Date: Thu, 25 Sep 2014 13:46:58 +1200
Subject: Your Official Information Act request - Data on number of children lifted out of poverty
From: "OIA_Requests (MSD)" <[MSD request email]>
To: 'donna wynd' <[FYI request #2052 email]>

Dear Donna Wynd,

Thank you for your email received 25 September 2014, under the Official Information Act 1982. Your request has been forwarded to the appropriate officials at National office to respond. You may expect a response to be sent to you as soon as possible.

Regards
Official and Parliamentary Information team   |  Ministerial and Executive Services
Ministry of Social Development

Our Purpose:
We help New Zealanders to help themselves to be safe, strong and independent
Ko ta mātou he whakamana tangata kia tū haumaru, kia tū kaha, kia tū motuhake


-----Original Message-----
From: donna wynd [mailto:[FYI request #2052 email]]
Sent: Thursday, 25 September 2014 9:51 a.m.
To: OIA_Requests (MSD)
Subject: Official Information Act request - Data on number of children lifted out of poverty

Dear Ministry of Social Development,

Recently the Prime Minister John Key quoted a figure of 30,000 being lifted out of poverty (http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/checkpoint/audio/20148965/poverty-campaigners-calling-for-more-spending,-not-tax-cuts) "in the last couple of years.'

Can you please provide the evidence upon which this claim was made?

I also note a pre-election announcement saying "over the past two years 30,000 children have gone from living in a benefit-dependent home to a working one" (http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA1409/S00251/national-to-reduce-benefit-numbers-by-25-per-cent.htm). Can you please provide the data that upon which this claim was made.

Can you please provide any research MSD has done since the first rollout of the the government's welfare reforms in 2010 showing whether parents who have left a benefit to take up paid employment are better off financially; and also research showing whether the children of parents who have left a benefit for paid employment enjoy better outcomes as a result of this?

In a pre-election interview the Minister for Social Development stated: "The research has shown us with the investment approach that there’s  a couple of real touch points of people churning on and off benefits. One at 6 months and the other is between 12 and 14 months..." Can I please have a copy of the research the Minister is referring to.

Yours faithfully,

donna wynd

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