The welfare state

The Herald reports:

Details of state benefits received by two solo mothers have been made public by the Government after the pair criticised cutbacks to a training allowance. …

The information provided by Ms Bennett’s office shows Ms Fuller receives $715 net a week and Ms Johnston $554. Both are getting the allowance for pre-degree study. Ms Fuller gets $28 a week. She also got the allowance from 2004 to 2006, and in 2006-07 was given $9560 under an Enterprise Allowance to start a cleaning business. She said yesterday this had since closed because she had ongoing illness problems.

I think it is good the Government is disclosing the relevant information, after Labour again put case studies up.

Incidentially Labour Ministers used to do this also sometimes, and I supported them doing the same.

The $715 a week benefit is equal to a job with an annual salary of $46,700 a year. And the $554 a week equal to a job with an annual salary of $35,800 a year.

It is not a life of luxury, but it is a not an insignificant amount of money. $46,700 is well above the median wage.