Good Shepherd NZGood Shepherd NZPublications & Insights
This report covers how financial barriers prevent women from leaving abusive relationships.
This report pulls together information from our client research with academic and cross-sector findings to tell a story about the financial challenges facing women when they try to leave an abusive relationship.
Good Shepherd New Zealand recently submitted on proposed changes to the Working for Families regime.
We are supportive of policy changes that help families avoid overpayment debt, if done in a way that minimises the everyday financial impact on families.
Overpayment debt is often created through no fault or malicious intent and families shouldn’t be thrown into debt because a working parent accepts a promotion, for example. However, we believe it is short-sighted to focus a review on overpayment without giving equal importance to the issue of underpayment. Given New Zealand faces an acknowledged cost-of-living crisis, and is consistently failing to meet child poverty targets, more families than ever are depending on government assistance to feed and clothe their children.
We recently submitted on an issues paper released by Council of Financial Regulators exploring the concept of basic transaction accounts as a potential mechanism to improve financial inclusion.
We are strongly supportive of work being done to improve financial inclusion for underserved customers. Many people throughout New Zealand struggle to access banking, many of whom are already vulnerable or in hardship. Through our services we see people who are forced to use family members or friends bank accounts instead of having their own.
Bank accounts are often the gateway to other financial products and services. In an increasingly digital world, lacking access to a bank account can lock people out of housing, employment, and utilities – especially when cash is no longer accepted. Access to these services is particularly important for people trying to rebuild their lives after an abusive relationship.
This paper pulls together research and data from several sources and serves as a point in time view of how different factors come together to disadvantage women in New Zealand.
The paper focuses on the key financial and economic challenges that women are facing. It shows that while there is important work being done by the community, philanthropic and government sectors, there is still significant need for change. Women continue to face worse financial outcomes and remain vulnerable to harm and hardship.
This report and its companion resources shine light on women’s experiences of economic abuse and the long-term financial and economic consequences of family violence.
Good Shepherd New Zealand seeks to raise awareness and improve understanding of economic abuse and harm from family violence.
To support these efforts, we interviewed people who experienced this form of abuse and analysed data from our services and from Women’s Refuge.
This report examines the difference we’re making for people working through financial harm and hardship.
The report analyses the experiences and perspectives of over 100 Good Shepherd clients. The results of this research show that, together with our partners, Good Shepherd is helping people navigate significant challenges and improve their financial wellbeing — and we’re on course to continue making a sustained positive impact. Thank you to our amazing clients for contributing your feedback to this research. We will use what we learn to continue improving our services.
Read what we got up to in July 2023 – June 2024. You can find out about our work and impact on the two biggest issues for women and girls in New Zealand – poverty and family violence, and the issues that stem from those.
Our Year in Review reflects on the work we’ve done to reduce harm while providing people with new opportunities. It also looks at our efforts to drive and support system change to help stop harm before it happens and reduce the impact of harm where is has occurred.
Evaluation of Good Shepherd NZ specialist Economic Harm Support Service.
Good Shepherd NZ’s specialist Economic Harm Support Service was developed and piloted for 12 months from November 2021. It aimed to:
This evaluation of the first 12 months includes qualitative and quantitative data. It includes case file data, assessment notes, monthly reports on debt levels and types of support provided and stakeholder interviews.
Read our submission advocating to ensure our clients and their financial wellbeing have been considered in the proposed Credit Contracts and Consumer Finance Act (CCCFA) buy now, pay later (BNPL) amendments.
We are concerned that the $600 threshold has only been considered from a commercial perspective, not a social or ethical one.
Most people who approach us for financial support have several BNPL accounts in use, and they are often used to purchase essential items in the short term. It creates longer-term issues when several payments become due at the same time, and the lack of affordability checks from some services leads to missed payments and subsequent penalties.
Excluding people borrowing less than $600 ensures the most vulnerable New Zealanders, who have very few alternatives to purchase essential items, have none of the protections provided to people who will be borrowing more than $600.
The convenience and value of BNPL for middle-income New Zealanders, who have alternative credit options such as mortgages, personal loans and credit cards, is based on a business model that is subsidised by people in hardship continuing to pay significant default fees.
The harm that is caused by unmanageable debt was the reason affordability assessments were strengthened by the Government in recent years, and these regulations should be extended to BNPL and other new forms of credit where harm can be caused by financial penalties being imposed on consumers.
Read what we got up to in July 2021 – June 2022 and discover how we supported more people across Aotearoa New Zealand than ever.
Our Year in Review reflects on a record volume of enquiries into our financial wellbeing programmes and the work that was prioritised to continue to grow and adapt to meet the emerging needs of the women and whānau of Aotearoa.