‘Thousands more’ families to become eligible for FamilyBoost
Finance Minister Nicola Willis says “thousands more families” will become eligible for the FamilyBoost childcare rebate scheme — and that those already using it will receive larger refunds. However, the full scope of the changes is still under wraps, and Labour says she has missed her own deadline to improve the scheme.
“Cabinet has made decisions to expand the FamilyBoost scheme to support families with young children address the cost of living. The changes we are making means many thousands more families will be eligible and those already in the scheme will be eligible for greater rebates,” she said.
“We are making two changes the first is to increase the rate of rebate, so those who already have received rebates under the scheme can look forward to more in future, and we also reducing the rate of abatement which is a complicated way of ensuring more people can get access to the scheme.”
In its current form, the scheme gives parents a quarterly payment to partially refund licensed early childcare centre (ECE) costs for children aged 5 and under. Families can claim 25% of weekly childcare fees, up to a maximum of $975 every three months. Payments apply per household, not per child, and it kicks in after other subsidies (like the 20 Hours ECE and MSD subsidy) have been applied.
Labour in April said the scheme was a “failure” after only 249 families had claimed the maximum amount available since it came into effect. This was just 1.2% of the 21,000 families the Government said were eligible for the full FamilyBoost payment of $975 a quarter, or $3900 a year, based on information from the IRD. Willis in October said about 100,000 households a year are estimated to be eligible for the credit.
Whenever National were challenged on the cost of living crisis, they would point to their $250 per fortnight tax cut and that 100 000 families would gain from FamilyBoost to offset child care.
The truth to the lie was that only 12 000 Kiwis would gain the full $250 per fortnight tax cut, and barely 1.2% gained the FamilyBoost package because the process was so bureaucratic and the clawbacks on the poor were disastrous.
Nicola promises she’s fixed the issue now, but going from proclaiming 100 000 families will benefit when only 249 did while the cost of living crisis brings on is like promising to put out the house fire you started.
They are making empty promises as people hurt, but apparently this bullshit and incompetence is better than a Labour-Green-Māori Party Government who would make public services cheaper and tax the rich.
This is such an enormous political failure by Willis and no one is calling her on it because politics now is all tribe no village.
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Just another lie and a fail .THIS IS THE GOVERNMENT OF NON DELIVERY .Take the ferries ,they are being delayed by 4 years ,the Picton council is borrowing $110 million for a scaled back farm shed at the wharf ,which is what they were borrowing for the original up market building under IREX ,so no savings to be had there and a poor standard for the millions of tourists that Luxon wants to flood the country with .Then the dunedin hospital ,same price if not more for half the hospital in the original plan .Even one floor will not be used .no doubt by the time 2031 rolls around it wont be finished and will have cost $4 billion .But never mind ,by then Willis will be living on the streets in rotorua and Tania Tapsell will be kicking her to the curb on the way to work each morning .
Willis gives voters little hope of fast improvements in the crippling cost of living crisis
https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/checkpoint/audio/2018994086/finance-minister-on-tackling-the-cost-of-living-crisis
When told Age Concern said an increase in the Winter Energy Payment would be gratefully helpful and asked whether she would do this, she said no. Pointing out she did raise pension payment rates. Furter adding, she is determined to deal with the underlying issues that are driving the high cost of power. Giving no timeframe for when that would be completed.
The increase in pension rates was minimal and people are still struggling as a result.
Further, fixing the underlying problems could take years. Meaning people will be largely left to struggle for the duration.
Considering the long timeframe, it would’ve been good to hear that she was willing to offer more assistance now. For example, increasing the Winter Energy Payment until the underlying issues were addressed. And something similar set up in the interim to help people with crippling issuance costs.
Letting the elderly freeze to death in their homes is a great way of reducing the cost of superannuation. This is “fiscal prudence”. Remember kids, dollars are more important than the lives of some dusty, moth-eaten pensioners.
Willis will be fine. She’s likely rolling in money. Heaters for miles at her place.
No doubt Willis is sorted.
But politically, voters won’t be happy when they realise there is no assistance coming soon. Just more cost increases.
As for “fiscal prudence”, most are going to bed early to keep warm. So are more likely to get ill rather than die. Adding costs to the health budget.
Further, many are helping bring up grandkids. So there is also the cost burden of them freezing and becoming ill to consider.
But I hope you’re being sarcastic
I employ relentless sarcasm as a coping mechanism. Watching the news these days makes wish I’d stayed in the womb.
nicola willis…yikes.
Have you ever gone home drunk with a person you never quite got a good look at because of the dark and because you were drunk? You just keep your head down and say nice things. You stagger past the letter box and up the path to the front door… you open the door, turn left past the kitchen then let your hormones do their thing but then you wake up later to see that you’ve been shagging a recycled clothing bin tied to a mossy headstone.