What do New Zealanders think about welfare?

Abstract

‘Welfare’ is always a controversial topic, with considerable debate about the causes of need and thus who is responsible for ensuring well-being. In its final report the Welfare Working Group (WWG) (2011) acknowledges this, noting that structural factors, such as the recent recession, shape welfare outcomes alongside individual behaviours and problems within welfare institutions. However, the WWG was established specifically to examine ways to reduce longterm benefit dependency in New Zealand amongst people of working age. Its recommendations thus place a particular focus on the individual behaviours of the unemployed. The proposed introduction of Jobseeker Support, a new single work-focused welfare payment to replace all existing categories of benefit, suggests that the circumstances behind working-age benefit receipt are similar and that it is therefore appropriate to extend new reciprocal obligations to a wider range of benefit recipients.

Patterns of Welfare Attitudes in the Australian Population

“…Specifically, we found that welfare recipients were broadly characterized as lazy and not doing enough to find work. These findings in the Australian context are consistent with findings in other English speaking countries [ 17 , 28 ]. While over 60% of those in the UK view welfare as making people lazy and dependent [ 17 ], a similar proportion of the present sample endorsed such a negative attitude.…”

“…As in other English speaking countries [ 17 , 28 ], the current study found strong evidence of negative attitudes towards welfare recipients in the Australian population. The negative views of welfare recipients are striking when compared to the relatively strong support for the existence of a welfare system as a social safety net.…”

A Bark But No Bite: Inequality and the 2014 New Zealand General Election

“…People may be concerned about inequality, but what they would like to see done about it matters most. Analysis of social policy opinions in New Zealand over the period since 1990 shows that preferences for generous government spending on health and education have remained relatively high, but preferences for more expenditure on unemployment and welfare benefits have been in decline (Humpage 2014). Cuts to welfare benefits in the early 1990s were one of the contributing causes of the increase in inequality (see Chapter 2).…”

“…With the expansion of the number of people on benefits, public opinion about unemployment and welfare has shifted toward the conservative view (Humpage 2014), even among many people voting Labour. It is notable that Labour's 64-page policy platform, approved in 2013, uses the phrase 'welfare state' only twice and that its welfare policies are presented under the label 'social development' (Labour Party 2013).…”

Are Negative Community Attitudes Toward Welfare Recipients Associated With Unemployment? Evidence From an Australian Cross-Sectional Sample and Longitudinal Cohort

“…Negative stereotypes of welfare receipt are widespread, with recipients of government benefits labeled as “lazy and dependent” (Humpage, 2011; McKay, 2014; Schofield & Butterworth, 2015). In Australia, which has a welfare regime highly targeted toward those in need (Arts & Gelissen, 2002; Esping-Andersen, 1989; Lam, 2014), the media labels welfare recipients as “dole bludgers” who are unwilling to work (Archer, 2009).…”