I had absolutely no idea that DPB was available when I got pregnant at just 20 years old. So I worked my butt off doing around 60 hours per week to save money until I could work again but eventually had to resort to it when my son was 2 months old, and after discovering that there was help. I never deliberately had a child to go on the DPB and this is the most ridiculous thing in the paper today!

Hi there i agree with the comment below, getting rid of the DPB is not going to eliminate any of the issues. All it will do is place families in a worse of situation than before there will be families living on the streets, more overcrowded homes and less educated children for the next generation to come, and is it not a mothers right or obligation to the development of that child to stay home at least for the first three years to give that child all the bennifits of life??? My suggestion is more education in the schools, maybe a young mum course takes solo teenage mothers into the schools to educate young woman things like that will be more bennifical to our people rather than oppressing them more like the Treaty it will just create more seperation and oppression to the people of NZ and it will have an effect that will carry through generations i think this Western society needs to re think some of their stratigies i mean come on could the dominate ellite raise their families with no finacial suppot, and this will also have a huge effect on solo mums trying to study and create a life for their children. It will no longer be possible!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

axing the dpb will not prevent pregnancy, fathers doing a disappearing act, or marriages breaking up. it is the mothers and children that will be disadvantaged and not the fathers who in certain situations will take the easy road and disappear rather than take responsibility. also what about marriages breaking up? where does that leave the mothers and children of broken marriages? there are other situations that need to be taken into account such as abuse, prison, etc. there are always situations that are out of our control, especially pregnancy. this could easily become a human rights issue. i think this report was not thoroughly researched.

NZ society still has a long way to go to properly accommodate working mothers. Yes, it is the responsibility of individuals to provide for themselves, their families and their dependents, while also recognizing that government must respond to those who require assistance and compassion.

The interests of large businesses and chief executives may be willing to let single parents and children live in hard poverty. But I'm not. Education, not welfare cutting.

This is absolutely ridiculous. Whether people like it or not, a chunk of our tax dollars are always going to go towards helping other people. Welcome to a modern, civilised society. Get over it!

It's a disgusting simplification to suggest Maori women can be deterred from having children by taking away the DPB. That's almost as bad as claiming prison acts as a deterrent for crime.

Do people honestly believe it's a case of "oh, damn, we're behind on the rent. Honey, we need to have another kid to cover next month's bills"?

Instead of suggesting excuses to get out of paying welfare to various groups of people, why don't we hear some suggestions for getting those groups of people out of poverty, so they don't have to rely on welfare in the first place? Hey, we could sort out some of our crime problems at the same time!

A nations greatness is measured by the individual achievment of its people as a whole.

I'm a middle income earner living a very very middle income lifestyle and I pay my dues to society in the form of a waking great tax bill along with a lot of other middle income NZers. I don't begrudge paying for the elderly and the retired; they have done their bit for this country, but there are too many freeloaders out there and we make it too easy for them. And yes, once again Maori are doing there bit top the statistics. If you find it embarrassing then do something about it but don't keep holding your hand out and asking for more .........

Every one has a choice. Some choose different than others. I'm 6th of 8 kids, born to lower socioeconomic, abusive and alcoholic et al... parents. I chose a different path than they chose. We all have a choice irrelevant of where we "come from". We do have a choice as to where and how we progress. I do not buy into racial, situational or generational victimisation and poverty. We all have a choice to change.

To Steve

Just remember on whose Confiscated lands this country has become wealthy on. Its easy to talk about all the opportunities that Māori get but look around you, if you are Pākeha you live in your system which by default is a privilage you take for granted. Māori and others have to adapt in a world of white privilage, eg In politics Māori have no choice but to take what is dished out to them eg the Seabed and Foreshore law and numerous council bylaws. Māori have 2 tv channels that they fought tooth and nail for, non Māori have the rest of them. The same goes for other forms of media. The print media are in the whole owned and controlled by non Māori. To say that Māori woman go on the DPB out of concious choice is wrong in my view, lets face it! try bringing up a family on your own with the amount of money paid from the DPB and you will soon see how hard it is. I know I will probably get a few nasty letters for this but thats fine. I agree with Ghandi we need to look after those most vulnerable in our society not send them out on the streets with nothing.

Moki