CPAG calls on Ministers to Reverse Lunch cuts with Budget bid
Ministers will right now be putting in their Budget bids for Budget 2025. On behalf of the children of New Zealand we ask the Ministers to consider ...
CPAG unveils election asks so every child can thrive
We have three key asks for politicians ahead of the election.
Latest Jump in Weekly Benefit Numbers Highest Since First Lockdown
CPAG is urging the Government to immediately increase incomes for all families needing income support.
Government Response to Lockdown Poverty “Inadequate” and “Sluggish”
Emergency income relief is desperately needed for vast numbers of low-income families playing their part in lockdown.
Our Poorest Families Need Protection Now – Welfare Advocates
Families are dealing with high lockdown costs due to the halt of food-in-schools programmes, reduced supermarket specials, and increased data and ...
CPAG Welcomes Moves to Protect Children Through Folic Acid Fortification
The addition of folic acid to all non-organic bread-making wheat flour will reduce the incidence of birth defects which can cause life-long ...
Sixty Percent of NZers Think the Govt Should Go Further With Benefit Increases
The UMR poll was commissioned by a group of 26 organisations under the Fairer Future banner, including unions, social service providers and child ...
Anti-Poverty Groups Query Budget Benefit Delay, Call For Full Increases on 1 July
The Government has given no reason why these increases have been staggered.
Income Support Rises Welcome if Not Yet Enough
CPAG modelling shows many families paying low rent have income below poverty lines by around $100 - $230 a week.
Government Report Shows Children Made to Suffer Unnecessarily
Due to systemic discrimination, whānau Māori, Pacific families and families with disabled members are more likely than others to be facing the toxic ...
Wage Increases Outpace Income Support for Children
Families in low-paid work with three children would have received up to $1900 more over the last two years if income support for children ...
NGOs and Campaign Groups Say ‘People Are Hurting’ After Govt Inaction
This call comes as the Child Poverty Action Group releases a stocktake showing none of the WEAG's 42 recommendations has been fully implemented.
Government Housing Package “Ignores Elephant in the Room”
While the bright-line extension and the removal of interest deductibility are likely to cool the property market a little, they will not address ...
“Shocking, Disappointing” Child Poverty Statistics Show Incrementalism Isn’t Working
We’re particularly worried as we know child poverty will have increased due to COVID-19.
Government Should Do More for Country’s Poorest, New Poll Suggests
Polling out today shows seven out of ten (69%) of New Zealanders agree “the Government should increase income support for those on low incomes and ...
Government Leaves Disadvantaged Children to Face “Most Severe” COVID-19 Effects
Children and their families are likely to face "significant and wide-ranging" negative effects from COVID-19, according to Prime Minister Jacinda ...
Child Poverty Monitor 2020 Shows ‘Bold Action’ Required to Turn Tide on Child Poverty
Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG) welcomes the 2020 Child Poverty Monitor report and agrees with the finding that ‘bold action’ is required to turn ...
Progress on Welfare Reform “Unjustifiably Slow”
None of the 42 key recommendations made by the Welfare Expert Advisory Group (WEAG) in February 2019 have been fully implemented, according to a ...
More Groups Join Growing Call to Govt to Replace Entrenched Poverty With Liveable Incomes
Social workers and foodbank organisers are among the latest of now 60+ groups signing an open letter to the government to ensure liveable incomes for ...
Dozens of NGOs Urge Jacinda Ardern: Raise Welfare by Christmas
Over 60 prominent organisations have joined together to urge the government to raise income support by Christmas, in order to release families from ...
Anti-Poverty Groups to Labour: Election Results Mean No More Excuses
Child Poverty Action Group, ActionStation and Auckland Action Against Poverty are calling on the new government to follow through quickly on their ...
ActionStation & CPAG: Poverty Set to Worsen as COVID Support Ends Tomorrow
Activists and researchers are warning toxic stress, food insecurity and isolation are set to rise for many families in poverty almost immediately, as ...
