5. Cost of Living—Benefits and Families PackagePRIYANCA RADHAKRISHNAN (Labour) to the Minister for Social DevelopmentCost of Living—Benefits and Families PackagePRIYANCA RADHAKRISHNAN (Labour): Thank you Mr Speaker. My question is to the Minister for Social Development—[Interruption] SPEAKER: Order! What we're going to do now because I think there were two comments from the Government and one from the Opposition while that question was being asked is we will give the Opposition one extra supplementary question. But I want to warn members that I expect some leadership from my right. Start again please.5. PRIYANCA RADHAKRISHNAN (Labour) to the Minister for Social Development: Will the Families Package address issues raised in the household living-costs price indexes review released by Statistics NZ last week; if so how?Hon CARMEL SEPULONI (Minister for Social Development): Absolutely. The Families Package targets the widening inequality and increased cost of living pressures facing low-income New Zealand families as highlighted in the report. The package includes the Best Start payment extended paid parental leave and changes to Working for Families to help with the cost of raising children; a winter energy payment to help superannuitants and many of our poorest families heat homes over winter; and increases to the accommodation supplement and the accommodation benefit—384000 low to middle income families will be better off when the Families Package is fully implemented.Priyanca Radhakrishnan: How will low-income families without children benefit from the Families Package?Hon CARMEL SEPULONI: The gains for families without children are more evenly spread across the income distribution because the winter energy payment drives most of these gains and goes to superannuitants. Around two-thirds of these families earn below approximately $42000 per annum and are set to receive an average of $13 per week.Priyanca Radhakrishnan: How will changes to Working for Families help address the issues raised in the latest household living-costs price indexes review?Hon CARMEL SEPULONI: Changes to Working for Families as part of the Families Package provide targeted social assistance to improve the income of low- and middle-income families and aim to reduce inequality. The Working for Families abatement threshold is being lifted and we are increasing family tax credit rates leaving more money for working families to provide for their children. In 2018-19 26000 more families will be eligible for Working for Families as a result of the changes. In 2020-21 39000 more families will be eligible. This Government is working to support New Zealand families.Hon Louise Upston: Has she had discussions with the Minister of Finance to raise benefits in 2018 given the increase in 2016 benefited 190000 children from low-income families? Hon CARMEL SEPULONI: Mr Speaker can she repeat the question? I didn't hear the question properly. SPEAKER: OK. Yeah I think it was a second till the mike picked up the member. Whole thing again. Hon Louise Upston: Has she had discussions with the Minister of Finance to raise benefits in 2018 given the increase in 2016 benefited 190000 children from low-income families?Hon CARMEL SEPULONI: Thank you Mr Speaker. As part of our confidence and supply agreement we have committed to a welfare system overhaul so lots of discussions are taking place in preparation for that. I'm not in a position at this stage to give any solid answers with regards to what that will look like but can I just say that I'm expecting it to do significantly more to address the issues that beneficiaries and low-income families face in this country. Hon Louise Upston: Does the Minister believe that benefits should be increased; and if so by how much?Hon CARMEL SEPULONI: I believe that we need to have a Government that takes the challenges that low-income families face in this country seriously. There's a large piece of work that is set to take place that I'm going to take the lead on and I'm looking forward to the fact that this Government is going to do more to address the issues that low-income families in this country face than what the previous Government did. Hon Louise Upston: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I don't believe the Minister actually answered the question. SPEAKER: Well she addressed it.