The Government has announced a $40 million crisis fund for voluntary and community groups.
In a pre-Budget announcement, the Government said on Wednesday it will bring forward $40 million from future budgets to help see the sector through the recession.
Social Development Minister Paula Bennett says the fund is a short term measure in difficult economic times, when demand for services like family violence help and budgeting advice is growing but charitable donations are falling.
Ms Bennett says the funding, to be included in the Budget on 28 May, is to designed to plug the gap but will not continue once the economy improves.
The Government says it plans to review the existing programme which allocates more than $400 million over four years to fully fund the sector.
The Labour Party says the Government is gutting funding to the volunteer and community group sector, despite $40 million boost.
Social development spokesperson Annette King says that means there will be no certainty beyond the funding promised on Wednesday.
However, Ms Bennett says the Government is committing exactly the same funding as the previous Labour-led goverment, but in a different way.
http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/stories/2009/05/20/1245b0509067
