Why does Auckland Action Against Poverty oppose these sanctions?
What do these sanctions mean for sole mothers and their children?
How many mothers are affected by these sanctions?
Do these sanctions affect sole fathers?
What proportion of sole parents are affected by these sanctions?
How do these sanctions affect Māori and Pasifika?
How many children are affected by these sanctions?
What does this have to do with poverty in Aotearoa?
How do these sanctions get applied?
What do these sanctions have to do with child support?
How else can I support the campaign?
What do these sanctions mean for sole mothers and their children?
Answer
For some people $22-$28 a week (or $1,144 – $1,456 a year) per child might not seem much, however the majority of sole parent families receiving benefits face severe hardship, and these sanctions only serve to increase the severity.
For a sole mother, $22-$28 per week is the difference between taking her child to the doctor when they are sick, or hoping it just goes away.
It is the difference between providing school lunches, or the kids going to school empty handed.