Kiwi anti-poverty campaigner Ricardo Menendez says today's Budget may be handing an impressive boost to mental health but without addressing what's causing mental health problems, the $1.9 billion investment won't mean much.
Finance Minister Grant Robertson announced today that $1.9 billion would be spent on mental health and a further $1.1 billion would be used on improving child wellbeing.
Menendez, the coordinator for Auckland Action Against Poverty, said he welcomed the investment but had serious concerns.
"We welcome the fact that there's been an injection of cash for mental health wellbeing but what has been left behind is the determinants of mental health which is incomes and housing," Menendez told 1 NEWS.
"Access to adequate incomes and adequate housing is one of the most important things for your wellbeing."
"Benefit levels remain far below the poverty line and what the Welfare Expert Advisory Group recommended and barely any money has gone into investment for social housing when we've got record levels of people that are homeless and waiting for a home."
Today's Budget said benefits will be indexed to the average wage instead of inflation, meaning $47 more a week is expected in beneficiaries' pockets by 2023.
It will cost $320.2 million over four years - a sum Menendez says is simply not enough.
"The Welfare Report is clear that benefits need to go up by up to 47 per cent so this is really breadcrumbs for people on the benefit who are desperate for transformative change."
Menendez added he feels the Government has kept the spending on child poverty to the "minimum amount" they need to meet Budget responsibilities.
"We also know that Kiwibuild is not receiving an additional cash injection and social housing is barely getting any additional funding over the next few years."
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