When the government announced in its May budget that it would tighten eligibility for young New Zealanders getting Jobseeker benefits, there were few details about how the policy would work. We now have those details, and they raise many questions.
From November next year, if parents’ combined earnings are more than NZ$65,529, their unemployed 18- or 19-year-old teenagers will become ineligible for Jobseeker benefits. According to Social Development Minister Louise Upston:
