Dependent Children

Children dependent on recipients of a main benefit and on registered job seekers

Trends in the number of children dependent on recipients of a main benefit

Decreases since 2004 in the number of children dependent on recipients of a main benefit (see table 2.18) reflect decreases in numbers receiving main benefits. Of the children dependent on working age benefit recipients over this period, around 82% have been aged under 14 years, including between 30% and 32% who were aged under five years.

Table 2.18 Trends in the ages of children dependent on recipients of a main benefit

Age of child at the end of June	2004 Number	2005 Number	2006 Number	2007 Number	2008 Number
	Children dependent on working age recipients of a main benefit1
0-4 years	74,540	70,248	66,478	63,122	63,947
5-9 years	74,119	69,876	65,579	59,808	57,585
10-13 years	54,253	51,230	48,018	43,777	42,343
14-17 years	40,925	40,326	39,522	36,914	35,233
18-19 years	1,619	1,648	1,747	1,703	1,570
Total children dependent on working age clients	245,456	233,328	221,344	205,324	200,678
	Children dependent on other recipients of a main benefit1
Total children dependent on other clients	1,144	1,147	1,171	1,070	1,081
	All children dependent on recipients of a main benefit1
Total	246,600	234,475	222,515	206,394	201,759

Note

1. Numbers of children dependent on carers who were recorded in SWIFTT as receiving a main benefit at the end of June.

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Trends in the proportion of all children aged under 18 years dependent on recipients of a main benefit

Decreases since 2004 in the proportion of all children in New Zealand aged under 18 years who were dependent on recipients of a main benefit at the end of June each year (see figure 2.2) reflect:

• decreases in the number of people receiving a main benefit (which in turn reflect economic changes, policy changes and operational changes, as outlined above)
• the ageing of children who do remain dependent on recipients of a main benefit.

Since 2004, the likelihood of children aged under 18 years being dependent on recipients of a main benefit has decreased for each age group (see figure 2.2).

figure 2.2 Trends in the proportion of children aged under 18 years dependent on recipients of a main benefit, by age

Note

1. Proportion shows:
   1. numbers of children in age group identified as dependent on people recorded in SWIFTT as receiving a main benefit at the end of June, divided by
   2. Statistics New Zealand final estimate of the resident population in age group at the end of June.

See table A3.2 for a summary of the SWIFTT data underlying figure 2.2

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Trends in the number of children dependent on registered job seekers

Decreases since 2004 in the number of children dependent on registered job seekers (see table 2.19) reflect decreases in the number of job seekers. Since 2004, the proportion of children dependent on working age job seekers who were aged under 14 years has decreased slightly (from 79% to 76%), while the proportion aged under five years has remained around 25%.

Table 2.19 Trends in the ages of children dependent on registered job seekers

Age of child at the end of June	2004 Number	2005 Number	2006 Number	2007 Number	2008 Number
	Children dependent on working age job seekers1,2
0-4 years	13,757	10,749	9,790	7,618	4,393
5-9 years	15,789	11,594	11,039	8,516	4,786
10-13 years	13,774	9,724	9,057	7,157	4,120
14-17 years	11,223	8,218	8,043	6,789	3,987
18-19 years	492	407	427	363	192
Total children dependent on working age job seekers	55,035	40,692	38,356	30,443	17,478
	Children dependent on other job seekers1,2
Total children dependent on other job seekers	66	54	58	53	37
	All children dependent on job seekers1,2
Total	55,101	40,746	38,414	30,496	17,515

Notes

1. Information on numbers and ages of dependent children is only available for job seekers who were also receiving financial assistance from Work and Income. Between 2004 and 2008, the proportion of registered job seekers receiving such assistance has decreased markedly, although it remains a majority of registered job seekers.
2. Numbers of children dependent on job seekers registered in SOLO at the end of June.

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Trends in the proportion of all children aged under 18 years dependent on registered job seekers

Decreases since 2004 in the proportion of all children in New Zealand aged under 18 years who were dependent on registered job seekers at the end of June each year (see figure 2.3) largely reflect reductions in the numbers of job seekers.

Since 2004, children aged 5-13 years have been more likely than children aged under five years or children aged 14-17 years to be dependent on registered job seekers (see figure 2.3). Lower proportions of zero to four year olds dependent on job seekers reflect at least in part the difficulty people with dependent children aged under five years have in meeting the eligibility criteria for registration as a job seeker (eg availability for work), while lower proportions of 14-17 year olds appear to reflect in part the greater ease of obtaining work without facing the requirement to provide supervision of children aged under 14 years.

figure 2.3 Trends in the proportion of children aged under 18 years dependent on registered job seekers, by age¹

Notes

1. Information on numbers and ages of dependent children is only available for job seekers who were also receiving financial assistance from Work and Income. Between 2004 and 2008, the proportion of registered job seekers receiving such assistance has decreased markedly, although it remains a majority of registered job seekers.
2. Proportion shows:
   1. numbers of children in age group identified as dependent on job seekers registered in SOLO at the end of June, divided by
   2. Statistics New Zealand final estimate of the resident population in age group at the end of June.

See table A3.3 for a summary of the SWIFTT data underlying figure 2.3.

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