantage of the system, but we also have families who would love to have their child in Daycare, but simply....cannot afford it. I am a social worker working in the community and I have witnessed families trying to do everything and anything for their children. The rent they are needing to pay, food to buy, personal resources to provide for each other, Paula....some of these families are struggling enough as it is. Even with the subsidy work and income is providing, the free 20hours offered, Im sorry but its not as easy as it sounds. You are going to be causing a very high demand for work and income. Expect a high toll WINZ, food banks, Budgeting services etc...if this is to proceed.

needs her head kicked in.

Good call Paula Bennett. It is not about cutting beneits - it is about changing the attitudes of people who beleive it is their right to do anyting they want (or nothig at all) and still be paid by those of us who work and pay taxes. Wake up people and understand what this is all about. With the right to receive a benefit comes a responsibilty.

So a 50% cut in benefit payments is going to help these children how exactly? People who can barely provide decent nutrition, housing and clothing for their kids are going to suddenly find even less money in their bank to meet their kids basic needs? While there's some justification for the govt dictating how a beneficiary spends money (i.e. no booze, ciggies or lotto) given it's the govt's money, how does that translate into the govt having a right to dictate parenting and health care decisions? WIll this extend to cutting working for families payments if kids aren't in ECE? Will it extend to clawing back tax rebates? All this is based on the assumption that beneficiaries are bad parents, and the govt needs to do the parenting for them. This is the right-wing version of nanny statism. I fully support ECE but I also support a parent's right to decide how to educate their child regardless of where their income comes from.

The government are trying to cut cost, so they are making poor decision and therefore the parents are being penalised. It is already hard enough for families who are just getting by. There are families that cannot put their children in a day care due to availability, medical reasons or because they simply cannot not afford to, what is wrong with parents teaching their children at home there are some programmes out there that pre schoolers can do at home with their parents etc... When they make a decisions like this they will of course have some kind of rubbish statisic to back up what they are saying..... did all the members from the national parliament go to a day care to get where they are it is up to the individual who wants to push themselve to achieve no matter what school you go to or if you dont go to day care. I agree with some of the choices the government has made in the pass, but not this one.

Paula Bennett. You are obviously a woman who doesnt have a brain in her head. I would never vote for someone like you. My child does much better at home with all the love, bonding and education I give her. When I take her to Kindergarten, she screams all the time, as she wants to be with her mother. The caregivers there ring me every day to come and get my child. I hope I will not be penalised for this. There is nothing I can do about the situation.

The wicked witch of the West has spoken! Come my little pretties do not fear my flying monkeys nor me! You all must realize it is your own doing that keeps you poor and dysfunctional. I only want what my monkeys and I know is best for you and your off spring. So be not afraid as long as we can keep the healthy, wealthy and cunning 10% of the kingdom happy and in profit all will be well. So I shall cast a spell!"AH, ha, ha, haaa" Welfare reforms, welfare reforms. Welfare reforms will put them to sleep! Sleep my beauties! Now you’ll sleep.

Does Paula Bennet even visit Day Care Centres, or even Kohanga Reo Centres, because it doesnt sound like it, because if she did then she would be able to see for herself the kinds of needs our children or tamariki need. especially our childrens parents who are on a benefit. It is so hard for them to be able to afford to send there children to Day Care, as the prices are to dare, and then there will be even less food to put on the table. Cutting their benefits in half would destroy what ever living capabilities they have left. Its a shameless idea Paula, you should cut your wage in half and see if you can live on that.