5. NICKY WAGNER (National) Link to this
to the Minister for Social Development and Employment
How is her ministry responding to support the Christchurch recovery following last month’s earthquake?
Hon PAULA BENNETT (Minister for Social Development and Employment) Link to this
Very quickly. We have already helped over 85,000 people with financial assistance totalling about $85 million.
Hon PAULA BENNETT Link to this
The earthquake support subsidy has been used by 7,825 businesses. Some have already opted out, so the next group of payments may not be for the full 3 weeks. I encourage businesses that do not need it to voluntarily opt out so there is support for those that do.
Darien FentonIs she concerned about the hundreds of cleaners in Christchurch offices and schools, and the caregivers in aged-care facilities, who have been unable to access their workplaces but who are excluded from job-loss cover because they were employed by multinational or national companies?
Hon PAULA BENNETT Link to this
Yes. We have tried to make exceptions for some of those cases. If the member would like to raise them with me, I would be more than happy to look at them in more detail to see whether we can do something.
Why is the wage subsidy not available in cases where the employer can offer work, but the workers cannot attend, due to the need to support their families and where workers have genuine reasons for their absence?
Hon PAULA BENNETT Link to this
There are exceptions where it is available, but, to be honest, as part of the recovery, those who can work need to. I understand that some people are struggling with that; as a consequence, a lot of them are receiving payments from the Ministry of Civil Defence and Emergency Management. Those payments have totalled well over $12 million to date, and they are still available. We figure that there is other assistance for those who are unable to get to work. Schools being back up, like they are, should make a difference as well. But we have a bit available for exceptions and exceptional cases.