NZ Lagging Behind in Support for Disabled Children
Children with disability are more likely than other children to live in poverty in Aotearoa New Zealand – but it shouldn’t be this way, says Child ...
CPAG Releases Kōrero With Matua Fred Andrews on Kaupapa for Welfare Reform
For te wiki o te reo Māori 2020, Child Poverty Action Group is excited to be releasing a series of videos discussing Kia Piki Ake Te Mana Tangata – ...
Labour’s Welfare Policies Welcome but Silence on Children Disappointing
The Child Poverty Action Group today warmly welcomed the Labour Party’s policies to reinstate the Training Incentive Allowance for sole parents ...
CPAG Disappointed With Government’s Continued Refusal to Extend Crisis Support
A slew of new reports show successive governments have failed children and young people for decades, just as the current government has reiterated ...
CPAG and AAAP Call for Extension of Covid Support for NZ’s Most Financially Vulnerable
Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG) and Auckland Action Against Poverty (AAAP) are both urging the Government to immediately raise family incomes ...
Tenancy Protection Lifts Wellbeing for Vulnerable Families
Whānau and families will sleep better at night knowing their homes can’t be taken away from them without good reason thanks to the new residential ...
CPAG Calls for Political Parties to Take Child Poverty Seriously This Election
This election offers a unique opportunity to reshape New Zealand’s society so child poverty is dramatically reduced and possibly even eliminated.
CPAG Calls for Nationalisation of ECE Sector
Child Poverty Action Group is calling on the Government to nationalise early childhood education provision in response to the challenges presented by ...
NZ Is Being Shown up by Australia’s Family Tax Credit System - CPAG
CPAG finds that Australia’s family tax benefits system is significantly more generous than New Zealand’s Working for Families tax credits.
More Education Needed to Combat Scammers Preying on Pacific Communities
Ngā Tāngata Microfinance and Child Poverty Action Group applauds the Commerce Commission and the Financial Markets Authority for identifying and ...
Greens’ Proposals Would Lift Families Out of Poverty - CPAG
The Child Poverty Action Group welcomes the Greens’ Poverty Action Plan released yesterday, as the type of step-change New Zealand needs.
COVID-19 Puts Families at Greater Risk of Debt Traps
Increased stress and hardship await families if the Coalition Government does not address the needs of those on low incomes, according to Ngā Tāngata ...
COVID-19 Crisis Leading to Potential Hunger Crisis
Child Poverty Action Group is releasing research today showing that families' most basic need - of having access to good food - continues to be ...
New Research Shows Current Benefits Leave Families in Poverty
Recently released research shows families who rely on benefits could find themselves hundreds of dollars short every week of what’s required to get ...
Let’s Not Divide NZers With an ‘Unfair’ Two-Tier Benefit System
The recently announced COVID-19 Income Relief Payment is creating two tiers of welfare, marginalising those already struggling under the current ...
Budget 2020 - An Opportunity Lost or Just Deferred?
On May 15 we broadcast our annual post-budget event From Lockdown to Unlocking Potential and the live Q&A online facilitated by award-winning ...
Budget Delivers Disappointment for Children in Poverty but CPAG Has Hope This Can Be Fixed
CPAG executive officer Georgie Craw says: "We hope the Government will take up the opportunity it has afforded itself to enable our nation to be the ...
Child Poverty Action Group Wants to See Children at the Heart of This Budget
Many New Zealanders have become emboldened by working for the collective good and there now seems to be a growing desire to extend kindness to each ...
We Need New Jobs for All in Post-Lockdown Recovery
CPAG believes creating separate services and duplicating existing online job seeker tools could lead to a ‘two tier system’ which could further ...
Legacy of Govt Response Should Be Fairer Society Not Fiscal Ill-Discipline
As we move out of level 4 lockdown, Child Poverty Action Group is calling on the Government to make sure the legacy of this crisis is not one of ...
Change NZ’s Welfare System Now - Before This Health Crisis Becomes a Child Poverty Crisis
CPAG is calling on the Government to take a new approach to our income support system so the impacts of Covid-19 do not lead to an increase in child ...
