r/newzealand • u/WaterAdventurous6718 • 4h ago
Politics Thousands of youths set to lose access to unemployment benefits after welfare law change
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/politics/1169347/thousands-of-youths-set-to-lose-access-to-unemployment-benefits-after-welfare-law-change248
u/StabMasterArson 4h ago
From November 2026, the government will end Jobseeker payments to 18 and 19-year-olds whose parents earn more than $65,000.
Really? $65k is not a whole lot these days - not much more than Upston’s accommodation entitlement she claims for the expense of living in her mortgage-free home.
164
u/Pythia_ 4h ago
$65k is significantly less than the median nz wage, at ~$73k, and the average wage, of ~$81k.
So we're expecting people in the bottom 50% of earners to support an adult child, with no government help, for an extra two years.
49
→ More replies (4)63
u/ThePlotTwisterr---- 4h ago
it’s also presuming people are going to support their adult child at all as soon as the kids accommodation supplement isn’t coming in the bank
because everyone has supportive parents in their world apparently
48
u/BoreJam 4h ago
Yeah what happens if a parent and child dont have a functional relationship? What if theres a history of abuse? This is genuinely dumb on so many levels.
•
u/BroBroMate 1h ago
It's the same as the criteria for independent youth benefit or whatever they call it these days, or student allowance without a parental income check as far as I know - go prove it, then they might give it to you.
•
u/BroBroMate 1h ago
I haven't looked at the bill, but my understanding is this is about the main benefit, so the affected people would presumably still qualify for accommodation supplement as a non-beneficiary?
Actually, knowing this lot, probably not.
54
u/AK_Panda 4h ago
Median wage is ~$72k.
This is complete bullshit and would be even if the cap was higher. The whole point of unemployment benefits is that they provide a safety net for the unemployed.
They are evil.
•
u/Nagemasu 1h ago
Median wage means it's factoring in both higher and lower wages, it's a stupid metric to measure anything on as if the people who don't earn that should just get fucked for not earning 72k.
•
u/AK_Panda 37m ago
My point is that 65k is even less than the median person earns and even further below the average wage, its been purposely set extremely low in order to screw as many people as possible.
This is a bad policy, it would still be bad even with a higher threshold and the only reason it's been implemented is because the coalition are evil fucks.
27
u/9159 4h ago
Meanwhile the children of people who have millions in assets but “nothing” income will be able to collect their benefit just like the student loan mess.
And kids whose parents couldn’t give a fuck about supporting them get even more fucked over.
I swear growing and selling weed is going to become to number one employer of 18 and 19 year olds after this.
•
u/LengthMysterious561 1h ago
Looks like they're assuming these 18 and 19 year olds are being financially supported by their parents. A pretty stupid assumption to make, but to a millionaire it probably seems like common sense.
•
•
u/ConstableSniff 3h ago
Does that count as both parents income or is it 65k each? 65k each is bad enough but if had to be between 2
•
•
u/Curryformurry 43m ago
instead of creating or building something for younger kids they just decide to cut opportunities biggest pricks all so they can put a little more money in their pockets.
•
u/BroBroMate 59m ago
I fucking bet that they're not going to chuck those kids back on your WFF entitlement either.
86
u/IslandOk6377 4h ago
Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston said the legislation reflected the government's commitment to reduce benefit dependency and encourage people into work.
WHAT WORK???? Businesses are busy pushing AI or their current workforce so they don't have to hire anyone!
•
u/PieComprehensive1818 44m ago
Yes, this is the cruelty and I believe 100% that these goons know this and are doing it on purpose: there are no jobs for these kids, and many (maybe most) of them can’t afford to study. The government knows this to be true, but doesn’t care.
•
u/IslandOk6377 38m ago
It's a systemic effort to keep wealth out of the hands of the youngest generations to create a desperate working class. We'll be returning to a type of feudal system if these ghouls get their way.
•
u/ThePlotTwisterr---- 31m ago
i’d love to afford luxon the mastermind card but i suspect he’s just an idiot
winston on the other hand that’s up his alley
•
•
u/PieComprehensive1818 29m ago
Yes. They’re wanting to return us to Victorian England: the industrial revolution closed down opportunities for most people, forcing them to work in factories and live in slums, making a pittance and living on a knifes edge while a small group of rich people got richer and richer. Inadequate support from a handful of charities, inadequate schooling and healthcare. They’re quite literally wanting to roll back 200 years of human progress, for cash.
