Government Targets Unemployed Youth with Benefit Cuts

Up to 4,700 teenagers in New Zealand are at risk of losing their benefits under a new policy that aims to cut Government spending below 30% of GDP. The policy includes 2,733 teenagers who are too sick to work due to health conditions, including mental illness and cancer.

The Reserve Bank has hiked interest rates again, which is expected to increase unemployment among young people. This move is aimed at reducing inflation caused by the war in the Middle East and the Government's own policies.

Green MP Ricardo Menéndez March asked Social Development Minister Louise Upston about the policy in Parliament yesterday. She replied that 18- and 19-year-olds should be supported by their families instead of relying on benefits.