26 Feb 2026

Families in poverty having to go without essentials

From Checkpoint, 4:46 pm on 26 February 2026

Child poverty activists say families are having to make impossible decisions and go without life's essentials following the release of new Stats New Zealand data. The agency says one in seven kids are living in material hardship according to research conducted between July 2024 and June last year. The government says reducing child poverty is a priority and that they are making changes to improve the lives of families. Nick James reports.