Let’s Move Hard and Early to Curb COVID-19-Related Poverty
Child Poverty Action Group applauds the Prime Minister's move to go hard and early to curb the spread of Covid-19 and believe the Government needs to ...
CPAG Welcomes the Rescue Package and Offers Advice for the Next Urgent Steps
Child Poverty Action Group welcomes the COVID-19 stimulus package with its recognition that benefits must be accessible and more generous.
Coronavirus Crisis Highlights the Failures of Our Welfare System
Child Poverty Action Group calls on the Government to fix the welfare system so everyone, not just the forestry workers who have lost their jobs due ...
The Latest Child Poverty Statistics Are a Wake-up Call
This morning Stats NZ released child poverty statistics for the year ended June 2019. The results show that any changes in child poverty are small ...
Period Poverty Leads to Rangatahi Missing School
Child Poverty Action Group welcomes Youth19 survey research results, and says the Government needs to do more to ensure students don’t miss out on ...
Government Must Do More to Address Housing-Related Poverty
Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG) argues the Government's rhetoric around the relief of housing-related poverty is not being matched by what it is ...
CPAG Joins Call From Budget Advisors for Govt to Increase Benefits Urgently
Obtaining advance benefit payments and recoverable grants creates debt to Work and Income, with repayments meaning less income than before, ...
2019 Child Poverty Monitor: There’s More to Be Done to Help Children in Need
“There have been valuable initiatives to support children in low-income households, but for those worst-off, we can do much more,” says Professor ...
Disability Report Highlights Poverty Risk, Supports Call for Income Increases
Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG) welcomes the new report from CCS Disability Action released today, which has highlighted the inequities for ...
CPAG Joins United Call For the Government to Support Healthy Relationships
“Nobody should be forced to give up their financial independence, or to be forced to stay in potentially harmful relationships because of badly ...
Monitoring Report Suggests Progress, but Worst-off Children Need Next Steps Urgently
CPAG says that putting the building blocks in place to clean up an inherited mess is a very important part of the process to achieve the targets set ...
Govt’s Proposal Will Have Positive Impacts, but Enduring Inequalities Unlikely to Be Solved Unless Equity Funding Improved, says CPAG
CPAG is concerned that the movement of students to schools outside of low-income neighbourhoods may result in the false belief among parents that ...
CPAG Summit Puts the Spotlight on Welfare Reform and the WEAG Report
It’s time for our leaders to harness their power to take action on meaningful and sustained welfare policy changes.
Aotearoa, Land of the Long Wide Bare Cupboard: Food Insecurity in New Zealand
Child Poverty Action Group has launched a series of papers to highlight the problems children face living in food insecure households.
Political Football Should Not Be Played With Poverty and Family Welfare
Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG) says that the National Party’s welfare proposals to cut gang members’ benefits perpetuate damaging and ...
CPAG and Ngā Tāngata Microfinance Join Call For Debt Forgiveness
CPAG and Ngā Tāngata Microfinance endorse the Salvation Army’s call for tougher regulations on debt collectors and mechanisms to provide forgiveness ...
CPAG Says Report Is Promising but Exploitative Electricity Pricing Must Go
Low-income families in private rentals are often struggling to meet their day-to-day costs and living in houses that are both difficult to heat and ...
CPAG Says Relationship Facilitation Guidelines Are Out-Dated and May Be Harmful for Children
CPAG is deeply concerned about the impact for sole parents and their children of losing their financial independence when Work and Income decides the ...
Call For Widespread Implementation of the Healthy Homes Initiative - Shown to Reduce Rates of Children Admitted to Hospital.
Making housing healthy under the Healthy Homes Initiative meant fewer GP visits and fewer admissions to hospital for children and fewer medicines ...
CPAG Says Substantially More Funding Must Accompany New System to Replace Deciles
The Minister of Education Hon. Chris Hipkins regarding the eventual dismantling of the decile system should be greeted with cautious optimism.
Children and Their Parents Need a ‘Yes’ From Government
“What we are asking is that they make some simple, effective changes that will relieve stress among low-income families on benefits.”