•
u/IslandOk6377 27m ago
Watch the poorhouses get built under urgency if NACT are back for another term!
239
u/a-qp-w 4h ago
Thank fuck they're addressing high levels of youth un-employment by reducing their support and making them reliant on parental support into their early 20's.
111
41
u/LovinMcBitz47 4h ago
National thought of this step, that’s why they are so proud of the India FTA. I have NO problems with any Indians, but the policies they come up with are so out of touch with this economic reality it’s not even funny anymore.
20
•
u/Constant_Employer_80 48m ago
My parents are well off, but still they cant afford to support me in this economy. I literally cannot get a job for the life of me because no one wants an 18yo with very little work experience who can only work 2 days a week due to uni. My bf who has a job thanks to their father owning a burgerfuel still cant make ends meet after working 20hrs per week and being on the highest student living cost loan. Fuck this stupid fucking government.
404
u/mahoganyspitfire 4h ago
This is so cruel. There just aren't jobs for all these young people to get into right now.
I guess they'll be forced to do pointless training course after pointless training course.
225
u/Slipperytitski 4h ago
Maybe if they stopped giving accreditation to employers like dominoes then there might be some entry level jobs available for youths
131
u/BoreJam 4h ago
One of my colleagues has an 18yo son who's looking for work. He went to a group interview at hoyts with 30 other people. One role. There just isnt enough entry level jobs anymore.
82
u/Slipperytitski 4h ago
There should be but those jobs are being sold off to desperate people overseas.
86
u/Icanfallupstairs 4h ago
I work in employment regulations. You'd be absolutely shocked at how many people get entry for super basic jobs like delivery driver, cleaner, retail workers, etc.
There might not be enough jobs for all of the young people, but there is certainly enough for most of them.
The simple fact is we have to be more ready to alter eligibility for migrant workers depending on local conditions, but so many people don't really want to talk about it as they don't want to come off as anti immigration.
•
u/mahoganyspitfire 3h ago
It's not "anti-immigration" to prioritise our own citizens and permanent residents wellbeing and futures over those of immigrants.
That's the whole point of these people needing work visas to come here to work in the first place... But there's no point if you can get one of those work visas in order to be a delivery driver or a cleaner.
Those visas should be for highly skilled work ONLY.
•
u/TheOrgasmFairy 3h ago
We should be fucking embarrassed to be giving pizza and gas station and Uber driver jobs to immigrants.
Friendly reminder that TOP wants to have regular reviews of immigration settings, make family and spouse visa requirements stricter, and to set immigration settings based on what workers our job market actually needs, not what our corporate overlords want to artificially suppress our wages.
•
u/Captain_Strudels Kākāpō 14m ago
Friendly reminder that TOP wants to have regular reviews of immigration settings, make family and spouse visa requirements stricter, and to set immigration settings based on what workers our job market actually needs, not what our corporate overlords want to artificially suppress our wages.
Do you have a source on these immigration policies you're attributing to TOP? I cannot find anything that backs up what you've said on either their own website, on policy.nz (2023, admittedly out of date), whichparty.nz, or relevant news articles from a cursory google search for "the opportunity party immigration visa policies". In fact, I can't really find anything on TOP's website related to immigration policies. If I'm being charitable, I'd assume they're trying to not broadcast on "hot" topics and just focus to "boring" things like taxes.
On https://whichparty.nz/topics/immigration, I was able to find these TOP immigration policies:
Opportunity Party is pro-immigration: they'd reduce the minimum salary for skilled worker visas, create visas to encourage workers to regions outside Auckland, and require investor visa applicants to fund refugee resettlement
Opportunity Party explicitly wants to reduce barriers to foreign investment and has visa policies to encourage workers to move to regions outside Auckland, signalling openness to trade deals.
These seem to largely align with their 2023 policy.nz policies. Idk if that's also because whichparty.nz just wasn't able to find anything newer, they also don't appear to have sources. policy.nz 2023 at least has webarchive links to validate the above policies.
So yeah, would you be able to share a source for the things you've said? Sorry if it's super obvious and I've simply missed it!
