Nats look at fining parents of drop-outs

National is looking into fining the parents of young people who leave school early, and don’t go into education or training, up to $3000 if it returns to Government.

This is just one of the policies understood to be under consideration by the party as part of its social policy review, due to be unveiled later this month.

Other policy areas the party is looking into include:

● requiring gang members to prove they don’t have illegal income before they receive the benefit;

● a 25 per cent reduction in the number of people on the benefit;

● reassessing the obligations of people who are on the benefit.

A spokesperson for National Leader Simon Bridges said the party was yet to finalise its social development policies and it would be releasing discussion documents before the end of the year.

The Herald understands that at the end of this month, National will release a number of different policy proposals it plans to develop ahead of next year’s election.

The proposals will be in areas such as social welfare, skills and employment, vulnerable children, sexual violence and social housing.

National is looking into a scheme which would penalise parents whose children leave school before they’re 18 and don’t go on to study.

Under current law, students are allowed to leave school at 16 – National want those who leave school at that age to either be in tertiary education, or in work that has an educational element.

If the under 18-year old is not, National want to issue the parents with an up to $3000 fine.

Statistics New Zealand told the Herald that its most up-to-date data shows there are just under 18,000 people aged 16-18 not in employment, education or training across New Zealand.

As well as this, National is looking at getting tougher on gangs – one of its proposals will be to require gang members to prove they don’t have illegal income before they receive a benefit.

The John Key-era Better Public Services target of reducing the number of people on the benefit by 25 per cent would also be reinstated under a National Government.

This, however, is less ambitious than Key’s 2012 target of a 30 per cent reduction in benefit numbers.

The party has previously said it would return the sanction for sole parents who don’t name the liable parent.