Parents will receive $60 a week for a baby born from July 1st. The payment will continue for one year. However, families who earn less than $79,000 a year will receive that payment for a further two years.
The average salary two years ago was $48,800. However, for workers in main cities, the average is much higher because of the higher cost of housing and transport to work. Nevertheless, $79,000 is a “modest income”, not a high income, according to the government.
The main aim of this Best Start is to reduce poverty. The government believes Best Start will lift 88,000 families out of poverty. Another aim is possibly to encourage families to have more children. Like most western countries, and Japan, we have a large percentage of old people. Governments in these countries are worried about the health costs of old people, and they are offering incentives for families to have more babies.
History
In 1946 New Zealand introduced a Universal Family Benefit which was paid to the mother for each child up to the age of 16 (later 18). This continued for many years and was later replaced by benefits for those families in need. Part of the reason for the Universal Family Benefit was to acknowledge the work of mothers at home. It was a time when there was very little work for women outside the home anyway, and society often disapproved of women with jobs. It was also a time when families were much larger than today.
Vocabulary
• incentives – bribes, rewards to persuade people to do something good
• universal – for everyone
• acknowledge – to show their work was appreciated
• disapproved – believed it was wrong
Questions for Discussion
1. Do babies cost more than teenagers for families?
2. Will payments for babies encourage families to have more children?
3. What are some of the reasons for low birth rates in many countries today?
4. Do you think families who have a modest income should receive Best Start payments or should they be only for poor families?