Beneficiaries to PM: The Welfare System Needs to Urgently Change
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 ...
CPAG Mourns Passing of Kathryn and Calls for a More Just Welfare System
Kathryn’s courage and strength in fighting the system that held her a prisoner to poverty were there until the last.
CPAG Says New Study Supports Vastly Improved Social Services Funding
Low-income, vulnerable families and their children disproportionately affected by declining funding across the social sector, as they are ultimately ...
Interest Rate Cap a Momentous Change – Timed Well With Money Week Ahead
CPAG and Ngā Tāngata Microfinance jointly welcome the extra consumer protections added to the Credit Contracts and Consumer Finance Act 2003.
Lunches in Schools a Win for Children but Burden of Poverty Still Looms
The barriers to child and youth wellbeing that have been identified will be only able to be comprehensively tackled if the Government has a strong, ...
New Research Supports CPAG’s Call For a Housing WOF and Boosted Incomes
Not only should housing be required to meet minimum standards, tested to be compliant for health and safety, but many more affordable housing options ...
Poverty to Blame for Escalating Respiratory Illness and Unvaccinated Children
Child Poverty Action Group applauds the recent spotlight on children’s health by the New Zealand Herald.
Progress on Public Housing, but Increased Need Outstrips the Gains
“We urgently need a greater number of state homes, and we need more solutions to housing across the board.”
Children Fall Further Behind as Transformational Change Is Yet to Come
“While household income for some families will be lifted over the 50% line through the Government’s Families Package, the children living in the ...
Half of Children on Benefits Are Food Insecure, and Need Urgent Support Increases, says CPAG
The number of children living in households regularly going without sufficient healthy food is unacceptable, especially when healthy food is ...
New Report Reflects Outdated and Damaging Welfare Relationship Rules
Welfare system rules around relationships unjustly punish and stigmatise already struggling single parents, says Child Poverty Action Group.
CPAG Welcomes Ministry of Health Focus on Food Insecurity
“The mental health impacts of poor nutrition in a child's early years as well as poor nutrition among pregnant mothers can be enormous.”
CPAG Submits on Consumer Credit Legislation, Calls for Interest Rate Cap
Child Poverty Action Group fears new legislation won’t go far enough to protect vulnerable families from loan sharks.
Remarkable CPAG Economist’s NZ Honour Well-Deserved
"We’re thrilled that Susan is to be acknowledged with this high honour, which is extremely well-deserved."
Budget Provides Relief but Nothing Transformational for Children in Poverty
CPAG says the plan to index benefits to average wage inflation is a step forward to prevent families from falling even further behind, but it doesn’t ...
CPAG Calls for Free Dental and Health Care For All Young People Under 18 Years
“Research shows that adolescence is one of two periods that are critically important for social and physical development, the other being ...
Will Budget 2019 Be Transformational for Children Living in Poverty?
CPAG is looking to the Government to deliver a package in Budget 2019 that will truly transform the lives of children living in Aotearoa who ...
Targets Overlook the 174,000 Children Living in Worst Poverty
CPAG says that the Government is placing too much faith in its Families Package, which didn’t help children living in households where primary income ...
Income Support Needs $3.4 Billion Overhaul
CPAG recommends removing the Accommodation Supplement for around 250,000 families because the payment is overly complex and poorly designed.
CPAG Welcomes Govt Move to Abolish NCEA Fees
CPAG has long been concerned about the ‘hidden costs’ of Aotearoa-New Zealand’s so-called free education.
CPAG Welcomes WEAG Recommendations to Ensure Dignity for All
The focus on meeting individual needs, rather than simply ticking boxes will go a long way to minimise the stresses we know that people who regularly ...
New Data on Benefit Sanctions Show Fairer Treatment of Those in Need
Sole parent families whose primary source of income is a welfare benefit are among those who are suffering the worst of poverty.
No CGT May Offer Opportunities to Rethink Policies to Address Inequality
Child Poverty Action Group cautiously welcomes the government’s response to the Tax Working Group’s final report.
