Green Party's Chlöe Swarbrick is pushing for more support for students in the economic fallout of Covid-19, saying the group are "doing it tough" after the wage subsidy failed to capture those in hardship.
"Covid-19 has not created poverty and inequality, but simply exposed it," she said. "The lid has been lifted on just how many young people are doing it tough in this country."
"We support the wage subsidy scheme being rolled out by Government to support New Zealanders, but we know students aren’t benefitting from that support."
She said many students were seeing an increase in casual work - "which creates ongoing instability and shows how our social support doesn’t capture everyone like it should".
"Covid-19 has served immense struggle across our communities, revealing just how much students are hovering at the breadline. It shouldn’t be a rite of passage to live in poverty during higher education."
Ms Swarbrick said a Guaranteed Minimum Income, a Green policy promise launched last month , would ensure students got $325 per week "no matter what".
Anyone not in fulltime paid work, including students, would get at least $325 per week. It would replace both the student allowance and the basic jobseeker benefit, which pays $250 per week.
The wage subsidy has been extended, as well as a new scheme launched last week that requires a business to have had, or is predicting to have, a revenue drop due to Covid-19 of at least 40 per cent.
The revenue drop must have occurred for at least 14 days between August 12 and September 10.
New Zealand Union of Students’ Associations reported last month that 30 per cent of university students surveyed said they needed more help to cover accommodation and food during the lockdown.
The union's national president, Isabella Lenihan-Ikin, said the "lack of support for students was also indicative in the findings that 66 per cent of students believe Covid-19 has significantly increased their stress levels or anxiety about money, accommodation, or study".
SHARE ME