Publications

Child Poverty Action Group publishes reports on topics relating to the wellbeing of children. These can be downloaded here at no charge.

Phil Houghton 12/02/2026 Phil Houghton 12/02/2026

Submission: Budget Policy Statement 2026

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Phil Houghton 07/10/2025 Phil Houghton 07/10/2025

Children Can’t Eat a Promise: Rethinking the Education-to-Employment “Silver Spoon”

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Phil Houghton 21/07/2025 Phil Houghton 21/07/2025

Below the Income Floor: Modelling Income Adequacy for Low-Income Households in New Zealand 2018-2026

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Phil Houghton 02/07/2025 Phil Houghton 02/07/2025

Working for Families Submission - Preventing Debt

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Phil Houghton 02/06/2025 Phil Houghton 02/06/2025

Regulatory Standards Bill Submission

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Phil Houghton 14/03/2025 Phil Houghton 14/03/2025

Benefits Rights Guide- A Reference Guide for Individuals and Beneficiary Advocates

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Phil Houghton 03/02/2025 Phil Houghton 03/02/2025

Submission: Budget Policy Statement 2025

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Phil Houghton 10/01/2025 Phil Houghton 10/01/2025

Submission: Social Security Act Ammendment Bill ( Benefit Sanctions)

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Phil Houghton 06/01/2025 Phil Houghton 06/01/2025

Submission: Principles of Treaty of Waitangi Bill

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Phil Houghton 29/07/2024 Phil Houghton 29/07/2024

Rental research: Regional Trends in Affordable Rental Supply 2018-2023

This research reveals the share of affordable rentals has significantly decreased in most of our regions over the past five years (2018 - 2023).

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Phil Houghton 30/05/2024 Phil Houghton 30/05/2024

CPAG Analysis: Budget 2024

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Phil Houghton 20/05/2024 Phil Houghton 20/05/2024

A review of Kāinga Ora’s financial position

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Phil Houghton 03/05/2024 Phil Houghton 03/05/2024

Commentary on 2022/23 Child Poverty Statistics Released in Feburary 2024

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A People's Review of Kainga Ora: In Defense of Public Housing

Phil Houghton 26/03/2024 Phil Houghton 26/03/2024

A People's Review of Kainga Ora: In Defense of Public Housing

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Letter to Minister for Disability Issues Penny Simmonds (March 2024)

Phil Houghton 22/03/2024 Phil Houghton 22/03/2024

Letter to Minister for Disability Issues Penny Simmonds (March 2024)

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Phil Houghton 15/02/2024 Phil Houghton 15/02/2024

Overloaded and Overlooked: Investigating How Poverty Drives School Students into Paid Work

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Phil Houghton 06/12/2023 Phil Houghton 06/12/2023

CPAG lens on UNICEF 'Child Poverty in the Midst of Wealth' report

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Phil Houghton 09/11/2023 Phil Houghton 09/11/2023

2023 Policy Brief on Structuring Tax Policy to achieve equitable and efficient outcomes

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CPAG’s Position on Electricity Authority’s Consumer Care Guidelines Consultation Paper

Phil Houghton 27/09/2023 Phil Houghton 27/09/2023

CPAG’s Position on Electricity Authority’s Consumer Care Guidelines Consultation Paper

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Phil Houghton 24/08/2023 Phil Houghton 24/08/2023

Rental research: a more transparent and reliable measure of rental affordability

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Phil Houghton 01/06/2023 Phil Houghton 01/06/2023

2023 Policy Brief on Social Housing

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Phil Houghton 01/06/2023 Phil Houghton 01/06/2023

2023 Policy Brief on School Funding

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Phil Houghton 01/06/2023 Phil Houghton 01/06/2023

2023 Policy Brief on Relationship Income Rules

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Phil Houghton 01/06/2023 Phil Houghton 01/06/2023

2023 Policy Brief on Pacific Child Health

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Phil Houghton 01/06/2023 Phil Houghton 01/06/2023

2023 Policy Brief on Māori Child Health

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Phil Houghton 01/06/2023 Phil Houghton 01/06/2023

2023 Policy Brief on Healthcare Access

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Phil Houghton 01/06/2023 Phil Houghton 01/06/2023

2023 Policy Brief on Food Security

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Phil Houghton 01/06/2023 Phil Houghton 01/06/2023

2023 Policy Brief on Early Childhood Care & Education

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Phil Houghton 01/06/2023 Phil Houghton 01/06/2023

2023 Policy Brief on Disability Support

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Phil Houghton 01/06/2023 Phil Houghton 01/06/2023

2023 Policy Brief on Benefit Adequacy

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Phil Houghton 01/06/2023 Phil Houghton 01/06/2023

2023 Policy Brief on Working for Families

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Phil Houghton 18/05/2023 Phil Houghton 18/05/2023

CPAG Budget Analysis - 18 May 2023

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Phil Houghton 15/05/2023 Phil Houghton 15/05/2023

Modelling income adequacy for those on Benefits

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Phil Houghton 17/04/2023 Phil Houghton 17/04/2023

Are the rights of children experiencing poverty in Aotearoa New Zealand being observed?