Cap on Interest Rates Vital to Protect Vulnerable New Zealanders
Poor families and their children will continue to be the prey of loan sharks until the Government provides adequate consumer protection.
Broad Shift in Mindset Needed to Address Deeply-Rooted Education Inequality
CPAG is in wholehearted agreement with the Taskforce’s analysis that the competitive environment established by Tomorrow’s School has driven ...
New Child Poverty Statistics Will Provide a Sound Baseline for Reduction Targets
The new statistics will provide the baseline for measuring changes over the next ten years that will test whether the Government’s Child Poverty ...
Measuring Deprivation in New Zealand Regions - A CPAG Presentation Series
CPAG and Associate Professor Dan Exeter are launching a series of discussion documents which look at the concentration and drivers of deprivation in ...
Ngā Tangata Microfinance: Unsafe Credit Costs Far More Than Money
Alarming new research from FinCap reveals the high occurrence of unsafe credit amongst those on low incomes in Aotearoa, and parallels Ngā Tangata ...
Tax Working Group: CGT a Lost Opportunity to Explore Solutions to Inequality
“Those struggling to raise the next generation in the toughest of conditions should not miss out on future retirement subsidies that others receive ...
CPAG Welcomes Move to Qualified in-Home Early Childcare Providers
CPAG has been concerned that previous policy seriously undermined the value of parents providing care for their children in their early years.
Children’s Voices Denied in Select Committee Debacle
CPAG says investing in children’s wellbeing requires more substantive and enduring changes than have been implemented to date.
State of the Nation Report Shows Little Improvement for Children
CPAG believes a meaningful reduction in child poverty rates is not attainable unless the harmful inadequacy of benefit levels is addressed.
Fewer Sanctions Will Support the Wellbeing of Children
An extensive study on welfare conditionality presented in 2018 from UK research reported that benefit sanctions "do little to enhance people’s ...
Benefit Data Shows Families Cannot Wait Till Budget 2019 Announcements
CPAG calls on the coalition Government to increase welfare benefits by at least 20% immediately and index to wages like New Zealand Superannuation.
Wellbeing Budget and Child Poverty Reduction Act Lay Foundations for Change
CPAG believes that making children visible as one of the five priority areas of this Budget shows true commitment to reducing child poverty.
CPAG Calls for an Inquiry to Review the Debts of MSD Current and Former Clients
"It makes no sense to recover housing grants from people who simply are unable to afford to house themselves.”
CPM 2018: Inadequate Incomes and High Cost Housing to Blame for Rise in Food Poverty
Report finds that one in five children under the age of 15 (161,000 and 188,000 children) experience moderate-to-severe food insecurity.
Tomorrow’s Schools Taskforce Provides “Bold, Brave Blueprint for Radical Change”
The authors of the report should be congratulated for embracing the chance for generational change.
CPAG Welcomes He Ara Oranga: Report of the Government Inquiry Into Mental Health and Addiction
Too many families and whānau experience barriers, such as cost and limited service availability, as well as not meeting specific criteria to ...
Child and Youth Wellbeing Strategy Welcomed by CPAG but Levers for Change Needed
Such a strategy will be a significant development toward ensuring the rights of all children and young people in Aotearoa are reinforced and upheld.
New Report From MSD Shows Urgent Need for Government Action on Poverty
The report highlights the critical link between material hardship and emotional and physical health outcomes for children.
New Article on Child Poverty and Disability Welcomed by CPAG
As well as improving incomes for affected families, an urgent response is needed to ensure that schools are sufficiently resourced.
Collaborative Video Project Will Amplify the Voices of Welfare Recipients
“Understanding people’s lived experiences of poverty and the welfare system is critical.”
New Report Shows Four Out of Five People Have Had Negative Experiences at WINZ
CPAG has collaborated with ActionStation on their crowd-sourced report calling for reform and transformational change of our welfare system.
Government on the Right Track to Making Education More Inclusive
“These 600 new staff are essential, and the move shows that the Government is truly committed to improving outcomes for children with disability and ...
