9. LOUISE UPSTON (National—Taupō) Link to this
to the Minister for Social Development and Employment
What is the Government doing to improve education opportunities for teenage parents?
Hon PAULA BENNETT (Minister for Social Development and Employment) Link to this
This Government will be giving young parents who want to stay in education a childcare payment of up to $180 per week to help with childcare costs, so that they can stay in education.
What programmes has the Minister seen that help young parents access education, and create opportunities for them and their children?
Hon PAULA BENNETT Link to this
I visited a number of these programmes over many years, most recently as the Minister. I can tell the member that supporting young parents to stay in education not only helps them but helps their children with their future. We are delighted to be able to continue a payment that was going to stop under Labour; we have now committed to keeping it. The reason that the payment is being announced now is that it is vitally important to those young parents so that they can make decisions about their education this year.
What is the Minister’s view on the timing of changes to the work-testing requirements of the domestic purposes benefit?
Hon PAULA BENNETT Link to this
This Government is committed to helping sole parents into work. We intend to change the work-testing rules to incentivise those parents to get a part-time job when their youngest child turns 6. However, I am committed to setting up domestic purposes beneficiaries to succeed, so we will hold off on making the changes until the economic conditions change and there are jobs for those people to be getting those sorts of opportunities.
Hon Annette KingDoes the Minister agree with John Key’s statement that people on the domestic purposes benefit have been “breeding for a business”; if so, will she require that the people he has so insultingly labelled undertake educational opportunities or be trained in another business?
Hon PAULA BENNETT Link to this
I support the comment made by John Key that young parents should be supported to stay in education. He has had a hand in making sure that these childcare payments are available. He has visited teen parent units. He backs young parents, and we certainly back him.