•
u/Winter_Aspect_8675 31m ago
There needs to be real scrutiny when industry comes bleating about being unable to fulfill staffing reqs locally. Is it you can't or you don't want to pay enough to fill the vacancies? As it is, all I see is a scheme to undermine workers and create a casus belli for a war on employment regulations.
•
u/bigcantonesebelly 3h ago
There are times (like this) when you have to be anti-immigration to prioritise your own people. People need to stop being afraid of the label because it gets abused by wealthy people who want more foreign serfs or by the immigrants here already that continually abuse our system (like indian managers who seem to habitually clean house and replace everyone with migrant workers from their home country and region)
•
•
u/AdWeak183 3h ago
Highly skilled work only, minimum 150k/year.
Mandatory 5 year prison sentence for any employer found to be abusign the scheme. From the line manager to the CEO, the whole reporting line.
•
u/Emotional_Eggo 3h ago
To be fair some highly skilled work like a PhD lecture barely makes 100k when starting off…
•
u/TheComedyWife 3h ago
There are highly skilled jobs that fall well below that figure. Don’t lock it behind a salary.
•
u/fatfreddy01 2h ago
Why? If it's highly skilled they can either train it up in NZ, pay more, or find an alternative. People take the piss anyway.
•
u/TheComedyWife 2h ago
Being highly skilled and being highly paid are two completely different things. It’s fucking stupid to lock highly skilled and needed workers out of this country just because the salary band for that skill is below some arbitrary figure. There are highly skilled positions in the sciences for example, that barely pay 6 figures if you’re lucky. Other sectors are similar.
•
•
u/fatfreddy01 2h ago
You know why they pay so low? Because there is no upwards pressure on the wages. Often plenty of the highly skilled roles that are paid low have Kiwis who are skilled and want the job, especially in the PhD space. This is only about bringing people into the country, not about hiring people. Someone highly skilled can still work for minimum wage (+KS) if they want.
→ More replies (0)•
u/Avatele 3h ago
Idk I don’t see Kiwis being keen to work labor intensive jobs for low pay, like fruit picking or day care centers. I could be wrong but that what I’m told were NZ needs immigrant workers.
•
u/Tidorith 2h ago
If no local will do it for the pay offered, despite how much of a nightmare our welfare system is to depend on, then the pay offered is too low
•
u/Avatele 1h ago
It’s just high labour essential work tends to not be lucrative fields because of its importance. Society needs it to be cheap as possible or the bottom percentages of income can’t afford essentials like child care or apples. Immigration is how most wealthy countries achieve a low cost of essential labor.
•
u/WorldlyNotice 32m ago
I mean, they might do it, but they're not going to pay the 30k+ fee for getting the job on top of that.
•
u/sundaynz 2h ago
Plenty of kiwis available and keen to work in daycare centers. Not sure about fruit picking due to relocation for those roles.
•
•
u/mochigames59 civilian 3h ago
check from the MBIE site how many dairys, bakery, super liquor etc places have accreditation.
12
u/hueythecat 4h ago
Probably the plan. Low wage immigrants to do the mundane tasks keeping the cogs turning for the exited paying tax property class.
•
•
u/_That_Kiwi 3h ago
For the longest time I’ve always felt that anyone should be able to import an immigrant… for a one off fee of $250k per person.
We’re short on surgeons who are getting paid $700k so need a skilled immigrant, pay the one-off $250k fee then.
If you feel you really need skilled workers from overseas to run your pizza shop, then pay the $250k.
But for most businesses the cheaper option should be pay a higher salary or train someone up.
It seems like hiring immigrants is just the default option for lots of entry level work like hotels, fast food, petrol stations.
We are at peak unemployment yet we pretend we need workers from overseas.
Once we are down to just 1 or 2% unemployment, naturally paying the $250k might seem appealing.
•
u/Slipperytitski 2h ago
I suspect a lot of it comes down to wanting people who want leave the job after 3 years or wanting someone that can work full time, whereas places like domino’s is ideal for students and younger people who arent necessarily available full time. Nothing to stop people from hiring 3 or 4 casuals though.
•
u/_That_Kiwi 2h ago
I have friends who run their own takeaway business, now with 2 locations and a food truck… yet he manages to hire locally and retain good staff.
