Tipping the balance: An analysis of the impact of the Working for Families Policy on Māori Whānau.

NZ’s Working for Families (WFF) policy introduced in 2004 aimed to address, amongst other things, the poverty faced by low-income working families. While WFF has been evaluated, little evidence exists on its impact on Māori. Using data from the Best Outcomes for Māori: Te Hoe Nuku Roa Longitudinal Survey (THNR), we found that WFF has positively impacted income adequacy for WFF-eligible families. There was a large decline in the proportion of families whose income was ‘not enough’ to meet their everyday needs, and an equivalent increase in the ‘just enough’ category in the periods before and after WFF was introduced. However, we note that improvements in income adequacy occurred within a time period of other macro-environment changes for low-income families. Gains made at the individual whānau level may well be fragile, as the economic situation of low-income families is still one of considerable hardship. Consequently, support for vulnerable families remains of critical importance.