A group of people the size of the population of Christchurch is in hardship – but there are ways to turn it around, a group of social service charities says. This story was originally published by RNZ The New Zealand Council of Christian Social Services (NZCCSS) has released a new report, which shows that 10.2 percent of the population is experiencing relative income poverty , and 473,000 people are experiencing material hardship. It says, among other suggestions, there should be an increase to the amount that people are allowed to earn when they are on the benefit to $350, with a higher rate for couples.