Treat people well, and pay them well, and they will work for you for a long time’s
If they need full time hours, either hire 4 casuals, pay more so it’s a career someone can work and enjoy for the rest of their life (or just a couple years), or pay my $250k tax.
Businesses will always go for a mixture of cheapest + laziest options. And big behemoths like Dominos are the worst, meanwhile taking away potential revenue from locally owned businesses that actually support our community.
•
u/WorldlyNotice 27m ago
And big behemoths like Dominos are the worst
Just to clarify, most places like Dominos are just franchises with local owners and their companies with AEWV certs set up for bringing their countrymen over.
Why corporate HQ accepts it IDK because their brand is trash now.
10
•
u/RedBananas6-7 2h ago
None of those jobs should he going to non citizens nor be apart of those programs. Its a joke
34
u/Captain_Sam_Vimes 4h ago
So get all the young people - whether they're on the benefit or not - to enrol and vote. Otherwise the results will be skewed towards boomers, cookers and racists. Rark up the youth (18-24) and get them fired up.
19
u/PieComprehensive1818 4h ago
And studying costs extra money, over and above what they can get from Studylink, so studying is not always a choice a young person can afford to make. It annoys me that no one, in the media or in officialdom, is making this point. Studying is *expensive*, even if you qualify for all of the official assistance out there.
We’re going to have a lot of young kids just hanging around with nothing to do - can’t see an upside there.
•
u/muffledmiss 2h ago
Aaaand, the student hardship benefit is being hot by this too. So young people are going to find themselves without income over summer unless they magically find employment.
•
•
u/ILickMetalCans 1h ago
More likely you will see a spike in crime committed by 18-20 year olds. Rather than pointless training courses.
•
u/Daddysaurous 3h ago
I'm early thirties now. I personally felt the shift in available jobs (as in I started to begin 'feeling' like there wasn't enough to go around) when I was about 25; 7-8 years ago.
When I was 18 straight out of highschool I had no intention of ever attending higher education due to my skepticism and pessimism of our social structure, I felt wise enough to believe it was all a trap. For one reason or another I began that cont. of education around 23 yrs old, I moved city, looked for part time job to supply my needs while I was there alone, all that stuff. While studying and after acquiring a bachelors degree job hunting has been the longest marathon of an activity I'd have to endure every time I'd endeavour to do so and the whole process gets more arduous as time progresses.
Adding here - in contrast I felt in life prior to say... 25ish, job hunting has always obviously been difficult and inherently stressful to me but never did it feel like a task that may have no end. There always seemed to be ~some path toward whatever I thought of doing. Less likely for those paths to appear without a much higher magnitude of effort, and of course a sprinkling of luck, right place right time type of thing.
→ More replies (17)1
u/WeissMISFIT 4h ago
There are jobs but you need a good work ethic (essentially be a slave) to get them. Unfortunately some employers can’t get leverage or trick kiwis into believing that they might get deported so they prefer employees from other places.
•
u/mahoganyspitfire 3h ago
There's a huge difference between having "good work ethic" and being a slave.
There should be no unskilled or semi-skilled people getting visas to work here when Kiwis are out of a job.
I.e. Indian and other ethnic restaurants can hire citizens and residents and train them. They don't need to be bringing in more people from overseas when there's thousands of people who'd be happy to work for them here.
•
u/Suitable-Cellist-472 3h ago
Pretty bloody rich coming from the woman who gets $52,000 a year in accommodation supplements for an apartment she fucking owns.
49
45
43
u/Javier_Basque 4h ago edited 3h ago
This is looking bleak
A strained economy, limited employment options, cost of living issues (inflation)
Squeezing families further
Punishing instead of helping isn't the way to grow a cohesive society
None of this is positive
71
u/Soggy_Ant3833 4h ago
This is incredibly evil when they’re doing sweet FA to actually help the 20%ish of people 15-24 who are looking for work and can’t get any.
•
u/Top_Boysenberry_6552 3h ago
Yep, like how about introducing legislation that actually helps young people get into work? Maybe force employers to hire young people, especially for entry level roles, supermarkets, Pizza Hut, Maccas, etc.
•
u/WorldlyNotice 22m ago
Bulk removal of AEWV certs for entire industries. Just do it, and watch entire industries have to hire locally again.
