“Nobody should be forced to give up their financial independence, or to be forced to stay in potentially harmful relationships because of badly designed policies.”

CPAG is deeply concerned about the impact for sole parents and their children of losing their financial independence when Work and Income decides the parent is in a de-facto relationship.

“What we are asking is that they make some simple, effective changes that will relieve stress among low-income families on benefits.”

If we want New Zealand to be the best place in the world to be a child, the Government needs to increase benefits, remove sanctions, individualise benefits, and fix abatement rates now.

Kathryn’s courage and strength in fighting the system that held her a prisoner to poverty were there until the last.

Welfare system rules around relationships unjustly punish and stigmatise already struggling single parents, says Child Poverty Action Group.

Any relationships, even very unsatisfactory ones that hurt children, mean sole parents can lose their independent source of income.

“New Zealanders would not want hundreds of thousands of dollars spent pursuing low-income parents living honestly while Government Ministries try to uphold their right to treat beneficiaries unfairly.”

How the Government spent well over $100,000 and 15 years pursuing a chronically-ill beneficiary mother for a debt she should not have.