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Support for Children in Hardship Bill Government Bill As reported from the Social Services Committee Commentary Recommendation The Social Services Committee has examined the Support for Children in Hardship Bill and recommends that it be passed with the amendments shown.

Introduction This bill is intended to implement several initiatives for helping children who are liv- ing in severe material hardship.
It is an omnibus bill, proposing to amend the Social Security Act 1964, the Education Act 1989, the Income Tax Act 2007, and the Taxa- tion (Annual Rates and Budget Measures) Act 2011.

Clause 4 would change the definition of “part-time work” so that part-time work-tes- ted parents on a benefit would have to seek and be available for work that averages not less than 20 hours a week, rather than 15 hours a week, as now.
Clause 4 would also change the definitions of “part-time work-tested beneficiary”, “work-tested sole parent support beneficiary”, and “work-tested spouse or partner” so that part-time work test obligations will take effect when a beneficiary’s youngest de- pendent child turns three years old, rather than the present age of five.

Clause 8 would change the obligations of the spouse or partner of a recipient of an emergency benefit.
The spouse or partner would have to be available for full-time work once their youngest child turned 14, instead of the current age of 18.

Clause 10 would increase the rates of benefits for beneficiaries with dependent chil- dren by $25 a week.

The bill proposes to amend two Inland Revenue Acts.
The effect of these changes would include • lifting the base rate of the In-Work Tax Credit from $60 to $72.50 a week 23—2 2 • Support for Children in Hardship Bill Commentary lifting the abatement rate for Working for Families payments from 21.25 cents to 22.5 cents in the dollar.
Definition of part-time work An unintended consequence of the proposed new definition of “part-time work” is that it would affect access to benefits or deferrals of work-test obligations on the grounds of sickness, injury, or disability.

Therefore, we recommend amending the definition of “part-time work” in clause 4.
Our amendment would maintain the exist- ing number of hours in the definition of “part-time work” (that is, 15 hours a week) • • for persons granted jobseeker support for sickness, injury, or disability; and for the purpose of deferring work-test obligations for jobseeker support recipi- ents whose capacity to work is subsequently affected by sickness, injury, or disability.

There would then be a two-tier definition of “part-time work”.
The existing number of hours (15 hours a week) would continue to apply to jobseeker support recipients with sickness, injury, or disability.

The new number of hours (20 hours a week) would apply to all other part-time work-tested beneficiaries.

We also recommend inserting new clause 9A.

This would amend section 116B of the Social Security Act to reflect our proposed new two-tier definition of part-time work.
Simplifying Schedules 6 and 9 of the Social Security Act The bill would amend certain Schedules in the Social Security Act.

Proposed new clauses 1(d) in Schedule 6 and 1(d) in Schedule 9 refer to two benefits that a benefi- ciary’s spouse or partner might receive: the supported living payment or jobseeker support.

We were advised that several other benefits should be listed here too.
However, rather than listing each of the benefits, we recommend instead simply using the term “main benefit under this Act”.

This phrase is already defined in section 3(1) of the Act and captures all applicable benefits.

New Zealand Labour Party and New Zealand First minority view Labour and NZ First will vote for the Support for Children in Hardship Bill, but not without reservations.

We will be putting forward supplementary order papers (SOPs) to address the serious concerns that we have.
Labour and NZ First support any measures that will significantly improve the lives of families in significant hardship but we are extremely disappointed that the Govern- ment has wasted an opportunity to meaningfully address child poverty.

The narrow scope of these increases means that this bill will not assist the majority of children living in poverty.
This Government attempted to redefine child poverty to capture a smaller number of children to then only create a package that would marginally assist 18,000 children—a one percentage point decrease of their remodelled 100,000 num- ber of children in poverty.
Commentary Support for Children in Hardship Bill 3 Labour and NZ First are concerned that there is a lack of evidence to support the re- duction in the age of the youngest child from five years to three years old, with re- spect to when a sole parent’s work obligations are applied.

It is the family, not the individual, who receives the $25 increase in benefit rates.

In the situation where both parents receive benefits, it is a $12.50 increase to each.
The average gain per week to 108,000 beneficiary families will only be $23.10, not $25.

This package has been oversold as a significant increase to benefit amounts when the reality is that it amounts to very little for each child in hardship, particularly those who live in families with more than one child (where hardship is likely to be more significant).
Labour and NZ First agree with the comments by the Children’s Com- missioner that these small average gains will not incentivise parents to leave a benefit given that the high cost of quality childcare is a barrier for many families entering employment.