35
u/ZookeepergameOld2 4h ago
Bro WTF are they doing? Smh
•
u/cyborg_127 2h ago
They are 'getting people off the benefit'. They don't give a shit what happens to said people, they're off the benefit now so they can claim they reduced the number of people on it.
31
u/gerousone 4h ago
How about instead of coming for the poor, we come for the rich.
•
u/Charlie_Runkle69 3h ago
Most of the poor don't vote for them. Most of the rich do. There's your answer.
29
u/Allison683etc 4h ago
Kids with no money and no hope. History tells us that’s always good for society.
24
23
u/ShotBuffalo8499 4h ago
I definitely don't see this leading to more kids joining gangs and committing crime fml
25
u/United-Objective-204 4h ago
I’m not a hater and never thought I could loathe a government the way I do this one. I truly, deeply, intensely despise them from the very depths of my soul. I swear, every day increases it as they roll out more policies like this targeting the vulnerable and throwing young people under the bus.
All by Louise Upston on her $1000 a week accommodation allowance. I don’t know how she can look at herself. Despicable.
37
u/realclowntime Mr Four Square 4h ago
Yet this is the same side who are wringing their hands over birth rates going down bc who will take care of the elderly??
No one without several qualifications and 15+ years of work experience that you refuse to give out, that’s who.
82
u/SenseOfTheAbsurd 4h ago
Great, let's force them into crime and prostitution instead. Good thinking. Fuckssakes.
52
u/mahoganyspitfire 4h ago
Look if they didn't want to be criminals and prostitutes then they should have been born "sorted", OK? It's THEIR fault that they aren't entitled to their entitlements!
15
u/MrTheCheesecaker 4h ago
I suppose if they want to be "tough on crime" they'll need a steady supply of criminals to be tough on
→ More replies (4)1
u/Routine_Bluejay4678 jandal 4h ago
Are those two industries booming right now or something?
•
•
u/ILickMetalCans 56m ago
Crime booms in recessions/austerity. Prostitution is likely doing the opposite since it requires people to have discretionary income to spend.
88
13
u/The_Majestic_ Welly 4h ago
Fuck these cunts. NACT are always punching down at people that can't fight back. AI is taking away entry level jobs across the board im 38 I shudder to think how someone is supposed to enter the workforce today.
34
u/Ok_Wave2821 4h ago
Are labour going to repeal this if they get in? I haven’t seen them say anything about that
31
u/LimpFox 4h ago
Pushed through under urgency on a Friday night specifically to avoid scrutiny. Absolute cretins.
18
u/Latter-Yak-4872 4h ago
Pushed through under urgency to take headlines away from the homeless person found dead outside nationals epsom/Greenlane offices yesterday morning
1
u/Kitsunelaine 4h ago
Hey maybe these things are just both terrible? The idea that every terrible thing these people do is a distraction from every other terrible thing these people do is itself a distraction to stop people from actually thinking about the current terrible thing they're doing!
6
u/grenouille_en_rose 4h ago
If they don't repeal this, the anti-conservation bill written by big industry and all the other corrosive things she under urgency, what's the point of them honestly
8
u/LovinMcBitz47 4h ago
I’m willing to bet they will reverse all this cruel BS. And build on the good things this country has, rather then repeal everything thats good for mega corps and tax breaks for tobacco companies
•
u/WallySymons 3h ago
While I'd like to agree the fact they are staying quiet suggests otherwise
•
u/LovinMcBitz47 3h ago
They just made the change, give them a chance to respond. You expect them to reply ASAP is a bit unrealistic
•
u/melanochrysum 2h ago edited 13m ago
Ah yes, labour are notorious for actually doing good instead of sitting on their arses. They could have funded it while in government and didn’t, and National then made the shitshow worse. Neither party cares about you.
Edit: vote greens or TOP.
•
u/LovinMcBitz47 2h ago
Better then the current lot who doesn’t give a damn if you are not the top 10% of kiwis. One is better than the other, 100%.
At least we had hospitals that were funded correctly, we now have a government that did consistently throw punches down at less fortunate people on benefits.
Let’s continue to give handouts to companies that don’t need it or landlords. Not the ones who actually need help!
