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<\/p>\nIt’s estimated more than 4000 18 and 19-year-olds will soon be ineligible for the Jobseeker benefit. This follows the government’s announcement that parents earning more than $65,529 are expected to support their children if they can\u2019t find work. <\/p>\n
The move is intended to incentivise young people to get a job and avoid the welfare \u201ctrap\u201d, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. <\/p>\n
\u201cWith recent modelling suggesting that people under the age of 25 on Jobseeker Support will spend an average of 18 or more years on a benefit over their lifetimes,\u201d she adds. <\/p>\n
But where does this leave young people who aren\u2019t safe to live at home? It\u2019s an issue which disproportionately impacts rainbow and takat\u0101pui communities. <\/p>\n
Research shows internationally 20-40% of those experiencing homelessness are from rainbow communities, despite only comprising 5-10% of the general population. <\/p>\n
\u201cI fear that this change could result in increased family violence and tensions, in a climate where wh\u0101nau are already struggling,\u201d managing director of rainbow charity InsideOUT K\u014daro Tabby Beasley says. <\/p>\n
Content warning: This article discusses suicide, self-harm, homophobia, and family violence. <\/p>\n
\u2018I couldn\u2019t survive at home\u2019 <\/p>\n
Jo* has never known what stability feels like. Whether it was a different house, school, or even country, they never stayed in one place for long. The feeling of having a space or a person to come ‘home’ to, to feel safe with, wasn’t one they could ever relate to. <\/p>\n
Instead, Jo\u2019s \u2018home\u2019 was marked by physical abuse, emotional neglect, suicidal thoughts, police calls to the house, social work reports and a constant sense of danger. <\/p>\n
\u201cMy mum was physically abusing me. Hitting was discipline,\u201d they say. <\/p>\n
\u201cIf I didn\u2019t do what she liked, she\u2019d slap me. Once she smashed my phone with a hammer, one time she tried to strangle me.\u201d <\/p>\n
Jo is not their real name. They are kept anonymous in this story for privacy and safety reasons. Jo says the abuse was always part of living at home, but it only escalated when they came out as queer, and later as trans. <\/p>\n
\u201cMy mum thought I was being brainwashed. That Western influence was making me queer. She freaked out. Tried to fix me. She wanted to send me to Australia to \u2018cure\u2019 me. But you can\u2019t fix being trans. It\u2019s not something you choose.\u201d <\/p>\n
\u2018I had a plan since I was 13\u2019 <\/p>\n
Jo has been planning how to leave home since the age of 13, three years before the legal age for leaving home in New Zealand. <\/p>\n
While most 13-year-olds are worried about body changes and friend groups, Jo was worried about what proof they would need for people to believe them. How much money they would need to survive on their own. Or who they could trust to try and help them. <\/p>\n
\u201cI found out what self-harm was at 12 and said, \u2018I\u2019d never do that.\u2019 A few months later, I tried it. By 13 I was suicidal. I just wanted the pain to stop.\u201d <\/p>\n
The stress and trauma of living with their mum became so debilitating, Jo started to lose feeling in her legs and now lives with chronic pain and a mobility disorder. <\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Executive director of Rainbow Youth Amber Gribble says the charity sector is experiencing decreased funding making it hard to keep up with demand. (Source: Supplied)<\/p>\n
\u201cThe doctor told me that when you have extreme stress and trauma, your brain can start to shut down. But it won\u2019t shut down like you think it would, it will start disconnecting from certain parts of your body physically and you lose mobility. Your nervous system is just constantly in a place of fight or flight and it gives in.\u201d <\/p>\n
Jo knew they couldn\u2019t keep living at home, but the process for getting out took multiple attempts of running away and eventually refusing to go home after they were hospitalised when they temporarily lost feeling in their legs. <\/p>\n
“I tried to leave [the hospital] without telling anybody but ended up finding a nurse and broke down crying. She asked me \u2018What are you doing?\u2019 and I said \u2018I think I’m going to go sleep under a bridge at this rate\u2019.\u201d <\/p>\n
A teenager navigating the system <\/p>\n
After being assessed by social workers, Jo got into emergency housing and says they spent hours filling in forms to get on a benefit and finding evidence to prove why it wasn\u2019t safe for them to live at home. <\/p>\n
\u201cWork and Income already knew what was going on, so I worked out how to get an IRD number, I got a youth coach, and I called WINZ about 50 times.\u201d <\/p>\n
\u201cThe difference between me and a lot of people in my situation is that I had this planned out. I knew they were going to ask for proof. I had already thought about going to the police station, getting all the files. After not being believed my whole life, I already knew how I was going to prove everything. But the process was traumatic,\u201d they say. <\/p>\n