TWG: Importance of Working for Families Recognised, but Problems Not Addressed
CPAG is disappointed to see that there is no analysis of the fundamental problems with Working for Families in the TWG Interim Report.
Rental Reform Proposal Offers Little More Than Minor Modifications
The scope proposed in this review really only considers the question of tenure security and then not in a particularly comprehensive way.
It’s Time for the Punitive, Stigmatising Nature of Welfare to Change
Any relationships, even very unsatisfactory ones that hurt children, mean sole parents can lose their independent source of income.
KiwiBuy Could Provide Security to Low-Income Families
The Salvation Army’s focus on a “KiwiBuy” scheme is an effective approach to ensuring that more people have access to stable and secure housing.
Loan Shark Net Tightens, but Holes Still Remain
New measures announced by Minister for Commerce and Consumer Affairs Kris Faafoi, that will strengthen the net of protection for vulnerable consumers.
Cross Party Support for Child Poverty Reduction Bill Welcomed by Children’s Advocacy Community
“The time is right for all political parties to come together to improve the lives of tens of thousands of children.”
Green Party Campaign for Welfare Reform Welcomed by CPAG
There needs to be a groundswell of public support for reform to encourage Government to adopt the critical changes needed.
Recommendations to Make “Welfare Fit for Families” in the 21st Century
Aotearoa desperately needs a new and better approach for supporting parents who are doing it tough while performing the vital role raising children.
A More Supportive Welfare System Will Benefit the Whole Nation
It is widely acknowledged that there are inadequacies in the current design of the Welfare System in Aotearoa-New Zealand.
CPAG Launches Welfare Fit for Families Campaign
What will it take to ensure that all children living in Aotearoa-New Zealand have all their wellbeing needs met?
A Safe Harbour in Life’s Financial Storms - Ngā Tangata Microfinance
With loan capital provided by Kiwibank, and partnering with Budgeting Services, Ngā Tangata Microfinance provides no fees, no interest loans to ...
CPAG Welcomes Govt Announcement of Tenancy Law Review
CPAG urges Government to redouble its KiwiBuild efforts and to commit more money to building state housing in response to this shortage.
Increased Hunger in the Land of Plenty Could Be Easily Solved
Families going without food on a regular basis is dangerously on the verge of becoming normal in Aotearoa-New Zealand.
Slowdown Possibility Raises Concerns for Family Incomes
More than ever families will need financial support if job losses occur, or work hours are reduced along with spending power.
Ngā Tangata Microfinance: At Last! Safer Consumer Credit May Be Coming Soon to Aotearoa
In Aotearoa, where it is legal to charge 500% interest, and then charge administration fees on top of that, having a low income and borrowing money ...
CPAG Calls for a Legal Limit on the Total Cost of Credit - CCCFA Review
"Child poverty will not be solved until there is a safe, ethical credit environment for low-income consumers in Aotearoa."
CPAG Calls for an Independent Review of All Benefit Debts
“New Zealanders would not want hundreds of thousands of dollars spent pursuing low-income parents living honestly while Government Ministries try to ...
What Happens for Children When the Winter Energy Payment Runs Out?
This year we are calling on policy-makers and politicians reform the welfare system so that it is fit for families in the 21st century.
The Time for Tame Reforms of Tenancy Laws Is Over Says CPAG
As a country we should see that every every Kiwi child has the right to live in a home which is warm, safe and secure.
New Survey Numbers to Be Celebrated, but Children Can’t Wait for Reporting
Urgently needed are policy changes to vastly improve the lives of our worst off children, long before the results are presented.
High Court Rules Loans Are Not Income for Welfare Beneficiaries
Families in Aotearoa-New Zealand need a system that provides compassion and understanding when they are faced with their greatest need.
CPAG Welcomes Working for Families Increases on July 1
Working families on low incomes have been particularly hard hit by past cuts to the income threshold from which families’ payments start to reduce.