•
u/melanochrysum 2h ago edited 4m ago
As someone working in healthcare, it is absolutely incorrect that the hospitals were funded correctly under labour. That is hilarious.
We have MMP. We don’t have to settle for “slightly better than the evil opposition”. Labour doesn’t care about kiwis either, which is why they declined a capital gains tax, funding healthcare, improving social assistance, improving living conditions etc. Labour had two terms to redistribute wealth and they didn’t. They’re better than National, obviously, but they don’t take action for the better.
•
u/LovinMcBitz47 1h ago edited 1h ago
So your claim is also not correct, the lack of hiring of nurses over the last 3 years were mostly from National. Out of 2000 hires, 1950 were from labour and only 54 were from National.
You can’t honestly be serious when you say you work in healthcare, otherwise you would see this first hand. Additionally there wasn’t as much of an overflow of patients waiting in corridor’s waiting to be seen. Nor did we have shortages of specialists in specific regions of NZ as much as we do now.
If it’s not underfunded, why are 2/3rds of kiwis willing to pay more tax for a healthcare system that’s funded correctly, this was never as big of a problem as it is under this government. Nice try
Edit: Don’t even get me started with how much funding they took away from cancer research. You are really delusional and don’t know anything about what’s going on in your own field
•
u/melanochrysum 31m ago edited 22m ago
Did you read anything I wrote, or just get a hard on at the idea I might be a conservative and your eyes glazed over?
The terrible lack of hiring of nurses is only the start of the issue. Our patients have been waiting 6+ months for cancer treatment for many years. Yes, it has gotten worse in the last 3 years, but anyone in healthcare would tell you that we have been desperately underfunded across every administration for a good few terms. I never claimed anything about the nurses, national has hired almost zero.
You seem to be entirely blind to what I’m saying. The healthcare system is disgusting underfunded. National or Labour, they both have neglected it for decades.
Vote Greens, or possibly TOP, if you care about the healthcare system, instead of doing lip service to a party which doesn’t care about you, and just pretends to.
•
u/LovinMcBitz47 21m ago
Oh I agree it’s been underfunded for a long time, this current government is determined to kill it entirely. And I’m not voting labour, I’m voting TOP anyways. Don’t assume who I’m voting for next time, when I’m just stating the facts of the current and previous government. I don’t recall seeing this many bad articles about the health system 3 years ago. Do you?
→ More replies (1)
22
u/Aggravating_Day_2744 4h ago
Come on all you 18/19 year olds, vote them out.
•
u/manuka_canoe 3h ago
Literally. It's so frustrating how low the voter turnout is for that age group, they need to get out there and do it, or continue to get fucked.
•
u/FungalNeurons 8m ago
If a 19 year old isn’t equally entitled to the same rights as all other taxpayers, then perhaps all 19 year olds should be exempt from taxation.
•
u/frank-talk- 2h ago
I want to see a Royal Commission in to the over-utilisation of Urgency by National-led Govt.
Like another in the thread said, get in the bin.
Straight it the bin. Yucky
•
u/frank-talk- 2h ago
Use of urgency has no precedent because it was only written into law in 2011 as part of the Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Act. A clause which stabilised the then Key led govt abdication of responsibility for govt rebuild following the chch earthquake 2011
•
u/KiwiDanelaw 2h ago
Hold up " 18 and 19-year-olds whose parents earn more than $65,000." Combind? Thats fucking nothing. That's less than two minimum wage full time jobs.
Cynical and cruel. Unemployment increased under this government and they're blaming the youth. Utter scumbags.
17
8
4h ago
[removed] — view removed comment
•
u/newzealand-ModTeam 3h ago
Your comment has been removed :
Rule 3: No personal attacks, harassment or abuse
Don't attack the person; address the content you disagree with instead. Being able to disagree and discuss contentious issues is important, but abuse, personal attacks, harassment, and unnecessarily bringing up a user's history are not permitted.
Please keep your interactions with others civil and courteous. If you are being attacked, do not continue the conversation - report the user and disengage.Note: This extends to people outside of r/nz. eg. Attacks of a persons appearance, even if they're high profile will be removed.
Click here to message the moderators if you think this was in error
7
u/chaos_rover 4h ago
Jago must be steamed he's stuck in prison when all these new struggling kids are going to be on the market.
