NCC Mayor Kirsten Wise said rent increases was a significant issue for many residents, and part of the reason why they sought assistance from the government. Photo / Paul Taylor
NCC Mayor Kirsten Wise said rent increases was a significant issue for many residents, and part of the reason why they sought assistance from the government. Photo / Paul Taylor
New data shows Hawke's Bay over-65s are the fourth highest in the country for hardship grants paid during a 19-month period.
Ministry of Social Development figures for the period of January 1, 2019, to July 31, 2021, which looks at hardship grants paid to clients aged 65 and over, showedthere was a total of 6,482 grants paid in that time.
Hardship grants can include advances of main benefits, special needs grants and recoverable assistance payments.
A spokeswoman for Age Concern, Napier, said hardship grants for pensioners was an ongoing issue.
"A lot of these people are older people in market rental situations, their rents have gone up, rates have gone up," she said.
"They struggle to make ends meet."
Some over-65s were living on their own in their own properties.
"The cost to maintain and repair their own homes can be far greater than their finances. It could also be in relation to one-off costs like doctor's fees."
Many didn't have any "reserve funds" to cover costs.
For Napier, the numbers included 1,290 in 2019, 1,731 in 2020, 1,083 in 2021 (to July 31).
Napier Mayor Kirsten Wise said she believed the cost and availability of housing was a significant issue for residents.
"Rents are disproportionate to average incomes in Hawke's Bay and quality housing stock is in high demand."
She said Napier's median household income was $67,393, compared with the national median of $83,497.
HDC mayor Sandra Hazlehurst said Covid outbreak resulted in job losses and was the first time some people sought assistance through grants. Photo / Warren Buckland
Napier's inflation-adjusted mean annual rent was $21,736, which placed the council 61 out of 66 council areas in terms of rent affordability.
She said "continued pressure" on rents had climbed steadily since 2015.
Council was working with other agencies like Age Concern to help address financial hardship among some of the city's residents, she said.
For Central Hawke's Bay the numbers were 210 in 2019, 348 in 2020 and 261 in 2021 (to July 31).
Mayor Alex Walker said the increase in numbers in 2019 and 2020 and the likely increase in 2021 was "unsurprising".
"The increase in demand for one-off hardship assistance grants is unsurprising, recognising that the region has experienced the double blows of drought and the effects of Covid-19 in the same two-year period."
Hastings District numbers were: 1,644 in 2019, 2,331 in 2020 and 1,383 in 2021 (to July 31).
Mayor Sandra Hazlehurst said in 2020 the first Covid lockdown resulted in job losses, and there was "great concern" about this.
WDC mayor Craig Little said more could be done to look after the ageing population in our region. Photo / Warren Buckland
Hazlehurst added the community was going to be affected by Covid for a while, and the council was working with several agencies to ease financial hardship for those seeking the grants.
For Wairoa there were 486 grants in 2019, 477 in 2020 and 333 in 2021 (to July 31).
Mayor Craig Little said the number of grants paid out to people aged 65 and over could be down to people returning to Wairoa because of Covid.
"They feel safer with family and whanau," he said.
"And the cost of everything, like rent and groceries, is going up. It's scary.
"We need to look after our ageing population because right now life is dismal for some."
MSD's issue resolution service delivery manager Bridget Saunders said the Ministry offered several main benefits to people who need financial support and fit the eligibility criteria.
