Monday, March 03, 2008

More teenage single parents on welfare than officially exist

I wonder how many people tell porkies to the Census taker? For some time I have been trying to get a figure for the number of mothers aged 15-19 at March 2006. The figure I have been provided with is 4,107. I have argued with Statistics New Zealand that this is too low given there are usually more births to 15-19 year-olds in one year alone.

Anyway, after double-checking, I am assured that is the figure established through the process of self-indentification. Of these mothers 2,586 said they were single. I pointed out to my contact that at March 2006 there were 2,894 18 and 19 year-olds on the DPB and a further 6-700 16 and 17 year-olds on the EMA. So roughly three and a half thousand teenage single parents are on a benefit for single mothers yet, according to the Census, only two and a half thousand teenage single parents officially exist??

One can only assume the 'missing' 1,000 are telling Work and Income they are single (to qualify for welfare) but telling the Census taker they have a partner.

(In case you are wondering there were only around 40-50 male 18-19 year-old single parents on a benefit so that doesn't account for the difference.)

3 comments:

luggage79 said...

What about only giving money to those who are listed as single parents in the census? Doesn't anybody compare those statistics before they throw money at people? Jeeeeeesus

Oswald Bastable said...

They are probably not filling out census forms (shock-horror)

After all- census forms don't get you a handout!

luggage79 said...

well, if they are not filling out those forms they should be made to...isn't the state interested in keeping money rather than throwing it out the window? *irony*