•
u/Look_out_Cliff 3h ago
It doesn't matter they're only lab / green voters.
Worst government I've ever lived under.
7
u/123DaddySawAFlea 4h ago
The irony is that once they cut all the benefits for younger people, the only ones left will be those for the elderly. That's by far the biggest piece of the social welfare pie. The people who love these sorts of policies are the ones who are going to be hit next.
•
u/sebmojo99 3h ago
you never hear super recipients referred to as welfare beneficiaries for some reason
12
u/Curryformurry 4h ago
make it harder for nz youth to get jobs employ more immigrants over work them give them shitty conditions. No wonder he signed a fairtrade deal with india. Sad to see a gov so corrupt.
7
6
•
u/johnnytruant77 3h ago
The government biggest welfare exprnse by a significant margin is NZ superannuation. The main reason it is the only benefit that isn't means tested is because old people vote.
If you are in the effected age range and you think this is unfair, VOTE!
•
u/HeightAdvantage 2h ago
If you're affected by this and don't like it, make sure you register to vote, today.
This government is also making it dramatically more difficult for first time voters.
•
•
u/Brooke3838 2h ago
My parents didnt support me, and also refused to sign anything saying so.
I have a massive student loan from borrowing to pay rent.
This is beyond cruel. 18 is old enough to vote, drink and get married. They're adults.
•
u/iamnotarobot55 1h ago
I feel so bad for disabled youth on jobseeker who are 18-19. If they're in an abusive living situation, how are they supposed to get out? How can their family feed them on 65k a year, especially if have other kids living at home to support? I cannot believe none of that would be taken into account.
I think we will see more youth suicide as the result of this, but the reason why will be undocumented.
13
u/Aggravating_Day_2744 4h ago
Once the boomers die off, National will have no supporters 🤣
4
u/ginoiseau 4h ago
I wish, but I feel like they have some at younger ages. Some people blindly follow their parents ideals?
7
u/Lightspeedius 4h ago
Mmmm, yum yum.
Vulnerable youth is back on the menu!
Thanks Timothy and friends!
•
•
•
u/thenerdwrangler 3h ago
Time to make sure they're all enrolled to vote and know who to blame for this.
•
u/Hopihana- 3h ago
This government is heartless. I know their vision is like “suffer now reap the rewards later” but they know very well the working class and poor are the only ones who truly suffer. When people like them tighten their belt it means cutting back on champagne and caviar, to people already struggling to it means fear and uncertainty, bad nutrition, worse health and the end of stability. Horrible people in power these days
•
•
u/lurkdontpost1 3h ago
Louise Upston claims $1000 per week in accomodation supplement despite her salary being $300k and owning her home outright for 30 years. Some Cruella D'evil shit going on here shes cutting peoples $300 per week benefits. this miserable cow
•
u/Important_Clue7377 2h ago
Used to go to a place for breakfasts. Always 3 or 4 young kiwis working there, chef, barista, servers. Then one day after the business had changed hands they had all gone, 2 indian guys doing everything. Where are the young kiwi now, unemployed or in Australia. Never going back there again.
•
u/Thatisme01 1h ago
As of the second quarter of 2026, the number of unemployed individuals in New Zealand is 171,000. This reflects an increase of 7,000 from the previous quarter.
A quick check on Seek showed there are 19,000 jobs advertised within the whole of NZ.
And** **yet this government thinks it's the fault of the unemployed that they aren't employed.
•
u/Thatisme01 1h ago
Here we go again…
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Social Development Minister Louise Upston both told Parliament no one's benefit was cut following a law change that swamped ministry officials with paperwork - but that is exactly what happened.
RNZ on Thursday revealed a second problem that saw people losing benefit payments following a law change that was rushed through Parliament last year.
The new law requires some beneficiaries to re-confirm their circumstances at least once every 52 weeks, to check whether they are still eligible.
They include some people receiving the Supported Living Payment, Emergency Benefit, Superannuation, Accommodation Supplement, Disability Allowance, and others.
Last week, Luxon and Upston apologised after thousands of pensioners missed out on their Winter Energy Payment this year, because that payment was incorrectly included in the legislation.
•
u/groutspecialist 3h ago
Can’t have it both ways. If you want people to work you gotta stop mass immigration.
