Approaches to welfare ‘inadequate’

Press, 24 September 1987, Page 4

Approaches to welfare ‘inadequate’

By

OLIVER RIDDELL,

in Wellington

Traditional approaches to meeting the Social Welfare Department’s obligations are proving inadequate or inappropriate in many instances according to briefing papers prepared by the department

The papers were prepared for the new Minister, Dr Cullen, and said that many aspects of social welfare policy were under review and pressure to change. Economic, social and demographic factors had been increasing the numbers reliant on the department for income support or social service assistance. The papers said traditional approaches to meeting the department’s obligations were increas-

ingly coming into question. Questions were also being raised about the efficiency and equity of the $6OOO million of expenditure on social welfare. This was the biggest single vote in the Budget, the papers said, with benefits paid to support 1.5 million people. The department also ran 19 institutions and 170 children’s homes and supported a wide range of communitv programmes. Some 60 per cent of the department’s outlay went

on national superannuation, 25 per cent on in-come-tested benefits, 9 per cent on other benefits, 3 per cent on social work services, and 3 per cent on administration. There were a number of task forces looking at aspects of the department’s work, as well as the Royal Commission on Social Policy. But the papers also said that there were issues that had to be addressed soon. These included national superannuation, benefit adequacy, and the rights of children.