Views of the Budget from Struggle Sreet

Four families describe how they make ends meet now, what they hoped for in the Budget and what they got:

GLENN AND KAREN COLLINS

The household: Glenn, 41; Karen, 36; Jessica, 11; Kaitlyn, 9; Alex, 6. Live in Birkdale, North Shore City.

Income: Glenn (a wholesaling company systems controller) and Karen (a part-time Birkdale community house coordinator) have a combined income of $68,260 before tax; $1020 a week after tax. Karen also runs a business making children's plaster characters at home and sells at markets and school fairs, but says it is "a hobby that I started for my kids, not a source of income". No Family Support.

Weekly expenditure: rent $240; food/supermarket $150; petrol, insurance and vehicle repairs (1986 Renault Fuego, 1984 Toyota van) $100; credit card interest $60; power $55; phones (landline and mobile) $30; high medical expenses because Karen, Jessica and Alex all get migraines. Other costs include dancing and swimming lessons for all three children, Guides and netball for Jessica, Brownies for Kaitlyn, touch rugby for Alex. Karen says: "I never have any left over. We don't go out for dinner. We don't go away - can't afford it. My two dreams in life are to get rid of the credit cards and to get a house."

Budget hopes: "When it comes to politicians I don't expect anything anyway. They are not providing the basics for society, so why should we expect any more out of them? On education and health they are not upholding their end of the bargain."

What they got: An extra $20.85 a week from April 2007, when they will just squeak in to qualify for a partial family support payment, unless their income has increased in the meantime. This is because Family Support rates will be raised and the income level at which they start reducing will also rise, from $20,000 to $27,000 from 2006.

MAUREEN DUNN

The household: Maureen, 41, and granddaughter Mererina, 8, in Avondale.

Income: Maureen (teacher) $27,638; child support from Inland Revenue $90 a week; total $32,318 before tax; $509.50 a week after tax. No Family Support.

Weekly expenditure: rent $200; food/supermarket $140; petrol, insurance and vehicle repairs (1988 Mitsubishi Galant) $50; interest payments $30; power $25; phone $10-$15; student loan repayments $10; clothes $10. Maureen borrowed $7000 while training as a teacher until 1999, and the amount owing rose to $9000 through interest because she was caring for Mererina fulltime until she started teaching in term 4 last year. "It's bloody hard, especially when I have to look good in front of a class, run a vehicle, pay rent, buy food. If I'm sick or she [Mererina] gets sick, it throws the whole system ... and I smoke cigarettes, which doesn't help. If anything out of the ordinary happens, we are done. I have no savings, no retirement plan."

Budget hopes: "Health, education - more money poured into those things, and more money for teachers because we are doing so much more. We are there from 7am to, some of us, 6pm."

What they got: Accommodation supplement entitlement up $24 a week in October; Family Support entitlement up $21 a week next April, $25 more a week in April 2006 and a further $8 in April 2007; plus $45 extra for the new in-work payment from April 2006. Total: $123 a week better off by April 2007.

JACKIE HENRY

The household: Jackie, 37, domestic purposes beneficiary and former gardener and landscaper, with 3-year-old twins, Brady and Chyenne. Live in Glen Eden.

Income: Total weekly $440, includes: domestic purposes benefit $256 and family support $79, accommodation benefit $87 and special benefit $18.

Expenditure: Total weekly $440, comprising rent $200, power $20 average, food/groceries $120 average, childcare $11 (three mornings a week, subsidised by $46.44), phone $4, petrol $20, loan repayments $35, nappies $30.

Budget hopes: Miss Henry had little expectation from the Budget.

"Last week I had just $3 left to make it to Thursday, when the benefit is paid."

"I've had to go to Care Waitakere for budgeting advice since the babies turned one, because things were such a struggle, although I've always budgeted anyway.

"I try to feed the twins some meat as it is good for their iron but can't always afford it. When other bills come in, I cut down on food. I try to grow my own vegetables and buy their clothes at op shops.

"I worry that if I got part-time work I'd be letting the boss down, as whenever one of the twins gets sick the other does too, maybe a day or two later."

What she will get from the Budget: $46.32 a week by April 2007 from net increase of $36.60 in family support ($18.60 from April next year) and a further increase of $9.72 childcare subsidy ($4.68 in October this year and $5.04 in October next year).

Miss Henry says the gains seem a long way off for a family struggling day by day to make ends meet, but she cannot be too disappointed because she did not expect much.

"I suppose every bit helps, but it's another year away. Who knows what will happen by then? We are struggling now."

JAMES AND LOSA LOTULELEI

The household: James, 34; Losa, 31; Viliauni, 11; Temaleki, 9; Lisieli, 4; plus Losa's parents, Moumi and Sioni Talunga. Live in Grey Lynn.

Income: James (cleaner) $21,632; Losa (also cleaner) $21,632; $652 a week after tax. Losa's parents get national super of $383.22 a week (married couple rate). No Family Support.

Weekly expenditure: rent (Housing NZ) $220 per week; food/supermarket $150; payments on van $90; petrol, insurance and van repairs $40; power $20; phone $20. Parents both work as cleaners at night while grandparents mind the children. They were on a picket line outside the Auckland University of Technology this week because AUT has switched contractors from QSE to Cleaning Plus, which has cut staffing from 22 to 16. The remaining 16 say they can't do the work of 22 people.

Budget hopes: More help for young families with children.

What they got: $55 extra Family Support next April, $25 more in April 2006 and $30 more in April 2007; plus $15 more from the In-Work Payment. Total increase by 2007: $125 a week.