Beneficiaries in Auckland are now being delivered My Food Bag as part of a new Government trial, but not everyone is a fan.
Hundreds of families have been given My Food Bag boxes, with Ministry of Social Development's Viv Rickard saying they were trying to be creative by looking at different ways to support clients. Up to 1000 emergency food bags will be delivered as part of the trial. It comes as more people are struggling to put food on the table, with almost 100,000 New Zealanders a month having to ask WINZ for more to eat. Costing between $200-$300, the emergency food kit is intended to provide breakfast, lunch and dinner for a family for a week. "I would call it nice, it's nice food but no frills," Mr Rickard said. However, recipient Gail Watkins said there was not enough food for her and her daughter to last a week. She said her daughter was gluten-free, so was unable to eat some of the ingredients. Auckland Action Against Poverty's Ricardo Menéndez March said the Government should focus on lifting benefit levels instead of "experimenting with people on the benefit over what they can or cannot eat". National's Louise Upston said there were families that were doing it tough, the Government needed to focus on the family being able to provide their own income and reducing the cost of living. "If they're serious about helping New Zealanders in need, there's way better things they could do." The Ministry say the feedback has mostly been positive, and it is trying to learn from the trial.
=========================================================
Today’s Mind-Bender is the Last of the Year! Can You Guess It Before Everyone Else? 🌟🎁🌲
I dance in the sky with green and gold, a spectacle few are lucky to behold; I’m best seen in the south, a celestial sight—what am I, lighting up the New Zealand night?
Do you think you know the answer? Simply 'Like' this post and we'll post the answer in the comments below at 2pm on the day!
Want to stop seeing these in your newsfeed? No worries! Simply head here and click once on the Following button.
No gift? No stress
Let the Christmas elves at Mags4gifts.co.nz handle your last-minute shopping. For a limited time, gift a subscription with up to 40% off best-sellers like TV Guide, NZ House & Garden, and NZ Gardener. It’s the perfect Christmas present, sorted in minutes (and no one needs to know it was a last-minute surprise)!
Loading…