With this meagre increase, working families earning around $88,000 a year are going to experience increased abatement rates under Working for Families to pay for the in- crease in the In-Work Tax Credit.
Two-parent families earning less than the average weekly wage (18,700 families) are going to be worse off under this package.

There should be a requirement to include the ability to study as an alternative to paid part-time work.

For single parents with children, the student allowance can only be accessed by students studying 32 hours or more a week (full-time).

An exception can be granted for limited full-time study but applications of this nature must be signed off by the Chief Executive.
The effect of not including part-time study as an alterna- tive to paid part-time work in this bill is that sole parents will be denied the opportun- ity to study part time (20–31 hours per week).

Research clearly indicates that there are significant advantages for both the parent and child when the parent attains higher level tertiary education.

This option improves long-term employment prospects and the earning capacity of the parent.
Labour will be introducing an SOP to lift the abatement rate to $150 as a further in- centive to work and to ensure improved financial security for the sole parent and their children.

As well as this, we would like assurance around what the definition of “suit- able work” is in the legislation to ensure there is consideration for early childhood education (ECE) hours and importantly, travel time to and from school.
Labour and NZ First are also concerned that there are differences in the abatement rate and threshold of the benefit rate and student allowance.

Based on the differences in abatement rates and thresholds, it is our understanding that at a gross earned in- come amount of $211.96 per week, someone receiving the student allowance will be $38.37 per week better off than someone receiving sole parent support (and earning the same amount of gross income).

Labour will be looking to address this in SOPs.


Labour and NZ First support the recommended change to amend the proposed defin- ition in clause 4 of part-time work in section 3(1) of the Act to retain the current 15 hour part-time work definition for jobseeker support recipients with a sickness, injury, or disability.

Increased hours of part-time work for work-tested parents should not apply to people granted benefits on the grounds of medical incapacity.
4 Support for Children in Hardship Bill Commentary Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand minority view The Green Party will vote for the Support for Children in Hardship Bill because the dire circumstances of so many families compels us to support any increase in income, however inadequate.

It is disappointing that the increase is only a fraction of the in- crease needed to eliminate child poverty.
We do however acknowledge that this inad- equate increase is at least a formal acknowledgement of the State’s responsibility for alleviating child poverty.

Saying that the State will only do anything to alleviate this poverty if the families do more in return, by looking for work earlier and for more hours, wilfully misrepresents and generalises families out of the paid workforce as work-shy and ignorant of what is best for their family.
It also again distracts from the State’s unique ability to com- prehensively eliminate poverty.

The Green Party shares submitters’ desire to see a comprehensive response to child poverty.

The Green Party believes we need policies that put our children first and focus on re- ducing the inequalities in our society.

The decision for the increase in assistance to be per family and not per child will necessarily increase ethnic and financial inequalities.
New Zealand looks to be somewhat protected from the extremes of the aging popula- tion crises faced by many OECD nations due to Māori and Pacific families maintain- ing higher birth rates.

It does not make sense to penalise these families and reduce the opportunities for these children by providing less support to those children.
The Green Party is strongly opposed to the provisions to extend part-time work test- ing to parents with children three years of age and above instead of the previous five years of age.

We have heard the argument that most primary caregivers return to the workforce when their youngest is three so the same should be expected of parents re- ceiving income support.
This argument ignores the very real differences between sole parenting and shared parenting, the very real differences between the needs of differ- ent children and the significantly increased likelihood that many of these children and their parents will be recovering from the trauma of family violence requiring more ac- tive parenting.
The Green Party believes children should be at the heart of our policy- making and blanket provisions that only allow for limited exceptions will not meet the needs of our children.

We believe parents are best placed to assess the needs of their children rather than Work and Income staff.

We believe there is a significant difference between requiring a parent to look for work once their child has started school and requiring them to look for work before their child has started school.
We are particularly concerned that parents may be re- quired to take jobs that would prevent them from enrolling in early childhood educa- tion such as Te Kōhanga Reo, Aoga Amata, and Playcentre, which require substantial parental involvement.

These models have substantial benefit to families and we be- lieve the right to participate should be protected.
We are concerned too that the Government has refused to define suitable employ- ment, especially in light of New Zealand’s increasingly casualised workforce.

Sole parents in New Zealand are far more likely to be employed in low-paid, casualised work, without set hours.

This situation significantly contributes to two out of five Commentary Support for Children in Hardship Bill 5 children in poverty living in working households.
Forcing parents out to work into low-paid, precarious jobs risks reducing the welfare liability to the State while en- trenching inequality by locking those families into lives of low-paid work.

