Before the election, both major political parties promised to help poorer Kiwis – National by lowering income tax and Labour by boosting benefit payments and overhauling the welfare system.
Christchurch’s Beneficiary Advocacy Service (BAS) says Labour is offering a better deal for lower income New Zealanders.
BAS spokeswoman Claire Gray said increasing benefit payments, which Labour had promised, was more important than cutting tax.
"There’s some very harsh punitive measures taken against beneficiaries at the moment, and it’s making their lives very, very difficult."
She said former Greens co-leader Meteria Turei’s admission that she wrongly claimed a benefit while at university had given beneficiaries hope, but "that was pretty much smashed" when she was forced to resign as leader.
Gray said a Labour coalition offered the best outcome for beneficiaries. She was concerned that some beneficiaries were not receiving their full entitlements.
Watch or read more from Claire Gray here: