7. GEORGINA BEYER (Labour) Link to this
to the Minister for Social Development and Employment
What reports, if any, has he received on the Government’s progress at moving New Zealanders off benefits and into work?
Hon DAVID BENSON-POPE (Minister for Social Development and Employment) Link to this
I am pleased to advise the House that Government policies like Working for Families and Work and Income’s new service approach are continuing to have success in assisting people to move off benefits and into work. In the year from September 2005 to September 2006 the total number of people on benefits fell by a further 10,000. This is one of the reasons why, under this Labour-led Government, we have the highest-ever levels of labour-force participation and record low levels of unemployment at 3.6 percent.
Hon DAVID BENSON-POPE Link to this
In the year to September 2006 the number of people receiving the domestic purposes benefit fell by over 5,000. This was nearly all accounted for by a drop in the number of sole parents on domestic purposes benefits, which in the year to September fell from 97,796 to 92,148.
Judith CollinsHas the Minister seen reports showing that the number of sickness and invalids beneficiaries has increased by 50 percent since his Government came to office; and, if he has, why are sickness and invalids beneficiary numbers increasing, despite his numerous employment assistance programmes?
Hon DAVID BENSON-POPE Link to this
The member will be pleased to hear that over the past 6 years more than 800,000 people have left the unemployment benefit. Of those—
Hon Dr Nick SmithHon DAVID BENSON-POPE Link to this
Wait up, ugly! Of those people, only one in 11, or 9 percent, have transferred to the sickness benefit. I also remind members that sickness and invalids benefit beneficiaries are people certified by doctors as being in need of Government support.
Heather RoyWhy, when—as the Minister states—the number of people on the domestic purposes benefit has dropped by over 5,000, or around 5.2 percent, from 2001 to 2006, have the debts owed by domestic purposes benefit beneficiaries increased by more than $15 million over this time?
Hon DAVID BENSON-POPE Link to this
I remind the member that we have a zero tolerance policy on debt fraud, but the reason for the increase in the figure, according to my advice, is that recoverable debts are also being included in that total.