Turner Judy: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Turner Judy: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:625;Page:20358] 
2.  
JUDY TURNER (Deputy Leader—United Future) 
 to the  
Minister for Social Development and Employment 
: Is he satisfied that grandparents who provide care for their grandchildren receive adequate financial support; if so why? 
Hon STEVE MAHAREY (Minister for Social Development and Employment) 
: 
 In most cases yes. Grandparents and other extended family caregivers may be entitled to either a foster care allowance an unsupported child’s benefit an orphans benefit or family support. In some cases they might also receive a family tax credit. I do acknowledge that some grandparents in receipt of New Zealand superannuation have concerns about the adequacy of financial support when they are raising a grandchild. I have therefore asked officials to consider what might be done in the future to provide more support for them and I am certainly happy to consult with United Future when I receive that advice. 
Judy Turner 
: Why when the unsupported child’s benefit and child disability allowance are not meant to be means tested have there been several cases of Work and Income staff in Rotorua and Christchurch requiring grandparents who provide full-time care for their grandchildren to state the source and amount of their income in order to receive that support? 
Hon STEVE MAHAREY 
: I am not aware of those particular cases but of course if the member gives me the details of them I will follow them up. 
Georgina Beyer 
: What has the Government done recently to give more money to those providing valuable care to children who are not their own? 
Hon STEVE MAHAREY 
: Apart from a very excellent dancing programme we have provided from 1 April this year as part of the Working for Families package a $15 per week increase in the rates of the unsupported child’s benefit and the orphans benefit. Those benefits provide a contribution to everyday living costs of children in long-term care and are paid to people who are providing care to children who are not their own because the parents themselves are unable to do so. 
Judy Turner 
: Does the Minister think it is acceptable when the Government’s own policy is to place children who cannot be cared for by their parents with relatives if at all possible that a recent survey indicated a disturbingly high proportion of grandparents in that situation who have found themselves impoverished and in ill health; if not what changes does he propose in order to ensure that the Government’s stated priority and the level of support it actually provides to those grandparents match up? 
Hon STEVE MAHAREY 
: I do think it is sad to see what appears to be now a trend of family members particularly grandparents looking after children. We are now trying to find out whether indeed it is a trend and if it is whether we have to make extra provision for that particular group. In the immediate term we have ensured that we work closely with grandparents raising grandchildren through their organisations. Those organisations work with the Department of Child Youth and Family Services and Work and Income to ensure that their members get their full entitlements. As I said we are also now looking at whether we should be doing more. 
Judy Turner 
: Does the Minister agree that caregivers should not be penalised in terms of financial support available to them by virtue of being related to the child; if so when will he take action to ensure that the disparities between the total support received by Department of Child Youth and Family Services foster carers and those grandparents who are providing exactly the same service and care are eliminated? 
Hon STEVE MAHAREY 
: As the member knows these are complex issues. Firstly many people care for a member of their extended family without ever coming anywhere near the State to look for support and it is the case that people support that very much as being the way they should act. Secondly we are in a situation whereby we need to assess exactly what the needs of people who are looking after children in those situations are. That is what we are trying to do and as I have said I will share that information with the member.