More students on the dole

Press, 25 January 1989, Page 4

More students on the dole

PA Wellington More than twice as many students are receiving the emergency unemployment benefit compared to last summer holidays, according to statistics. On January 6, 6085 students were on the benefit, the Social Welfare Department’s statistic section said yesterday. This compared with 2217 students on the benefit at the same time last year. A spokesman said 10,602 students had applied for the benefit since October, last year, and 7755 had been accepted. Most tertiary students or those planning to go on to tertiary education who

could not find employment were eligible, for emergency benefit payments of $lOB to $134 a week, rather than the unemployment benefit. The president of the University Students Association, Mr Andrew Little, said students on the benefit for 1 the whole Christmas period were unlikely to be able to save enough to get by during their year in a tertiary institute.

Mr Little said 40 per cent of students on the benefit were in the South Island, which was what the association had predicted when the Government cut the student job subsidy.