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Published: 5 May 2015

Authors: Perry, B.

Measuring and monitoring material hardship for New Zealand children: MSD research and analysis used in advice for the Budget 2015 child hardship package.

The papers and communication material relating to the child hardship (CH) package in Budget 2015 include survey-based information on child material hardship. The policy development process for the CH package used a range of material hardship and income information.

This MSD report documents the more detailed research and analysis that sits behind the tables, graphs and other information provided by MSD for officials’ advice to Ministers and for the policy development process. This material hardship information comes both from already-published MSD research and from new research and analysis that has been carried out and will be published in more detail later in 2015.

The report uses and in places extends previous MSD work published in various Living Standards reports and in Section L of the Household Incomes Report, all of which are available on the MSD website.

The report uses data from MSD’s 2008 Living Standards Survey (LSS) and Statistics New Zealand’s Household Economic Survey (HES) which has included a suite of material hardship indicators since 2006/07. There is some limited use of Statistics New Zealand’s longitudinal Survey of Family, Income and Employment (SoFIE).