We believe the welfare of these families would be better served by defining suitable employment in legislation and reinstating the Training Incentive Allowance for higher-level cour- ses that offer the potential to permanently move families out of poverty.
We are particularly concerned that increasing the work requirement to 20 hours will make life more precarious for families.

Twenty hours means families are no longer eligible for a primary benefit.

This means that if a parent finds they are unable to jug- gle work, child-care and sickness, for example, and loses their job, then they will have to go through the process of reapplying for income support.
We have been told it is often easier for parents to stage their return and test their family’s readiness and their employer’s flexibility.

We do not support the increase of the Working for Families abatement rate and the lowering of the threshold.

We agree with Child Poverty Action Group that “this poli- cy fails to protect the working poor”.

In fact by their calculations, a family earning the minimum wage and working 60 hours on $46,000 are about $2,225 worse off a year in real terms by this bill.
Taking money from poor families to fund an increase in income for the very poorest families is unacceptable.

Finally, the Green Party is concerned at the new requirement to make parents reapply for their benefit every year.

We believe this creates additional administrative burdens and stress for families without addressing any specific problem.
The brutal face of child poverty in this country as a result of successive Ministers de- ciding it was acceptable to set basic incomes below the poverty line requires the Green Party to support this bill while very strongly opposing the majority of the pro- visions contained within it.

6 Support for Children in Hardship Bill Commentary Appendix Committee process The Support for Children in Hardship Bill was referred to the committee on 21 May 2015.

The closing date for submissions was 8 July 2015.


We received and considered 31 submissions from interested groups and individuals.

We heard 16 oral submis- sions.

We received advice from the Ministry of Social Development.
Committee membership Alfred Ngaro (Chair) Darroch Ball Matt Doocey Jan Logie Todd Muller Jono Naylor Dr Parmjeet Parmar Carmel Sepuloni Stuart Smith Poto Williams Support for Children in Hardship Bill Key to symbols used in reprinted bill As reported from a select committee text inserted unanimously text deleted unanimously Hon Anne Tolley Support for Children in Hardship Bill Government Bill Contents Page 9A 10 11 12 Title Commencement Part 1 Amendments to Social Security Act 1964 Principal Act Section 3 amended (Interpretation) Section 3C amended (Transitional and savings provisions relating to amendments to this Act) Section 60GAE amended (Beneficiaries having additional dependent child: general) Section 60Q amended (Certain obligations may be placed on beneficiaries and their spouses and partners) Section 61A amended (Obligations of spouse or partner of person granted emergency benefit) Section 61HA amended (Annual CPI adjustment of rates of certain benefits) Section 116B amended (Failures to comply with obligations) Amendments to various schedules Part 2 Amendment to Education Act 1989 Principal Act Section 303 amended (Student allowances) 23—2 2 2 2 2 3 4 4 4 4 4 4 5 5 1 cl 1 Support for Children in Hardship Bill Part 3 Amendments to Inland Revenue Acts Amendments to Income Tax Act 2007 Income Tax Act 2007 Section MD 10 amended (Calculation of in-work tax credit) Section MD 13 amended (Calculation of family credit abatement) Amendments to Taxation (Annual Rates
 and Budget Measures) Act 2011 Taxation (Annual Rates and Budget Measures) Act 2011 Section 2 amended (Commencement) Section 4 amended (Income Tax Act 2007) Section 5 amended (Calculation of family credit abatement) New section 14B inserted (Schedule 31 amended) 14B Schedule 31 amended Schedule Amendments to Schedules 3, 3A, 6, 9, 16, 26, and 32 of Social Security Act 1964 5 5 5 6 6 6 6 6 6 8 The Parliament of New Zealand enacts as follows: 1 Title This Act is the Support for Children in Hardship Act 2015.
2 (1) (2) (3) Commencement Part 1 comes into force on 1 April 2016, and, if any Order in Council made under section 61HA(2) of the Social Security Act 1964 comes into force on the same date, Part 1 comes into force immediately before that order.

Part 2 comes into force on the day after the day on which this Act receives the Royal assent.

5 Part 3, other than sections 14 and 15, comes into force on the day after the day on which this Act receives the Royal assent.
10 (4) Sections 14 and 15 come into force on 1 April 2016.