CPAG’s 2018 Annual General Meeting and Guest Speaker Len Cook
Are you a current member of CPAG and passionate about the well-being of New Zealand children? Would you like to play a bigger part in CPAG's work?
CPAG Urges Immediate Action on Sanctions Where There Are Children
Just as in the UK, in New Zealand welfare sanctions have been in place for a long time and have been used much more aggressively in recent years.
CPAG’s Mike O’Brien Named on Queen’s Birthday Honour List
“I am very pleased to see that across Aotearoa-New Zealand, there is an intensity of focus on reducing child poverty and improving child wellbeing.”
CPAG Looks Forward to Enhanced Mental Health and Addiction Services
Any approach to improving mental health outcomes need a strong focus on reducing poverty and deprivation for pregnant women, young children and their ...
CPAG Welcomes Appointment of Professor Innes Asher to Welfare Expert Advisory Group
Professor Asher will join a cohort of highly respected professionals working across various fields such as social policy, human rights, welfare, ...
2018 Budget: A First Step, but Not a Transformation for Children
Budget predictions of a $3.8 billion surplus show that resources exist to provide children living in the worst of poverty the real, substantial lift ...
Budget 2018: Best Opportunity to Benefit All Children
CPAG joins with families nationwide in asking that the new Government delivers hope for low-income families and their children in this budget.
New CPAG Paper - Will Children Get the Help They Need?
While it has been indicated that the 1 July changes are just the start, families are desperate now, and cannot wait.
CPAG’s Nationwide Post Budget Events
Find out what the impact of Budget 2018 will be for families and children, in Child Poverty Action Group’s 2018 Post Budget presentations.
Too Soon for the Tooth Fairy: New Report From CPAG
Chronic poor physical health in children can lead to problems lasting into adulthood, and poor dental health is no exception to the rule.
The Future of Tax Should Have a Focus on Children
A child-centred re-envisioning of tax policy is required urgently.
CPAG Education Expert Appointed to Tomorrow’s Schools Taskforce
Professor O’Neill’s research and advocacy work to build a more equitable and inclusive education system has been central to CPAG’s on-going campaign ...
CPAG Welcomes New Report on Children’s Rights
The new report looks at how new and current legislation could be improved to ensure that all children’s rights are protected and that they are able ...
Children’s Sector Unites to Support a Reduction in Child Poverty
CPAG has been working alongside Action for Children and Youth Aotearoa to lead the development of an overarching submission from a wide range of ...
Proposed Education Bill Could Be Disastrous for Disadvantaged Children
If passed, the Education Amendment Bill could put schools serving income poor and materially deprived communities at risk of losing funding they ...
Warm Congratulations to Professor Innes Asher
Professor Asher, a committee member and health spokesperson for CPAG for 20 years, on Tuesday received the New Zealand Medical Association’s Chair’s ...
Ngā Tangata Microfinance Celebrates 7 Years of Life-Changing Impact
The celebration acknowledges all the partners, associates and supporters who have enabled NTM to reach these milestones, making a real difference for ...
CPAG Welcomes New and Improved Tomorrow’s Schools
A genuinely free education will relieve financial pressures on low-income households, and improve the likelihood that children will attend school ...
Families Package Is Tip of the Iceberg for Families in Poverty
“Many working families on low wages are facing increased financial pressure as they struggle to meet housing costs, and food insecurity is a growing ...
Outdated Tenancy Laws Increase Risks for Children in Poverty
Childhood illnesses, transience and a disastrous rate of homelessness in New Zealand are attributable to a desperate lack of housing required to meet ...
Support for Eat Right, Be Bright Campaign for Universal School Lunches
A nutritious lunch for every child would go a long way toward ensuring that all children have the same chance for good educational outcomes, and ...
Child Poverty Targets Realistic, but Income Needs Urgent
By the time the Families Package comes in, families’ costs, such as rent, may have increased yet further.
Budget Policy Shows Some Progress, but More Work Is Needed
Fair indexation of WFF to reflect Cost-Price Index inflation and also average wage inflation is critical to the success of child poverty reduction ...
