Change of plan for study policy

National has been accused of an electionyear u-turn after it revealed plans to restore some incentives to sole parents who moved into study, a few years after cutting funding in this area.

Social Development Minister Paula Bennett yesterday announced an $18-$24 million investment to help beneficiaries to take up full-time study.

At present, there was a disincentive for a sole parent on welfare to move into study because they did not receive the same level of accommodation support. In making the shift, their support could be cut by up to $165 a week.

The policy change would allow a fulltime student with a dependent child to get the same accommodation allowance as they did on the benefit.

Labour’s social development spokeswoman Sue Moroney said the change, which would be effective in July 2015, righted a wrong which should never have happened in the first place.

The Government’s second round of welfare reforms required sole parents to be available for part-time work once their child turned five years old or full-time work when their child turned 14 years old.

Ms Moroney said: “What that meant is sole parents . . . couldn’t keep studying and receive the sole parent benefit. They had to go on to student support instead to escape the work requirements, and this meant the accommodation support was lower . . .”