Part 1 Amendments to Social Security Act 1964 3 Principal Act 15 This Part amends the Social Security Act 1964 (the principal Act).
Section 3 amended (Interpretation) In section 3(1), replace the definition of part-time work with: 4 (1) 2 Support for Children in Hardship Bill Part 1 cl 5 part-time work means employment that is not full-time employment, but is— (a) (b) employment under a contract of service, whether on time or piece rates, that averages not less than 20 hours each week calculated over a 3- month period of employment or, if that period is shorter than 3 months, over the period of the employment; or 5 employment as a self-employed person in any business, profession, trade, manufacture, or undertaking that averages not less than 20 hours each week calculated over a 3-month period of employment or, if that period is shorter than 3 months, over the period of the employment part-time work means employment that is not full-time employment, but is employment— 10 (a) that is— (i) (ii) (b) that— (i) under a contract of service, whether on time or piece rates; or as a self-employed person in any business, profession, trade, manufacture, or undertaking; and 15 averages not less than 15 hours each week over a 3-month period of employment or over the period of employment if that period is shorter than 3 months,— (A) (B) in relation to a person granted jobseeker support on the ground of sickness, injury, or disability; or 20 for the purposes of sections 11E(2), 88F, 88H(2)(b), and 88I(2)(b); or (ii) averages not less than 20 hours each week over a 3-month period of employment or over the period of employment if that period is shorter than 3 months, in any other case 25 In section 3(1), definition of part-time work-tested beneficiary, paragraph (a), replace “5” with “3”.
In section 3(1), definition of work-tested sole parent support beneficiary, paragraph (b), replace “5” with “3”.

30 In section 3(1), definition of work-tested spouse or partner, paragraph (a)(i), replace “5” with “3”.
Section 3C amended (Transitional and savings provisions relating to amendments to this Act) (2) (3) (4) 5 In section 3C(2), table, after the last item, insert: Part 1 of the Support for Chil- dren in Hardship Act 2015 Part 4 35 3 Part 1 cl 6 Support for Children in Hardship Bill 6 7 (1) (2) 8 Section 60GAE amended (Beneficiaries having additional dependent child: general) In section 60GAE(2)(b), replace “5” with “3”.
Section 60Q amended (Certain obligations may be placed on beneficiaries and their spouses and partners) 5 In section 60Q(1)(a), replace “5” with “3”.

In section 60Q(1)(c)(ii), replace “5” with “3”.

Section 61A amended (Obligations of spouse or partner of person granted emergency benefit) In section 61A(1A)(a), replace “aged 5 or older but under 18 years” with “aged 3 or older but under 14 years”.
10 9 Section 61HA amended (Annual CPI adjustment of rates of certain bene- fits) (1) After section 61HA(2), insert: (2A) Despite subsection (2), if any rate of benefit referred to in that subsection is in- creased on 1 April 2016 by Part 1 of the Support for Children in Hard- ship Act 2015,— (a) the adjustment to that rate of benefit as at 1 April 2016 required by sub- section (2) is to that rate as at 31 March 2016; and (b) the amount by which the rate was increased by Part 1 of the Support for Children in Hardship Act 2015 on 1 April 2016 is additional to the adjustment referred to in paragraph (a).
15 20 (2) After section 61HA(6), insert: (7) Subsection (2A) is repealed on 30 April 2016, and this subsection is repealed immediately after.

25 9A Section 116B amended (Failures to comply with obligations) In section 116B(1)(g), replace “15 hours a week” with “part-time work”.

In section 116B(1)(h), replace “15 hours a week” with “part-time work”.

Amendments to various schedules Schedules 3, 3A, 6, 9, 16, 26, and 32 are amended in the manner set out in the Schedule of this Act.
30 (1) (2) 10 4 Support for Children in Hardship Bill Part 3 cl 15 Part 2 Amendment to Education Act 1989 11 Principal Act This Part amends the Education Act 1989 (the principal Act).
12 Section 303 amended (Student allowances) (1) After section 303(3B), insert: (3BA) Despite subsection (3B), if any rate of student allowance is increased on 1 April 2016 by regulations (regulations A), not being the regulations required to be made under subsection (3B) that come into force on 1 April 2016 (regu- lations B), then— 5 10 (a) (b) (c) regulations A come into force immediately before regulations B; and the adjustment to the rate of the allowance required to be made by regu- lations B is to the rate as at 31 March 2016; and the amount by which the rate of allowance is increased by regulations A is added to the adjustment made by regulations B.
15 (2) After section 303(5), insert: (6) Subsection (3BA) is repealed on 30 April 2016, and this subsection is re- pealed immediately after.

