Parents of Autistic children often face increased caregiving demands that may limit their ability to participate in paid work. Previous studies, mainly from the United States and Australia, show large income penalties for mothers but are based on small samples and cross-sectional designs. There is little national evidence on the long-term economic impacts of autism for families in New Zealand or on how these effects are shared between mothers and fathers. This study uses linked administrative data to provide the first population-level longitudinal evidence on the financial consequences of raising an Autistic child in New Zealand.
Using the Integrated Data Infrastructure (IDI), the study followed over 170,000 families with first-born children between 2002 and 2012, comparing parents of Autistic and non-Autistic children from two years before to eight years after birth. Mothers of Autistic children experienced large and growing income losses, reaching around NZ$12,900 per year by eight years post-birth. Fathers’ earnings also declined, by about NZ$5,800 per year. While families received modestly higher welfare payments, these did not offset the loss of labour income. Overall, total household income was approximately NZ$10,800 lower per year than for comparable families.
Families raising Autistic children face substantial and enduring income penalties, increasing their risk of financial hardship. Policies that expand access to flexible and secure employment, adequate financial supports, and quality disability and respite services are critical to reducing these inequalities. Supporting parents to sustain employment while meeting their children’s needs promotes both gender equity and family wellbeing.