Access to essential services necessary for the health, wellbeing and social participation of whānau in Aotearoa should be guaranteed. An effective mechanism is needed for accessing a fair outcome where relevant telecommunications services would instead put a whānau at risk of hardship. FinCap welcomes the opportunity...
We welcome the opportunity to give feedback to the omnibus Child Support (Pass On) Amendment Bill (The Bill). FinCap strongly supports the changes to the child support system which will see child support going directly to the parent on a sole parent benefit from 1...
No child should have to go without essentials because government departments are creating and collecting debt that was always going to be unaffordable. Debt to government is creating distrust and harm for whānau that are trying to engage with the systems that are meant to...
Electricity is an essential service that supports the health, well-being and social participation of whānau across Aotearoa. It is very important that the regulator of these essential electricity services, as well as the public, have visibility as to the systemic issues surrounding whānau having difficulty paying...
FinCap welcomes the opportunity to comment on the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) Draft Credit Contracts and Consumer Finance (Buy Now Pay Later) Amendment Regulations 2022 (Draft Regulations). Loopholes for buy now pay later lenders have been financial mentors’ most regularly noted consumer...
FinCap welcomes the opportunity to comment on the Water Services Economic Efficiency and Consumer Protection Bill (the Bill). We support financial mentors across Aotearoa in their work towards assisting whānau who are facing financial difficulty. Water services are essential to the health, wellbeing and social...
All in Aotearoa should have ongoing full access to safe, affordable and reliable water services. For some whānau, no matter what the price is, any charge for this essential service will be unaffordable. To achieve the goals of this reform, legislation should embed from the...
Across Aotearoa over 600 dedicated financial mentors are walking alongside whānau every day, as they navigate a pathway toward financial well-being. As highlighted in the Budget Policy Statement, having an income that can meet the needs of a whānau is a key factor in the...
Parents, children, carers and whānau members should be able to participate fully in their communities to increase the prosperity of whānau and the wider community. The public management system needs to truly work for whānau in Aotearoa. No tamariki should have to go without essentials...
Whānau should not be facing significant harm from of high-pressure sales where commissions mean salespeople are incentivised to provide expensive products or services of little or no value. Such practices should be prohibited to prevent price discrimination that worsens the situation of whānau who are...