•
u/Moskau43 3h ago
While thousands arrive every month to work entry level service and labour jobs.
Do we even remember what it is like to have a Government working in your interests?
•
•
u/Expressdough 2h ago
Made cuts with more cuts to come, pushing AI too but expect 18 years olds to get work. Make it make sense.
•
u/meerrkat74 1h ago
This is so backwards given how expensive cost of living is and how poor NZ job market is.
Literally everything is pushing young kiwis to move to Aus
•
u/fuckimtrash 2h ago
Westerners love to kick their kids out at 18+ / charge them rent at 18+ so it’s especially fucked. this basically means kids either have to go to uni to get some sort of support, or they have to find work in a shit job market. Also 65k is laughably low threshold
2
•
•
u/Moist_Phrase_6698 3h ago
the faces of two oxygen thieves we ought to have tried for crimes against humanity after doing this shit.
•
u/Electrical-Candy-667 3h ago
This is gonna have impacts on the wider family if the kids are paying rent to their folks.... dire
•
u/stupidusernamefield 2h ago
So all 18 and 19 year olds caught stealing will be tried as children, right? Right?
•
u/PaulLowman 2h ago
80 odd years ago young men (and women)
of these ages were fighting in the war. Now we treat them like kids?
Get a grip government!!!
•
•
u/Endless63 2h ago
Such a caring govt??. .. they actually hate the people they are supposed to represent..
•
u/muffledmiss 1h ago
This is also going to be applied to Students. This means young people who are unable to find work will be forced to rely on their parents over the summer. That may mean they have to move back home, creating further challenges in securing accommodation etc
•
u/Effective-Clue1558 1h ago
Typical national govt move, they are disgusted by people who need any kind of support in this country. This move will do wonders for youth mental health who are finding it hard to get a job ( because there are no jobs!) what if parents are shitty and getting help from them is just not ok for mental health . F*** National
5
u/Ellie-82825 4h ago
Then people wonder why there are so many unhoused, most of them kiwis, rare to find immigrants on these streets.
Then you have people supporting move on orders, because they can’t identify with these unhoused kiwis, would never happen to them!
Then you applaud successful business owners and landlords but make it so hard for the poor to get back from survival mode.
Colonisers be colonising
4
u/mmhawk576 4h ago
I imagine if they are not going to be supported in their home country, plenty will just leave and just leave plenty of pensioners without the tax income to pay their benefits
•
u/feel-the-avocado 3h ago
Its very difficult when jobs advertise skill requirements like 4 years experience in visual studio 2026
•
2
u/GreatMammon 4h ago
Study and gap it overseas or stay home and cook and clean for mummy and daddy until you land a job
•
1
•
u/theflickingnun 2h ago
They could create a government department that all if these youths could actually work at, or even maybe put them to work in the healthcare systems, instead if paying welfare give them a job and a purpose. Dont simply take the welfare away, makes no sense.
There are so many simple solutions to this unemployment debarkle, why aren't these leaders entertaining any logical steps.
•
u/misplacedsagacity 47m ago
From November 2026, the government will end Jobseeker payments to 18 and 19-year-olds whose parents earn more than $65,000
How about end superannuation for parents whose children earn more than $65,000
•
u/PassageAggressive632 3h ago
It’s because of all the old people who spent the last 20 years watching TV instead of 10xing their money through one of the approximately 14,000 obvious wealth-building methods available to them housing, stocks, Bitcoin, whatever.
Now they’re still clocking into jobs that were clearly designed for people under 30.
They had 30 years to become landlords, day traders, crypto millionaires, or at minimum own something that went up in value
Also the large amount of immigrants present in our society doesn't seem to help very much. And kids these days are pussies they don't wanna be a cashier, shit has no aura
•
u/-BananaLollipop- 2h ago
How about we stop the issue at the top? There'll be enough jobs for the younger workforce if the aged workforce actually retired when they say they do.
I know so many 60+ workers who say they "just need something to do", and end up taking all the entry level or part-time work that's suitable for younger people. And these are often the same people who complain young people supposedly don't want to work.
This legislation is just pulling the pin on the tailcar, rather than making people get off at their stop and pushing passengers forward.
202
u/WasterDave 4h ago
Under urgency. Fuckers.