The Government’s new welfare scheme is ill targeted and provides the most support to those who need it the least, National’s Social Development spokesperson Louise Upston says.

“The first priority for the Covid-19 response is to save jobs and the Government’s announcement today is a poorly targeted attempt to cover for the fact that jobs haven’t been saved.    

“Income support is about fairness and giving everyone an equal chance to get into the driver’s seat of their lives. Instead of favouring one group of jobless over another, we believe that everyone should get the support they need to put food on their table and a roof over their head.

“It cannot be right that someone with a $29,000 redundancy package and a partner earning $100,000 a year receives more financial support from the taxpayer than a single mum who lost their job in December and is now living in a motel, or a New Zealander with a long term disability.

“The Government is desperate to announce funding quickly but has failed to do the work around it. As a result they have announced something that their own Ministers have publically questioned.

“National believes that everyone deserves to be treated fairly – something that this Government is overlooking.”