Part 3 Amendments to Inland Revenue Acts Amendments to Income Tax Act 2007 13 Income Tax Act 2007 Sections 14 and 15 amend the Income Tax Act 2007.

14 Section MD 10 amended (Calculation of in-work tax credit) In section MD 10(3)(a), replace “$3,120” with “$3,770”.
15 Section MD 13 amended (Calculation of family credit abatement) In section MD 13(3)(a),— (a) (b) in subparagraph (i), replace “21.25 cents” with “22.5 cents”: in subparagraph (ii), replace “21.25 cents” with “22.5 cents”.

20 25 5 Part 3 cl 16 Support for Children in Hardship Bill Amendments to Taxation (Annual Rates and Budget Measures) Act 2011 16 Taxation (Annual Rates and Budget Measures) Act 2011 Sections 17 to 20 amend the Taxation (Annual Rates and Budget Measures) Act 2011.
17 (1) (2) (3) Section 2 amended (Commencement) In section 2(3), replace “Section 5(2) comes” with “Sections 5(2) and 14B(1) come”.

In section 2(4), replace “Section 5(3) comes” with “Sections 5(3) and 14B(2) come”.

In section 2(5), replace “Section 5(4) comes” with “Sections 5(4) and 14B(3) come”.

18 Section 4 amended (Income Tax Act 2007) In section 4, replace “Sections 5 to 14” with “Sections 5 to 14B”.
19 Section 5 amended (Calculation of family credit abatement) Replace section 5(2) to (4) with: (2) In section MD 13(3)(a),— 5 10 15 (a) (b) in subparagraph (i), replace “$36,350, 22.5 cents” with “$35,900, 23.75 cents”: in subparagraph (ii), replace “$36,350, 22.5 cents” with “$35,900, 23.75 cents”.

20 (3) In section MD 13(3)(a),— (a) (b) in subparagraph (i), replace “$35,900, 23.75 cents” with “$35,450, 25 cents”: in subparagraph (ii), replace “$35,900, 23.75 cents” with “$35,450, 25 cents”.
25 (4) In section MD 13(3)(a),— (a) (b) in subparagraph (i), replace “$35,450, 25 cents” with “$35,000, 25 cents”: in subparagraph (ii), replace “$35,450, 25 cents” with “$35,000, 25 cents”.
30 20 New section 14B inserted (Schedule 31 amended) After section 14, insert: 14B Schedule 31 amended (1) In Schedule 31, replace the first and second rows after the heading row with: Amount does not exceed $35,900 $35,900 6 Support for Children in Hardship Bill Part 3 cl 20 Amount exceeds $35,900 but does not exceed $36,500 Amount exceeds $36,500 but does not exceed $38,000 $36,500 $38,000 (2) In Schedule 31, replace the first and second rows after the heading row with: Amount does not exceed $35,450 Amount exceeds $35,450 but does not exceed $36,500 $35,450 $36,500 (3) In Schedule 31, replace the first and second rows after the heading row with: Amount does not exceed $35,000 Amount exceeds $35,000 but does not exceed $36,500 $35,000 $36,500 7 Schedule Support for Children in Hardship Bill Schedule Amendments to Schedules 3, 3A, 6, 9, 16, 26, and 32 of Social Security Act 1964 Schedule 3 In clause 1, replace “$300.98” with “$325.98”.
Schedule 3A In clause 1, replace “$300.98” with “$325.98”.
Schedule 6 Replace clause 1(c) to (h) with: (c) (d) To a single beneficiary with 1 or more de- pendent children To a beneficiary who is married, in a civil union, or in a de facto relationship, whose spouse or partner is granted, in his or her own right, a benefit other than a veteran’s pension cl 10 5 $370.02 a week, subject to Income Test 1 $218.86 a week, increased by— 10 (i) (ii) $25 a week if the beneficiary and his or her spouse or partner have 1 or more dependent children and the beneficiary’s spouse or partner has not been granted a supported living payment or jobseeker sup- port main benefit under this Act, the total rate to be subject to In- come Test 2; or $12.50 a week if the beneficiary and his or her spouse or partner have 1 or more dependent children and the beneficiary’s spouse or partner has been granted a suppor- ted living payment or jobseeker support main benefit under this Act, the total rate to be subject to Income Test 2 (e) (f) (g) To a beneficiary who is married, in a civil union, or in a de facto relationship, whose spouse or partner is granted, in his or her own right, a veteran’s pension To a beneficiary receiving a supported liv- ing payment under section 40B on the ground of sickness, injury, disability, or total blindness who is married, in a civil union, or in a de facto relationship, whose spouse or partner is not granted a benefit in his or her own right To a beneficiary receiving a supported liv- ing payment under section 40D on the ground of caring for a patient requiring
 care, if the beneficiary is married, in a civ- $218.86 a week, increased by $25 a week if the beneficiary and his or her spouse or partner have 1 or more dependent chil- dren, the total rate to be subject to Income Test 1 $218.86 a week, increased by $218.86 a week in respect of his or her spouse or partner and a further $25 a week if the beneficiary and his or her spouse or part- ner have 1 or more dependent children, the total rate to be subject to Income Test 1 $218.86 a week, increased by $25 a week if the
 beneficiary and his or her spouse or partner have 1 or more dependent chil- dren, the total rate to be subject to Income Test 1 8 Support for Children in Hardship Bill Schedule Schedule 6—continued il union, or in a de facto relationship and the beneficiary’s spouse or partner is not granted a benefit in his or her own right Schedule 9 Replace clause 1(d) to (g) with: (d) To a beneficiary who is married, in a civil union, or in a de facto relationship, whose spouse or partner is granted, in his or her own right, a benefit other than a veteran’s pension (e) (f) To a beneficiary who is married, in a civil union, or in a de facto relationship, whose spouse or partner is granted, in his or her own right, a veteran’s pension To a beneficiary who is married, in a civil union, or in a de facto relationship, whose spouse or partner is not granted a benefit in his or her own right Schedule 16 In clause 1, replace “$300.98” with “$325.98”.
Schedule 26 In clause 2, replace “140.08” with “165.08”.

