Dear Jacinda, Carmel and Grant

No matter who we are or where we live, we know that our wellbeing is interconnected with those around us. When everyone has what they need to look after themselves and fully participate in their communities, we all flourish.

We all want every child in Aotearoa to experience a thriving and happy childhood. But right now, hundreds of thousands of children are constrained by poverty, despite parents’ best efforts.

We’ve had a long period of low wages and high housing costs. For decades, governments have underinvested in key public services that build well-being in all our communities, like public housing and income support. Many governments have prioritised policies that help the already well-off, including people who make money from housing.

As a result, too many parents are under-resourced, overstressed, and unable to give their children real opportunities to thrive.

Now due to the ongoing COVID-19 economic fallout, more families are being pushed into poverty.

Unemployment has risen at a record-breaking pace — increasing by nearly a third in the three months to September. Foodbanks and youth homelessness services are reporting huge increases in demand. By Christmas, it’s expected Work and Income will have allocated over 2.5 million hardship grants and advances this year alone.

The situation is urgent. As the new government, you can release the growing constraints on individuals, families, and children.

We are calling on you to lift one of the biggest limitations on whānau and child wellbeing: not having enough income.

During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, you acted quickly to set up the COVID income relief payment, which is nearly twice the amount of the usual jobseeker benefit. You showed us that you understand that current benefit levels are insufficient and lock families and children into poverty — an issue that affects all of us.

Now, we are asking you to apply the same common sense approach to all income support. To make sure everyone, whether they are working, caring for children, living with a disability or illness, learning, or have lost their jobs before or because of COVID-19, has a liveable income.

Doing so will help achieve your vision of making Aotearoa the best place to be a child.

Before the election, the Labour party has consistently said there’s more work to be done to lift families out of poverty. You now have the mandate and opportunity to do so. Please increase income support before Christmas.

75 NGOs including:

1. ActionStation
2. Aotearoa New Zealand Association of Social Workers
3. Anglican Action
4. Auckland Action Against Poverty
5. Auckland City Mission
6. Auckland Women’s Centre
7. Barnardos
8. Belong Aotearoa
9. Beneficiaries & Unwaged Worker Trust
10. Beneficiary Advocacy Services Christchurch
11. Benefit Rights Service
12. Birthright NZ
13. Brainwave Trust Aotearoa
14. CCS Disability Action
15. Child Poverty Action Group
16. Citizens Advice Bureau
17. Community Housing Aotearoa
18. Community Networks Aotearoa
19. Disabled Persons Assembly
20. E Tipu E Rea Whānau Services
21. Equality Network
22. FinCap
23. FIRST Union
24. Gender Justice Collective
25. Gene Now Financial Literacy Trust
26. Generation Zero
27. Heretaunga Women’s Centre
28. Hutt Valley Benefit Education Service Trust (BEST)
29. Kore Hiakai Zero Hunger Collective
30. Len Reynolds Trust
31. Lifewise
32. Manaaki Rangatahi
33. Manawatū Tenants’ Union
34. Māngere East Community Centre
35. Māngere East Family Services
36. M.E. Awareness NZ
37. Mental Health Foundation
38. Methodist Alliance
39. Methodist City Action
40. Monte Cecilia Housing Trust
41. National Council of Women
42. New Zealand Council of Christian Social Services
43. New Zealand Council of Trade Unions
44. New Zealand Union of Students’ Associations
45. Ngā Tāngata Microfinance
46. NZ Disability Advisory Trust
47. NZ Accessibility Advisory Trust
48. NZEI Te Riu Roa
49. OMEP Aotearoa
50. Pacific Women’s Watch NZ
51. Poverty Action Waikato
52. PPTA
53. Public Issues Network: Methodist Church
54. Public Service Association
55. Renters United
56. Salvation Army
57. Save the Children
58. Sisters of Mercy Wiri
59. Social Justice Group of the Auckland Anglican Diocese
60. Social Link
61. St Anne’s Pantry
62. St Matthews in the City
63. Te Kupenga Whakaoti Mahi Patunga: National Network of Family Violence Services
64. Te Ngākau Kahukura
65. Tick for Kids
66. Tokona Te Raki
67. United Community Action Network
68. Unite Union Aotearoa
69. Urban Neighbours of Hope
70. VisionWest
71. Waipareira Trust
72. We Are Beneficiaries
73. Wesley Community Action
74. Whānau Āwhina Plunket
75. YWCA Auckland