This annual report - Taranaki District Health Board

New Zealand Distribution and TrendsNumber of New Zealand Children Reliant on a Benefit RecipientIn New Zealand, the number of children aged 0–18 years who were reliant on a benefitrecipient declined from 272,613 in April 2000, to 201,083 in April 2008, before increasingagain to 234,572 in April 2011. By April 2012, 229,443 were reliant on a benefit recipient.Much of this variation can be attributed to changes in children relying on unemploymentbenefit recipients, with numbers falling from 49,499 in April 2000 to 5,289 in April 2008,before increasing again to 16,380 in 2010. In April 2012, 13,669 children were reliant on anunemployment benefit recipient. The number of children reliant on Domestic PurposesBenefit (DPB) recipients also fell from 188,216 in April 2000, to 158,173 in 2008, beforeincreasing again to 180,845 in 2011 (Table 4).Proportion of New Zealand Children Reliant on a Benefit RecipientIn New Zealand the proportion of children aged 0–18 years who were reliant on a benefitrecipient fell from 24.9% in April 2000 to 17.5% in April 2008, before increasing again to20.4% in 2011. By April 2012, 20.1% of all New Zealand children were reliant on a benefitrecipient. A large part of the initial decline was due to a fall in the proportion of childrenreliant on unemployment benefit recipients (from 4.5% of children in 2000, to 0.5% in 2008;but increasing again to 1.4% in 2011 and 1.2% in 2012). While the proportion of childrenreliant on DPB recipients also fell (from 17.2% of children in 2000, to 13.8% in 2008; andback up to 15.8% in 2011 and 15.7% in 2012) (Figure 19), the rate of decline was muchslower than for unemployment benefits, meaning that in relative terms, the proportion ofbenefit-dependent children reliant on DPB recipients actually increased, from 69.0% ofbenefit-dependent children in 2000, to 78.1% in 2012 (Table 4).New Zealand Distribution by AgeAt the end of April 2012, the proportion of children reliant on a benefit recipient was highestfor those 0–4 years of age. Rates then tapered off gradually during middle to latechildhood and early adolescence, then very steeply after 17 years (Figure 20).Midland Region Distribution and TrendsNumber of Children Reliant on a Benefit RecipientAt the end of April 2012, there were 54,295 children aged 0–18 years who were reliant ona benefit recipient and who received their benefits from service centres in the MidlandRegion (Waikato (n=23,553), Bay of Plenty (n=12,490), Lakes DHB (n=8,451), Tairawhiti(n=4,516) and Taranaki (n=5,285)). While the majority were reliant on DPB recipients, thenumber reliant on unemployment benefit recipients increased between April 2008 and April2011 (Table 5).Local Policy Documents and Evidence-Based ReviewsRelevant to Benefit Reliant FamiliesTable 3 on Page 62 considers local policy documents and evidence-based reviews whichare relevant to the social policy environment and the socioeconomic determinants of childand youth health.Children Reliant on Benefit Recipients - 75