\u201cI was angry at every adult in my life that had let me down.” <\/p>\n
Jo\u2019s experience reflects the reality for many rainbow rangatahi who are navigating the system while in crisis. \u201cI was making phone calls, filling out forms, screenshotting job listings, trying to find housing. I was doing everything. My youth worker said, \u2018I\u2019ve never seen a young person work as hard as you have\u2019,\u201d they say. <\/p>\n
\u201cProving it to WINZ was the last thing I wanted. It was the last place I wanted to go because I knew how hard it was. But it was my only option.\u201d <\/p>\n
Jo worries that if Jobseeker criteria changes for 18-19-year-olds in November 2026, they will have to go through this process again or have their benefit cut. <\/p>\n
Proving a parental support gap <\/p>\n
Ministry of Social Development general manager for policy Fiona Carter-Giddings told Re: News in a statement, young people who can\u2019t rely on parental support will still be able to apply for Work and Income assistance if a \u201cparental support gap exists\u201d. <\/p>\n
\u201cThe parental support gap test will consider a range of factors, such as a young person\u2019s relationship with their parents, or whether one or both parents are in long-term hospital care or prison,\u201d she says. <\/p>\n
But the design of the parental support gap test and what this will specifically cover is not yet clear and will be finalised before legislation is introduced next year. <\/p>\n
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<\/p>\n
Executive director of Rainbow Youth Amber Gribble says the charity sector is experiencing decreased funding making it hard to keep up with demand. (Source: Supplied)<\/p>\n
However, Carter-Giddings says Work and Income can use information it already has to determine whether a parental support gap exists. <\/p>\n
\u201cMSD or another government agency may have previously determined that a person cannot rely on their parents. <\/p>\n
\u201cFor example, someone transferring directly from Youth Payment to Jobseeker Support has generally already demonstrated a parental support gap. In those circumstances, the existence of a parental support gap would not need to be re-examined.\u201d <\/p>\n
Other factors like whether a parent\u2019s income who lives outside of New Zealand will be counted towards the $65,529 threshold, are also undetermined. <\/p>\n
\u201cAs part of our standard process when designing policy, we have considered the potential impacts of this policy for a wide range of people and communities, including rainbow rangatahi.\u201d <\/p>\n
Rainbow support groups critical of changes <\/p>\n
Jo sees the tightening of Jobseeker criteria as another safety net for rainbow rangatahi becoming restricted, with rainbow support services like InsideOUT and Rainbow YOUTH experiencing a decrease in funding. <\/p>\n
Rainbow YOUTH, a charity that provides peer support for rainbow rangatahi, says funding across the sector at this time has become \u201cincreasingly difficult\u201d and, like many other charities, it has seen a \u201csignificant drop\u201d in funding it once relied on. <\/p>\n
Despite gaining a 3% increase in funding from Health NZ, it says donations and support from other private oganisations and donors has decreased. <\/p>\n
\u201cRainbowYOUTH has focused on maintaining our existing support services, but limited funding has restricted our ability to expand our services, despite the clear and growing need,\u201d executive director of Rainbow Youth Amber Gribble says. <\/p>\n
Gribble says Jo\u2019s \u201cheartbreaking\u201d story is not uncommon among the rangatahi they work with \u2013 but \u201cmust be taken seriously in these situations, rather than being dismissed, as they too often are\u201d. <\/p>\n
\u201cThose in unsafe home environments already face major barriers to accessing support independently,\u201d she says. \u201cOn top of this, they’re often required to meet an unrealistic burden of proof to access financial assistance from Work and Income.\u201d <\/p>\n
\u2018Clear and transparent\u2019 measures need to be in place <\/p>\n
InsideOUT, a national charity providing education, resources, and support for rainbow and takat\u0101pui communities, says it is also grappling with reduced funding after attracting fewer donations and workshop training bookings – which is part of their social enterprise arm. <\/p>\n
This is despite also gaining a 3% increase in funding from Health NZ. <\/p>\n
\u201cWe have had to tap into our reserves significantly to keep our services running to the same level and may be facing difficult decisions in the future if things don’t turn around,\u201d managing director of InsideOUT K\u014daro Tabby Beasley says. <\/p>\n
Beasley says the organisation is \u201cextremely concerned\u201d by the Government\u2019s announcement as it \u201cappears to be extremely ignorant of the current context we’re in\u201d. <\/p>\n