In clause 3, replace “300.98” with “325.98”.
$175.10 a week, increased by— (i) (ii) $25 a week if the beneficiary and his or her spouse or partner have 1 or more dependent children and the beneficiary’s spouse or partner has not been granted a supported living payment or jobseeker sup- port main benefit under this Act, the total rate to be subject to In- come Test 4; or $12.50 a week if the beneficiary and his or her spouse or partner have 1 or more dependent children and the beneficiary’s spouse or partner has been granted a suppor- ted living payment or jobseeker support main benefit under this Act, the total rate to be subject to Income Test 4 $175.10 a week, increased by $25 a week if the beneficiary and his or her spouse or partner have 1 or more dependent chil- dren, the total rate to be subject to Income Test 3 $175.10 a week, increased by $175.10 a week in respect of his or her spouse or partner and a further $25 a week if the beneficiary and his or her spouse or part- ner have 1 or more dependent children, the total rate to be subject to Income Test 3 5 9 Schedule Support for Children in Hardship Bill Schedule 26—continued Replace clause 5 with: 5 For a young person who is married, in a civil union, or in a de facto relation- ship and has a dependent child or de- pendent children 175.10 a week, increased by— (i) (ii) 25 a week if the young person’s spouse or partner is not receiv- ing a young parent payment, the total rate to be subject to clause 11; or 12.50 a week if the young per- son’s spouse or partner is re- ceiving a young parent pay-
 ment, the total rate to be sub- ject to clause 11 Schedule 32 After Schedule 32, Part 3, insert: Part 4 Social Security Amendment Act 2015 21 (1) Regulations for provision of financial assistance to financially disadvan- taged persons The purpose of this clause is to enable the making of regulations authorising the provision of financial assistance to any persons who are financially disad- vantaged as an unintended consequence of the net effects of the amendments made by Part 1 of the Support for Children in Hardship Act 2015, Part 2 of the Support for Children in Hardship Act 2015, Part 3 of the Sup- port for Children in Hardship Act 2015, and any related regulations or other instruments.
(2) The chief executive may from time to time grant to a person referred to in sub- clause (1) financial assistance— (a) of the prescribed kind and in the prescribed amount; and 5 10 15 (b) (c) (d) for the prescribed period; and in accordance with the prescribed criteria; and in accordance with any other requirements set out in the regulations made under subclause (3).

20 The Governor-General may from time to time, by Order in Council, make regulations for the purposes of this clause.
Regulations made under subclause (3) must state the date on and after which they are to have effect (which may be a date earlier than the date on which they were made).

25 (3) (4) 10 Support for Children in Hardship Bill Legislative history 21 May 2015 21 May 2015 Introduction (Bill 23–1) First reading and referral to Social Services Committee Wellington, New Zealand: Published under the authority of the House of Representatives—2015 11