We all want to live in thriving communities, where everyone has what they need to participate in the ways they choose. For decades income support has been inadequate, forcing people and families into poverty. While there have been strides made to transform the welfare system so everyone can thrive, we haven’t seen the changes needed to end poverty and ensure all people can flourish.
In February this year the Fairer Future coalition launched Lifting the Weight, their report on people’s experiences of owing debt to the Ministry of Social Development (MSD). Containing first-hand, personal stories, the report clearly demonstrated the huge difference wiping debt to MSD would make to the lives of many whānau. Debt to MSD is one of the Seven Steps launched in 2022, which will continue to be worked on. As part of the debt report, Fairer Future featured in media stories on 1News, Stuff and Newshub.
Given it was an election year, the Fairer Future coalition worked together to organise "Forum for a Fairer Future." This was a way to highlight the "squashed margins" amidst the narratives around the "squeezed middle". The forum was well attended, with representatives from Te Pāti Māori, the Greens, and Labour. Some of our coalition members spoke to media who attended the event.
Leading up to Election 2023, we also worked on some quick responses when political parties whose values were centred around punishing those on income support started to talk about welfare. Alongside eleven other anti-poverty organisations, ActionStation launched an open letter to the next government, speaking out against the rising beneficiary-bashing narratives that were starting to surface, and calling on leaders to prioritise the end to all sanctions and lift benefits to liveable levels. We spoke with Radio Waatea, Pacific Media Network, and 1News about this.
