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Child Poverty Action Group
Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG) is an independent, registered charity founded in 1994 who work to eliminate child poverty in New Zealand through research, education and advocacy.
Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG) strives to achieve the elimination of child poverty in Aotearoa New Zealand. We work to provide evidence-based research about the causes and effects of poverty on children and their families, and to inform the public, policy makers, media and politicians of the changes to policy needed to reduce child poverty.
Child Poverty Action Group - Latest News [Page 1]
Where Is The Support For Benefit-dependent Households?
Tuesday, 24 March 2026, 1:44 pm | Child Poverty Action Group
Minister Nicola Willis announced today that from April, 143,000 low-to-middle income families with working parents will receive $50 per week through the In-Work Tax Credit (IWTC). More >>
Child Material Hardship Climbs To 10-Year High
Thursday, 26 February 2026, 11:56 am | Child Poverty Action Group
Figures released by Stats NZ this morning show the number of children living in material hardship hasn’t been this high since 2015, and marks the third consecutive annual rise in child material hardship. More >>
Ohi Data Navigator Relaunched To Put Youth Data In The Hands Of Communities
Monday, 16 February 2026, 4:09 pm | Child Poverty Action Group
Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG) has published an insights report from the data to be launched with Ohi. More >>
Revealed: PM’s Office Received No Advice That There Are Jobs For Young People
Tuesday, 20 January 2026, 12:24 pm | Child Poverty Action Group
Auckland Action Against Poverty (AAAP) coordinator Agnes Magele says this new information reveals a policy that treats young people as disposable. More >>
CPAG Concerned Over Changes In How Child Poverty Is Measured
Friday, 16 January 2026, 4:15 pm | Child Poverty Action Group
The new index introduces questions about digital inclusion and bedding quality, which CPAG considers important additions. More >>
End Benefit Sanctions To Give Families A Fair Chance
Friday, 17 October 2025, 7:57 am | Child Poverty Action Group
Thousands of people in Aotearoa New Zealand are being sanctioned by the Ministry of Social Development. These sanctions reduce already inadequate incomes and punish families who are struggling to survive. More >>
CPAG Urges Government To Fix Structural Issues In Education, Work & Income Policy Instead Of Punishing 18–19-Year-Olds
Tuesday, 7 October 2025, 3:50 pm | Child Poverty Action Group
The Government’s Securing the Future for Our Young People policy claims that young people under 25 on Jobseeker Support will spend an average of 18 years on a benefit. More >>
Families Below The Income Floor Face Growing Crisis - New Research
Monday, 21 July 2025, 8:03 am | Child Poverty Action Group
The research builds on modelling by the Welfare Expert Advisory Group (WEAG) and extends it to cover varying levels of income and expenses across 39 different household types over eight years, revealing that the vast majority remain in persistent and ... More >>
Government Takes Fight Against Poverty To People In Poverty
Thursday, 17 April 2025, 5:17 pm | Child Poverty Action Group
Pushing people off income support doesn’t make the job market fairer or more accessible. It just assumes success is possible while unemployment rises and support systems become harder to navigate. More >>
CPAG Calls On Ministers To Reverse Lunch Cuts With Budget Bid
Monday, 24 March 2025, 8:16 am | Child Poverty Action Group
Based on the 2023 and 2024 Budget Summary of Initiatives, CPAG refers to estimates of the cost of restoring school lunches to their 2024 standard, between $107-115 extra a year. More >>
CPAG Urges Government To Reverse 'Funded To Fail' School Lunch Cuts
Sunday, 23 February 2025, 6:38 pm | Child Poverty Action Group
CPAG Executive Officer Sarita Divis said CPAG was disappointed the Government’s Budget policy statement in December - which gives an early indication about priorities in May’s Budget - had no mention of child poverty. More >>
Economic Growth Alone Won't Help 156,600 Kiwi Children Who Live In Poverty
Thursday, 20 February 2025, 7:18 pm | Child Poverty Action Group
"Child poverty data was trending down from 2018 but in the past two years we have seen an increase in material hardship rates which is a concerning trend," CPAG executive officer Sarita Divis said. More >>
Anti-poverty Groups Say Amendments To Social Security Act Will Remove Job Seekers’ Human Rights
Thursday, 9 January 2025, 5:31 pm | Child Poverty Action Group
Child Poverty Action Group’s Executive Officer, Sarita Divis, says "This Bill will put at risk the fundamental human rights and wellbeing of people, including many of our most vulnerable." More >>
Govt Announces No Christmas For Children In Persistent Poverty For The Next 10 Years
Monday, 16 December 2024, 1:50 pm | Child Poverty Action Group
CPAG calls on the current government and all political parties to work towards a future where all tamariki grow up surrounded by loving, thriving whānau within supportive communities where there are resources, opportunities and systems to enable them to ... More >>
Advocates Concerned The Government Has Downgraded Food Security And Housing Quality In Child And Youth Strategy Refresh
Friday, 22 November 2024, 9:04 pm | Child Poverty Action Group
The demotion of food insecurity is particularly concerning given the latest New Zealand Health Survey results for 2023/24 showed one in four of our children (27%) lived in households that did not have enough food on a regular basis. Up from 21.3% the ... More >>
99,000 Children In Persistent Poverty
Tuesday, 12 November 2024, 8:09 am | Child Poverty Action Group
Persistent child poverty is now officially defined as ‘children living in households with less than 60% of the median household equivalised disposable income before housing costs are deducted (relative rate), in the current year and for at least 2 of the ... More >>
OIA Documents Reveal Minister Is Considering Changing Long-term Child Poverty Reduction Targets (CPAG)
Monday, 4 November 2024, 4:49 pm | Child Poverty Action Group
CPAG Chairperson Sally Ward also encourages the New Zealand public to call on all politicians in parliament to hold each other to account on this issue of national significance. More >>
CPAG Disappointed Child Poverty Reduction Minister Rejected Official Advice To Get NZ Back On Track To Meet Targets
Monday, 23 September 2024, 1:09 pm | Child Poverty Action Group
CPAG Executive Officer, Sarita Divis states, ‘Not only has the Minister rejected official advice, she has not provided any solid evidence, modelling or data that shows her chosen path will result in us meeting the 2028 goal of halving child poverty.' More >>
CPAG: Latest Child Poverty Report Shows NZ Rates Poorly Compared To EU Countries
Sunday, 15 September 2024, 12:30 am | Child Poverty Action Group
But Past Successes Can Be Replicated To Lift Children Out Of Poverty More >>
New Research From CPAG Reveals Renting Is Increasingly Unaffordable In Our Regions
Tuesday, 30 July 2024, 7:09 am | Child Poverty Action Group
The Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG) is calling for better monitoring of housing stock, particularly private rentals, as new research reveals the share of affordable rentals has significantly decreased in most of our regions over the past five years. More >>
