Govt must help families heat homes - Greens

Emma-Lita Bourne, 2, died in Starship Hospital on August 8 last year. Photo / Facebook

The Government should provide for families struggling to heat their homes this winter to help prevent more children becoming sick, Greens co-leader Metiria Turei says.

The party is calling on the Government to make non-recoverable grants to families struggling with power bills, so they did not have to borrow money from Work and Income (Winz).

It comes after a coroner found a cold, damp Housing New Zealand home may have contributed to the death of Otara toddler Emma-Lita Bourne from bronchopneumonia in August last year.

The girls's family had been given a heater to warm the home but could not afford the electricity to use it.

Ms Turei said no New Zealand child should be expected to go through the winter in a cold, damp home that their parents could not afford to heat.

"Families so broke that they can't afford to heat their homes are put under even more pressure by having to pay a loan from Winz or an advance on their benefit.

"That's enough to put people off even asking for help."

Ms Turei challenged the Government to immediately adopt the Green Party's plan for a warrant of fitness for all rentals, "to ensure no child has to live in the same conditions that Emma-Lita was forced to".

"In the meantime, the Government must instruct Work and Income to be compassionate and flexible when granting payments to families who come to it needing help to pay the power bill this winter."

The benefit increase for some parents announced in this year's Budget would not begin until next summer, but families needed help now, Ms Turei said.

"This is a very easy step the Government can immediately take that will help ensure Kiwi kids are kept safe this winter."

The house where Emma-Lite Bourne lived up until her death. Photo / Supplied via Google Maps

Coroner Brand Shortland's findings into Emma-Lita's death ruled she died from an acute brain bleed, caused by a septic embolism as a result of her respiratory infection.

However, he said the house could not be ruled out as a contributing factor in her illness and subsequent death.

The house was described as being very cold and not getting much sunshine. There were no carpets and only floorboards.

Coroner Shortland said in his view the house was unhealthy for the family, with one of the older children taking medicine for rheumatic fever at the time.

"It is entirely possible the house had contributed to the pneumonia-like illness that Emma-Lita was suffering at the time of her death."

Social Development Minister Anne Tolley said the death of Emma-Lita was tragic, but support was already available for low income families.

"As the Greens acknowledge, a range of support is available from Work and Income which doesn't necessarily need to be paid back.

"This includes special needs grants, temporary additional support, accommodation supplement and disability allowance.

"Work and Income also offers budgeting advice for families."

Mrs Tolley said anyone in financial difficulty should contact Work and Income immediately.

"Further support is available through the Rheumatic Fever Prevention programme, while free doctors' visits and prescriptions for children under six is being extended to under 13's from the start of next month," she added.