New Child Poverty Measures Will Provide a Broader Picture
The comprehensive multi-tiered poverty lines will provide a broader picture of the depth of child poverty than any single measure could.
Child Poverty Should Be a Key Focus for Inquiry Into Mental Health and Addictions
It is vital that this Inquiry addresses child poverty as a preventable cause of mental health problems.
Muddled Numbers Provide an Opportunity for Government to Lead Visionary Change
More money needs to be channelled to the families currently falling below the very low 40% poverty line. There is a way to do this without creating ...
New CPAG Report: The Further Fraying of the Welfare Safety Net
CPAG’s new report documents damaging changes to the welfare system since 2008.
Families Package Signals a Sea Change for Children
There is more work still to do for all New Zealand children to really thrive, but the Government has made a very credible start.
New Child Poverty Numbers Should Be Viewed Cautiously, says CPAG
While charities provide vital, immediate limited support for children and their families, real permanent change requires long-term commitment from ...
Ngā Tāngata Microfinance: A Socially Caring Economic Model to Follow
A new report by NTM shows the not-for-profit organisation’s success in helping hundreds of financially vulnerable people to escape from the punishing ...
Children’s Advocacy Community United in Calling for a Strong and Enduring Response to Reducing Poverty
New Zealand’s children’s advocacy community agrees that the time is now to create a strong, enduring and non-partisan commitment to reducing child ...
Children’s Income Needs Should Be Addressed Urgently
Christmas is fast approaching, and charities are gearing up to support families in need, with the expectation that the numbers of people requiring ...
A Stronger Healthy Homes Bill Will Be a Pillar for Child Wellbeing
Vastly improving legislation around the quality and safety of rental homes is imperative if the wellbeing of children is to improve.
We Absolutely Can Do Better to Support the Rights of Children, Says CPAG
“For the last almost 25 years, since the New Zealand Government first committed to the principles of UNCROC, we have failed to take our ...
A New Zealand Where All Children Can Flourish: Briefing to Incoming Ministers
We can expect to see some immediate improvements to income support through Working for Families, as Labour has indicated in an agreement with the ...
MSD Is Treating Loans as Income in the Courts
In finding loans as declarable income, it further reduces the ability of low-income families to support their children.
Abatement Rates Must Be Restored for Working Families to Thrive
CPAG urges the new government to make a firm commitment to the low-income working families, by ensuring that their ability to earn extra is not ...
NZ First’s Anti-Discrimination Policy Could Be Promising
With a new government undecided, Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG) urges participants in coalition talks to prioritise child wellbeing policies.
Harsh Punishments for Sole Parents Fuel Child Poverty
Between sanctions and paid work hours criteria tied to children’s payments, we have a system that directly discriminates against sole parents, and ...
#Tick4Kids Movement Launches Campaign
The Tick for Kids movement is supported by a large group of organisations dedicated to improving child well-being, including Child Poverty Action ...
Education priorities for a New Zealand where all children can flourish
It is crucial that that the education system is resourced adequately so that children from all socioeconomic backgrounds can flourish.
Every Child’s Right to a Healthy Home
Families are living in substandard housing that is causing alarming rates of illness, particularly among young children, and many do not have a home ...
Bold Plans Needed to Tackle Child Poverty, Not Vague Promises
“Right now, 14% of children in New Zealand are living in material hardship. Reducing that percentage figure by 10 points - to 4% - would mean 110,000 ...
Summit 2017: Beyond Social Investment
Building on the 2016 event, this Summit will focus on the Government’s proclaimed ‘social investment approach’ to welfare reform.
Parental Income Test Needs Urgent Attention
“It is worrying that so many are in hardship and that is impacting negatively on their education.”
People’s Review Report Shows Urgent Policies Needed
A deeper look at the tragic reality for many renting in New Zealand, that houses are often not maintained to a standard that is healthy and safe, ...
Make Eliminating Child Poverty New Zealand’s No.1 Priority
CPAG urges all major political parties to agree to reform Working for Families as matter of top priority.