Dimensions of poverty measurement

Abstract

In December 2012 the Office of the Children’s Commissioner produced a report on Solutions to Child Poverty in New Zealand: evidence for action (Expert Advisory Group on Solutions to Child Poverty, 2012a, 2012b). This wide-ranging report provided a detailed analysis of the causes and consequences of child poverty, as well as providing a range of policy solutions to the various dimensions of child poverty. Recommendations were not limited to just increasing the level of disposable income for poor households: the report also made policy recommendations in relation to health care, housing costs and standards, educational attainment, labour markets and local community support, plus issues of child support, the justice sector and problem debt. All of these recommendations were set in an ethnic context, with specific attention given to the particular issues pertaining to addressing poverty in Māori and Pasifika communities.