Releases

The Government will provide $500,000 over two years for short-term emergency housing to ensure perpetrators of family violence can be safely kept away from victims at a time of crisis. Budget 2016 funding will provide emergency housing in Christchurch and Waikato, where the new Integrated Safety Response pilot is being trialled. The ISR pilot aims to ensure families experiencing family violence are safe and receive the services they need to prevent further harm. ...

The Government is seeking input into a new Risk Assessment and Management Framework designed to keep victims safer, Ministers have announced. The framework proposes a better, more consistent way to assess and manage the risks of family violence so victims can get the help they need, whoever they turn to. “This Government wants to do what we can to ensure that New Zealanders are protected from family violence. We know that properly and consistently identifying risk and intervening earlier is critical to achieving this,” says Justice Minister Amy Adams.

Social Development Minister Anne Tolley and Māori Development Minister Te Ururoa Flavell today announced Project 1000; a scheme to provide 1000 new jobs for currently unemployed Hawke’s Bay workers over the next three years. Project 1000 is part of Matariki – Hawke’s Bay Regional Economic Development Strategy and Action Plan 2016, which aims to accelerate job growth and raise incomes in the region. ...

Social Development Minister Anne Tolley says changes to accommodation support for studying sole parents mean that more parents are accessing higher rates of the support. “The majority of sole parents who are studying full time are now receiving the same accommodation support they would if they were on a benefit, leaving them on average $38.88 a week better off,” Mrs Tolley says. ...

Social Development Minister Anne Tolley says a Bill to expand the Youth Service has passed its final reading in Parliament today. The Social Security (Extension of Young Persons Services and Remedial Matters) Amendment Bill expands the wraparound support provided by the Youth Service to all 19-year-old parents and 18 and 19-year-olds at significant risk of long term welfare dependence. ...