Social Service Providers Te Pai Ora o Aotearoa says Budget 2026 has failed to deliver the direct cost-of-living relief urgently needed by whānau, children and rangatahi facing growing hardship across the country.
Chief Executive Belinda Himiona says community organisations are already seeing families under intense pressure from rising food, housing, power and fuel costs.
SSPA represents more than 270 community-based organisations working on the frontline with whānau, children and young people across Aotearoa.
Providers say the absence of direct cost-of-living support in the Budget means many families will continue making impossible choices between food, petrol, rent, school costs and basic household bills.
Rising fuel prices are also affecting the ability of community providers to deliver services, particularly in rural and regional areas where workers often travel long distances to support whānau in crisis.
Himiona says under-investing in early support will create much greater long-term costs for the country, as families pushed deeper into hardship are more likely to need intensive intervention later.
While the Budget included some investment in child safety, SSPA says the overall package falls short because it does not address the wider pressures driving family stress, poverty and instability.
Community providers are warning that without stronger investment in prevention, early intervention and whānau-centred support, more children and rangatahi will be placed at risk.
The organisation is urging the Government to listen to frontline providers and invest in services that keep families stable before crisis points are reached.
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