Health Governance – Māori maternal mental health at greater risk as fuel support package falls short, warns Hine ki te Wheiao

At a time when suicide remains the leading cause of maternal death in Aotearoa, Hine ki te Wheiao, a Māori maternal mental health advocacy group, is warning that sustained cost-of-living pressure is likely to further harm the mental health of young parents. The group says this week’s Government fuel cost support package fails to account for the realities facing many low-income whānau and falls short for those most in need of support.

The Government announced an extra $50 a week from 7 April for about 143,000 working families with children through a temporary boost to the In-Work Tax Credit, which excludes many families receiving benefits. The group says the package will increase pressure on māmā already struggling with rising living costs, and that the cost of living crisis cannot be separated from worsening mental health distress, isolation, and suicide risk for young parents.

Katerina Te Tai, member of Hine ki te Wheiao and young māmā, said: “Young māmā trying to upskill themselves, secure and attend job interviews, get their kids to school and improve their mental health costs money. Sometimes it feels like the system asks us to do better, but then puts more barriers like this in front of us.”

Hine ki te Wheiao warns that as we approach Winter months, the impacts of this week’s announcement will be felt quickly by tamariki as transport costs increase to access doctors and emergency care. For some, higher fuel costs will mean skipped appointments, more loneliness and isolation, and more stress at home. For whānau living in cars, fuel is also part of keeping safe and sheltered. The rōpū is especially concerned about what this means for access to healthcare in pregnancy and early parenting.

Aroha Tutaki- Harris, midwife and member of Hine ki te Wheiao, said: “I’m seeing more hapū māmā delay or miss appointments. That can mean missing midwife appointments, scans, GP visits, counselling, or other support because they simply cannot afford to get there. Hapū māmā or parents with young tamariki do not stop needing healthcare just because they are not in paid work.”

Hine ki te Wheiao is calling on the Government to go back to the drawing board and deliver transport support that reflects the realities of all low-income whānau, including young parents receiving benefits.

“The cost of living crisis is the mental health crisis,” Katerina Te Tai says. “If the Government is serious about the wellbeing of all New Zealanders, then people with lived experience of the realities and harms of these policies need to be at the decision-making table.”

The group is calling for fuel and cost of living support to be extended beyond those in paid employment, for benefits to rise in line with the real cost of living, and for greater investment in kaupapa Māori solutions that strengthen whānau wellbeing, connection, and resilience.