More than just another obstacle: health, domestic purposes beneficiaries and the transition to paid work
Abstract
The difficulties faced by sole mothers in the welfare-to-work transition are well documented, but policy researchers tend to focus on “employability” issues rather than the known relationship between poverty and poor health. This paper explores the impact of self-reported poor health on the ability of beneficiaries to seek and retain paid work. The research material is derived from a two-year study funded by the Health Research Council. In this paper we focus on the results from qualitative interviews with 120 sole mothers receiving the New Zealand Domestic Purposes Benefit. Two major findings are presented. First, poor health presents a substantial and under-appreciated barrier to a transition into sustainable paid employment for some sole mothers. Second, health is more than just another obstacle to employment when it is understood within the social context of their lived experiences and identities. The implications of these findings for policy and programme delivery, which we outline in the final section, are significant both for New Zealand and for other countries with similar social programmes.
Authors: Maureen Baker - University of Auckland, David Tippin - Ministry of Social Development