\u201cThere are minimal jobs available, let alone for young people at entry-level, along with the financial realities facing many parents. The young people we come into contact with are often excited to enter the workforce if they are able, but are struggling significantly to be considered when there are so few opportunities and such high unemployment.\u201d <\/p>\n
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<\/p>\n
Minister for Mental Health Matt Doocey says the Government has funded mental health and addiction services for rainbow young people. (Source: 1News)<\/p>\n
She says the experiences of rainbow rangatahi have not been considered with this announcement. <\/p>\n
\u201cThis is a group of young people who often experience family harm and breakdowns, who face higher rates of unemployment and are more likely to be discriminated against when applying for jobs. There is also a significant overlap between rainbow and disabled young people, who also face extra barriers to employment.\u201d <\/p>\n
Beasley is calling on the government to provide \u201cclear and transparent guidance on the process to evidence a family breakdown\u201d to help reduce anxiety for young people who may be worried about how these changes will affect them, which includes recognition of transphobia and homophobia as part of family harm. <\/p>\n
Beasley says Work and Income staff should also be required to undergo training to understand the nuances of what family violence can look like for rainbow rangatahi. <\/p>\n
\u201cWithout these kinds of measures, the government will be further contributing to poverty and harm of an already vulnerable group of young people who deserve care and protection.\u201d <\/p>\n
In response, Carter-Giddings from the Ministry of Social Development said training is made available to all MSD staff about how to support rainbow clients. <\/p>\n
\u201cIt emphasises that rainbow rangatahi are disproportionately likely to live away from their parents, feel unsafe at home, and experience violence. We employ specialist staff who may provide extra support in some cases \u2013 for example, if someone has been the victim of family or sexual violence. <\/p>\n
\u201cWe know it can be a complex process when people apply for support. Our staff can help people through it, and we encourage anyone to bring a support person with them, if they wish to do so.\u201d <\/p>\n
Additionally, Minister for Mental Health Matt Doocey told Re: News it has funded the Access and Choice programme which provides free community mental health and addiction services across the country. <\/p>\n
\u201cPart of this programme has included a $4.4 million package for primary mental health and addiction services for rainbow young people and to deliver rainbow competency training to mental health and addiction workforces,\u201d he says. <\/p>\n
\u2018This isn\u2019t going to end well\u2019 <\/p>\n
Since being on the benefit, Jo has completed work training and has been placed into permanent social housing. But says work opportunities are limited with her disability, as they aren\u2019t able to stand for long periods of time. <\/p>\n
\u201cI’d like to get off the benefit as soon as I can. I don\u2019t want to be on the benefit, I never did,\u201d Jo says. \u201cIt was just my only option. But my options for work are limited.\u201d <\/p>\n
Looking forward, Jo fears for the 4300 rangatahi who are predicted to have their Jobseeker benefit cut. \u201cPeople are going to starve. People are going to kill themselves. This isn\u2019t going to end well.\u201d <\/p>\n
Where to get help: <\/p>\n
1737: The nationwide, 24\/7 mental health support line. Call or text 1737 to speak to a trained counsellor. <\/p>\n
Suicide Crisis Line: Free call 0508 TAUTOKO or 0508 828 865. Nationwide 24\/7 support line operated by experienced counsellors with advanced suicide prevention training. <\/p>\n
Youthline: Free call 0800 376 633, free text 234. Nationwide service focused on supporting young people. <\/p>\n
OUTLine NZ: Freephone 0800 OUTLINE (0800 688 5463). National service that helps LGBTIQ+ New Zealanders access support, information and a sense of community. <\/p>\n
Rainbow YOUTH: a charity who provides peer support for rainbow rangatahi. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"It’s estimated more than 4000 18 and 19-year-olds will soon be ineligible for the Jobseeker benefit. This follows…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":84975,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[5901,134,64776,111,43,139,69,135,83,550],"class_list":{"0":"post-84974","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-new-zealand","8":"tag-1news-recommends","9":"tag-health","10":"tag-lgbttqia","11":"tag-new-zealand","12":"tag-news","13":"tag-newzealand","14":"tag-nz","15":"tag-politics","16":"tag-re-news","17":"tag-social-issues"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/84974","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=84974"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/84974\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/84975"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=84974"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=84974"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=84974"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}