About 70,000 on D.P.B.

Press, 20 July 1987, Page 17

About 70,000 on D.P.B.

PA Dunedin There will be about 76,000 domestic purpose beneficiaries by the end of March next year, according to estimates by the Social Welfare Department. They will cost the taxpayer $7BO million. There were 62,750 at the end of March last year, and 69,146 at the end of March this year.

Using the Official Information Act, the "Otago Daily Times” has obtained current statistics on the D.P.B. from the Social Welfare Department’s head office. These show that the number of beneficiaries has grown steadily in the last two years and is predicted to do so this financial year. The figures show there

were 3443 single female beneficiaries under the age of 20 at the end of March this year. One hundred and fifty-two of these have two children.Figures for beneficiaries 18 or under are not given. The largest number, 28,558, are aged between 20 and 29 years, the majority of whom have one dependent child. Another 21,364 are between 30 and 39 years, most of whom have two dependent children. About 7300 are between 40 and 49 years and 3887 between 50 and 59 years. The statistics show that 4328 men are receiving the D.P.8., mostly to parents between the ages of 30 and 39 with one child. Thirty men under the age of 20 were receiving the benefit.