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Phil Houghton 14/04/2023 Phil Houghton 14/04/2023

Submission: Child Support (Pass On) Amendment Bill

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Phil Houghton 31/03/2023 Phil Houghton 31/03/2023

A Review of Law and Policy of Child Poverty Reduction from 2018 to 2022

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Phil Houghton 13/12/2022 Phil Houghton 13/12/2022

Insights from the MSD Child Poverty Report 2022

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Phil Houghton 16/09/2022 Phil Houghton 16/09/2022

Submission: Aotearoa New Zealand Public Media Bill

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Phil Houghton 07/07/2022 Phil Houghton 07/07/2022

Submission: Child Poverty Related Indicators

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Phil Houghton 22/05/2022 Phil Houghton 22/05/2022

Improving the Child Poverty Reduction Framework

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Phil Houghton 19/05/2022 Phil Houghton 19/05/2022

Children in poverty still lack a secure future

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Phil Houghton 01/04/2022 Phil Houghton 01/04/2022

Feedback: Amending New Zealand’s Social Security Act 2018: Foundation for Change engagement programme feedback

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Phil Houghton 01/02/2022 Phil Houghton 01/02/2022

Submission: On A New Zealand Income Insurance Scheme

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Phil Houghton 01/01/2022 Phil Houghton 01/01/2022

Submission: Budget Policy Statement 2021 (Budget 2022)

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Phil Houghton 01/01/2022 Phil Houghton 01/01/2022

Submission: On the Oversight of Oranga Tamariki System and Children and Young People's Commission Bill

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Phil Houghton 01/01/2022 Phil Houghton 01/01/2022

Joint Children’s Sector Submission to the Social Services and Community Select Committee: Oversight of the Oranga Tamariki System and Children and Young People’s Commission Bill

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Phil Houghton 01/01/2022 Phil Houghton 01/01/2022

Submission: On the Accident Compensation (Maternal Birth Injury and Other Matters) Amendment Bill

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Phil Houghton 01/12/2021 Phil Houghton 01/12/2021

Children Can't Live On Promises: A 2021 Stocktake of Implementation of the Welfare Expert Advisory Group's 2019 Recommendations

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Phil Houghton 01/12/2021 Phil Houghton 01/12/2021

Submission: On Buy-Now, Pay-Later products

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Phil Houghton 01/11/2021 Phil Houghton 01/11/2021

Australia and NZ tax credits for children. A 5-year comparison: July 2018- July 2023 - Part 2 of the Rethinking Income Support for Children series

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Phil Houghton 01/09/2021 Phil Houghton 01/09/2021

Submission: Inquiry into school attendance

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Phil Houghton 01/08/2021 Phil Houghton 01/08/2021

The Fair Economic Return tax - a summary

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Phil Houghton 01/08/2021 Phil Houghton 01/08/2021

Submission: Productivity Commission’s Inquiry into the Drivers of Persistent Disadvantage - Terms of Reference

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Phil Houghton 01/08/2021 Phil Houghton 01/08/2021

The Stories of Kathryn and her Daughters

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Phil Houghton 01/07/2021 Phil Houghton 01/07/2021

The First Year of Covid-19: Initial outcomes of our collective care for low-income children in Aotearoa New Zealand

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Phil Houghton 01/06/2021 Phil Houghton 01/06/2021

Social Unemployment Insurance: Concerns From Equity And Anti-Poverty Perspectives

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Phil Houghton 01/06/2021 Phil Houghton 01/06/2021

Reducing Child Poverty in Aotearoa: Are we there yet?

Reducing child poverty in Aotearoa are we there yet - Recording

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Phil Houghton 01/06/2021 Phil Houghton 01/06/2021

Submission: On the Inquiry into Supplementary Order Paper No. 38 on the Health (Fluoridation of Drinking Water) Amendment Bill 2021

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Phil Houghton 20/05/2021 Phil Houghton 20/05/2021

Budget Analysis 2021

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Phil Houghton 01/05/2021 Phil Houghton 01/05/2021

Ensuring Adequate Indexation of Working for Families - Part 1 of the Rethinking Income Support for Children series

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Phil Houghton 01/05/2021 Phil Houghton 01/05/2021

Where will we live in the future?: Research into the Unmet Housing Needs of People with Disabilities, their Family and Whānau

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Phil Houghton 01/05/2021 Phil Houghton 01/05/2021

Submission: On the removal of the Subsequent Child Policy 2021

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Phil Houghton 01/03/2021 Phil Houghton 01/03/2021

Submission: On the Budget Policy Statement 2021 - Oral

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Phil Houghton 01/03/2021 Phil Houghton 01/03/2021

Submission: On the Budget Policy Statement 2021 - Written

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Phil Houghton 01/02/2021 Phil Houghton 01/02/2021

Submission to the Finance and Expenditure Select Committee on the Reserve Bank of New Zealand Bill

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Phil Houghton 01/01/2021 Phil Houghton 01/01/2021

