Most New Zealanders are against sending solo parents back to work before their children start primary school, according to a new poll.
The Government is looking into the Welfare Working Group's recommendations on reforming the welfare system into a work-focused programme, with an eye towards campaigning on welfare reforms at the
election.
Among the group's more radical suggestions were having solo parents work 20 hours a week when their youngest child reached 3 years old, and if they had a subsequent child while on welfare, they would have to look for paid work when the child turned 14 weeks.
A New Zealand Herald-DigiPoll released today found just 9.8 per cent of New Zealanders were in favour of solo parents on the DPB having to look for work when their child turned 3.
That compared with 31.6 per cent support for sending solo parents back to work when their child turned 5, and 54.2 per cent when they turned six - the current age. Some 4.4 per cent said they did not know.
