Morgan Foundation tool shows results of life choices for the working poor

The pick-a-path game shows how hard it can be to get out of strife for the working poor. Photo / Supplied

Ever thought you could work your way out of poverty no matter what?

A new tool may prove otherwise as it shows the reality, based on two years of research, for the working poor in New Zealand.

The game called Liz & Sam: A Pick-a-path Story​ was launched this morning.

By making life choices for Liz, Sam and their children you navigate through decisions on where to live, what job to take and how to borrow money.

Head of research Dr Jess Berentson-Shaw said the couple's story shows how that burden plays out and why, for low-income families, it is unbelievably hard to get out of strife.

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Charitable trust The Morgan Foundation, formerly headed by Gareth Morgan, funded the research and ActionStation hosts the game.

Berentson-Shaw spent two years analysing the experiences of families on low incomes in New Zealand.

She was saddened but inspired by the statistics of child poverty. About 200,000 Kiwi kids live in moderate to severe difficulty.

Last year's Ministry of Social Development's Household Income Survey found 155,000 Kiwi kids were living in material hardship, defined as being deprived of seven or more key indicators such as nutrition, clothing, educational resources, leisure activities or housing.

"When I talk to families I meet strong, hard-working parents, clever kids, complex real people who do not need my pity," Berentson-Shaw said.

"They need me to understand what is going on, why nothing is improving for them when they are putting in so much effort and, most importantly, what can we do better?"

More than half of New Zealand families experience at least one year of income poverty after the arrival a child, the research stated. And up to 50 per cent of children who experience material deprivation live in two-parent Pakeha households where both parents are employed.

High-quality research shows that unconditional cash payments to families on lower incomes would halve the achievement gap between well-off and poorer children, Berentson-Shaw said.

She estimated they would bring a net return of $1.9 billion a year to the economy by saving on the cost of child poverty and delivering positive outcomes for families and children.​

Child Poverty Action Group spokeswoman Susan St John said the tool does a great job of visualising and simplifying what can be difficult to imagine.

But the reality for the working poor was still more complex than that because of fluctuating student loan repayments, child care subsidy, working for families tax credits and accommodation supplements.

"It shows what can happen and people have a much clearer idea of the kind of risks they run, especially when conditions of employment change and income might unexpectedly change as well."

Play the game here.