Ruth Dyson admits beneficiaries worse off under Labour

"Yeah... well... it seems that when it comes to beneficiary bashing we're worse than the Nats. But vote Labour of course." A government report has revealed that beneficiaries are worse off under Labour than when benefits were slashed by National in 1991. See Sunday Star Times (11 May), 'Beneficiaries worse off under Labour, report reveals:

"The report, titled Pockets of Significant Hardship and Poverty, reveals that many beneficiaries in South and West Auckland and the South Island are living in extreme poverty. Beneficiaries were being hit by "significant price shocks" in food, housing,power and transport, said the June 2007 report by the Ministry of Social Development. It was released to the Sunday Star-Times under the Official Information Act. The report shows the value of benefits, relative to average earnings, are now even lower than they were after National slashed benefits in 1991. For beneficiaries with children and no extra income living in South and West Auckland and most of the South Island, their incomes were between 30% and 40% of median disposable household incomes. That is well below the widely recognised poverty line of 50 to 60% of median disposable household incomes. Dyson said she agreed that "comparatively", beneficiaries were now worse off than they were in 1991."In my view the report is factual," she said."

Church leaders from the Anglican, Baptist, Catholic, Methodist and Presbyterian Churches and the Salvation Army have publicly issued a call for benefit levels to be raised to where they were prior to being slashed in 1991. Churches issue call for action on benefits (NZ Herald, 28 March 2008)