2021 Briefing to the Incoming Minister: Health

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Phil Houghton 01/01/2021 Phil Houghton 01/01/2021

2021 Briefing to the Incoming Minister: Housing

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Phil Houghton 17/12/2020 Phil Houghton 17/12/2020

2020 Briefing to the Incoming Minister: Income Support

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Phil Houghton 17/11/2020 Phil Houghton 17/11/2020

What Happened to ‘Welfare Overhaul’? A Stocktake of Implementation of the Welfare Expert Advisory Group’s 2019 Recommendations

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Phil Houghton 01/10/2020 Phil Houghton 01/10/2020

Income Support in the Wake of COVID-19: Survey

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Phil Houghton 01/09/2020 Phil Houghton 01/09/2020

Sheltering Our Children From COVID-19 Fallout: New Zealand Must Raise Incomes for the Financially Vulnerable Instead of Cutting Their Incomes on 1 October 2020 as Planned

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Phil Houghton 01/09/2020 Phil Houghton 01/09/2020

‘Living well’? Children with disability need far greater income support in Aotearoa

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Phil Houghton 01/08/2020 Phil Houghton 01/08/2020

Our policy priorities to reduce child poverty in Aotearoa New Zealand: Housing

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Phil Houghton 17/07/2020 Phil Houghton 17/07/2020

Investing in Children? Privatisation and Early Childhood Education and Care in Aotearoa New Zealand

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Phil Houghton 01/07/2020 Phil Houghton 01/07/2020

Our policy priorities to reduce child poverty in Aotearoa New Zealand: Health and Disability

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Phil Houghton 01/07/2020 Phil Houghton 01/07/2020

Our policy priorities to reduce child poverty in Aotearoa New Zealand: Income Support

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Phil Houghton 01/07/2020 Phil Houghton 01/07/2020

Challenging the ‘old normal Privatisation in Aotearoa’s early childhood care and Education sector

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Phil Houghton 01/06/2020 Phil Houghton 01/06/2020

We can build the Zero Hunger Generation in our new COVID-19 World

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Phil Houghton 01/06/2020 Phil Houghton 01/06/2020

An outbreak of hunger: the spread of food insecurity in a time of Covid-19

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Phil Houghton 01/06/2020 Phil Houghton 01/06/2020

Family tax credits: Do children get the support in New Zealand that they would get in Australia?

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Phil Houghton 01/06/2020 Phil Houghton 01/06/2020

Food insecurity among young people in New Zealand

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Phil Houghton 01/06/2020 Phil Houghton 01/06/2020

Food insecurity and Māori: research, rhetoric, Racism and rights

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Phil Houghton 01/06/2020 Phil Houghton 01/06/2020

A Scenario for Changes in Child Poverty Rates From the COVID-19 Recession

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Phil Houghton 01/06/2020 Phil Houghton 01/06/2020

The effects of 2020/21 income support changes on After Housing Costs (AHC) incomes for representative households receiving benefits

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Phil Houghton 01/05/2020 Phil Houghton 01/05/2020

CPAG's analysis of the 2020 Government budget

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Phil Houghton 01/02/2020 Phil Houghton 01/02/2020

Briefing on reform of the In-Work Tax Credit

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Phil Houghton 01/02/2020 Phil Houghton 01/02/2020

A Quick Guide to the In-Work Tax Credit

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Phil Houghton 01/02/2020 Phil Houghton 01/02/2020

Child Poverty Action Group’s response to the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the right to adequate housing February 2020

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Phil Houghton 01/02/2020 Phil Houghton 01/02/2020

Thematic report: Child Poverty in Aotearoa / New Zealand

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Phil Houghton 01/01/2020 Phil Houghton 01/01/2020

Submission on the Budget Policy Statement 2020

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Phil Houghton 31/12/2019 Phil Houghton 31/12/2019

Aotearoa, Land of the Long Wide Bare Cupboard

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Phil Houghton 01/12/2019 Phil Houghton 01/12/2019

National’s family incomes support policy: A new paradigm shift or more of the same?

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Phil Houghton 01/11/2019 Phil Houghton 01/11/2019

Children’s experience of food insecurity in New Zealand

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Phil Houghton 01/11/2019 Phil Houghton 01/11/2019

Living with hunger: How families manage when things are tight

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Phil Houghton 01/11/2019 Phil Houghton 01/11/2019

Fat, famished or starved in a land of plenty?

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Phil Houghton 01/11/2019 Phil Houghton 01/11/2019

Proceedings Summit 2019: Whakamana Tāngata: Where to from here?

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Phil Houghton 01/10/2019 Phil Houghton 01/10/2019

Submission on the Retirement Income Review 2019

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Phil Houghton 01/09/2019 Phil Houghton 01/09/2019

The experts can all agree: Whakamana Tāngata response from Child Poverty Action Group

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Phil Houghton 01/09/2019 Phil Houghton 01/09/2019

Living Well: How Social and Income Inequalities Damage Children

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Phil Houghton 01/09/2019 Phil Houghton 01/09/2019

Child Poverty in New Zealand: Educational resource

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