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Budget 2019 - Social Welfare

Budget 2019 - Social Welfare

This table outlines the New Zealand Government's planned social welfare spending for the 2019/20 budget year.

Actual spending for the previous four years is on the left.

The numbers are drawn together from the Vote Social Development and Vote Social Housing. (Updated with the Accommodation Supplement separated out.)

Links to the primary sources used, from Treasury's website, can be found at the bottom of the page.

Figures for each allocation are in millions of NZ$.

Actual 2014/2015 Actual 2015/2016 Actual 2016/2017 Actual 2017/2018 Actual 2018/2019   Estimate 2019/2020 %
NZ$m NZ$m NZ$m NZ$m NZ$m   NZ$m  
                 0.0            0.1  Administering Support for the Mental Health and Employment Social Bond Pilot             0.1 0.00
               0.2            0.1            1.2  Mental Health and Employment Social Bond Pilot             0.6 0.00
           0.5            0.4            0.5            0.6            0.7  Processing of Veterans’ Pensions             0.7 0.00
           0.4            0.4            0.2            0.1            0.7  Family Start/NGO Awards             0.7 0.00
             0.0            0.0            0.1            0.4  Transitional Assistance             0.8 0.00
           Independent Monitoring and Assurance of the Oranga Tamariki System             1.0 0.00
               0.2            0.4            0.9  Place-based Initiatives - Tairawhiti Local Leadership             1.0 0.00
           1.0            0.9            0.9            1.1            1.0  Promoting Positive Outcomes for Seniors             1.0 0.00
           Implementation and Operation of the Mandatory Registration of Social Workers             1.3 0.00
                   1.1  Place-Based Initiatives - South Auckland Social Wellbeing Board             2.2 0.01
           0.7            1.5            0.8            1.2            2.3  Extraordinary Care Fund             2.3 0.01
           3.6            3.2            2.3            2.7            2.3  Work Assistance             2.6 0.01
           2.2            2.2            2.2            2.7            3.2  Children's Commissioner             3.2 0.01
                   0.2  Enhancement and Promotion of SuperGold Cards             3.2 0.01
                   2.6  Reimbursement of Income Related Rent Overpayments             3.4 0.01
           3.3            3.3            3.3            3.3            3.5  Student Placement Services             3.5 0.01
                   1.2  Establishment of Independent Monitor of the Oranga Tamariki System             5.7 0.02
                   3.5  Administration of Service Cards             5.7 0.02
           5.4            6.1            6.3            5.3            6.2  Planning, Correspondence and Monitoring             6.0 0.02
           8.5            5.7            4.0            5.0            5.4  Promoting Positive Outcomes for Disabled People             6.1 0.02
           0.3                  2.0  Housing Support Package             6.7 0.02
               1.8            5.7            9.7  Claims Resolution             7.8 0.03
                 6.3            9.7  Supporting Equitable Pay for Care and Support Workers           11.0 0.04
         11.9          11.4          10.9          10.5          10.9  Special Circumstance Assistance           11.3 0.04
             10.3          10.3          11.3  Partnering for Youth Development           12.0 0.04
           20.4          19.8          13.8          15.7  Policy Advice           14.6 0.05
         13.5          15.0          15.1          16.5          17.4  Management of Student Loans           18.8 0.07
         16.7          15.7          16.7          16.5          16.8  Management of Student Support           18.9 0.07
         18.2          18.1          17.8          19.0          19.5  Out of School Care and Recreation Programmes           19.5 0.07
         11.8          11.2          12.1          12.9          19.2  Study Scholarships and Awards           20.7 0.07
           11.2          11.7          12.5          18.4  Data, Analytics and Evidence Services           23.6 0.08
           Historic Claims           27.3 0.10
         20.4                26.2  Services to Support People to Access Accommodation           36.4 0.13
           49.2          48.1          46.6          49.0  Investigation of Overpayments and Fraudulent Payments and Collection of Overpayments           51.6 0.19
         41.6          41.1          46.2          55.1          52.2  Youth Payment and Young Parent Payment           54.3 0.20
         36.6          36.8          43.2          46.4          49.3  Income Support and Assistance to Seniors           58.0 0.21
             25.0          86.6          73.0  Corporate Support Services           75.0 0.27
         90.9        112.3          84.4          86.1        115.8  Ministry of Social Development - Capital Expenditure           75.6 0.27
         59.7 -          0.7          68.1          72.6          83.1  Debt Write-downs           78.3 0.28
           75.1          81.8          80.6          80.9  Community Participation Services           82.6 0.30
               93.9        105.0  Community Support Services         135.6 0.49
       177.5        185.8        175.0        162.9        153.5  Veterans’ Pension         145.0 0.52
       183.1        182.1        198.6        196.1        180.7  Childcare Assistance         168.4 0.61
       132.0        142.9        152.1        165.0        225.0  Orphan's/Unsupported Child's Benefit         247.4 0.89
       141.0        152.3        184.9        207.3        272.1  Recoverable Assistance         319.3 1.15
       276.9        289.6        352.5        354.7        298.7  Hardship Assistance         345.8 1.24
       377.0        376.9        377.0        379.3        385.6  Disability Assistance         390.7 1.40
               441.1  Winter Energy Payment         457.6 1.64
       511.1        485.7        464.9        510.8        582.5  Student Allowances         585.2 2.10
       643.1        660.4        658.6        655.1        700.8  Improved Employment and Social Outcomes Support         764.5 2.75
     1,186.5      1,153.0      1,158.6      1,116.7      1,116.1  Sole Parent Support       1,174.9 4.22
     1,616.9      1,610.3      1,572.6      1,424.9      1,465.4  Student Loans       1,475.4 5.30
     1,514.6      1,523.0      1,532.6      1,540.6      1,555.5  Supported Living Payment       1,589.4 5.71
     1,128.9      1,163.7      1,127.0      1,203.5      1,640.7  Accommodation Assistance       1,810.5 6.51
     1,683.9      1,671.3      1,697.0      1,697.3      1,853.8  Jobseeker Support and Emergency Benefit       1,975.9 7.10
   11,591.0    12,266.8    13,043.3    13,698.7    14,561.7  New Zealand Superannuation     15,488.1 55.66
   23,221.3    23,978.9    24,861.5    25,088.5    26,586.9  Grand Total     27,828.6 100.00

Note that some welfare and benefits are delivered through the tax system, and the costs of those items are set out here >>

You can get back to the main page that summarises all government spending here >>

Sources:

Social Development: https://treasury.govt.nz/publications/ise/budget-2019-data-estimates-ap…

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2 Comments

Useful table. I'm dependant on Super and therefore generally in favour of it. But seeing it increasing by 6.4% pa while inflation is under 2% we need to restart the debate about getting it under control. Adding in the winter supplement and it was a 9.5% increase.
Surely it is worth reconsidering the entitlement date - subtract 15 years from average life expectancy. Currently 81.6 years so start super at the age of 66.5.

I can see why younger commentators grumble about migrants getting it without having made a partial contribution as part of their residency approval.

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Is the Accommodation Assistance benefit propping up our housing market? Almost $2b must have some effect. It is certainly a crazy benefit - just check the govt's calculator to see its quirks.

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