Social Assistance Legislation (Budget 2019 Welfare Package) Amendment Bill

This Welfare Package included three key changes to the welfare system:

• removing deductions for sole parent beneficiaries who fail to apply for child support by repealing section 192 of the Social Security Act
• indexing main benefit rates to increases in the net average wage; and
• increasing abatement thresholds in line with planned increases to the minimum wage until 2023 for main benefits, New Zealand Superannuation and Veteran’s Pension.