Sepuloni not ruling out benefit increase
From Newshub;
The Social Development Minister isn’t ruling out an increase to benefits on the back of new figures showing 15,000 more people are on a benefit than at the end of 2018.
The December 2019 quarter figures reveal 314,408 people are on some form of main benefit, including Jobseeker Support, Sole Parent Support and Supported Living Payments.
That’s up 5 percent on a year earlier. The figures show 10.5 percent of the working-age population is receiving a main benefit, up 0.4 percent since 2018, but down from 11.2 percent on 2014.
The number of people on a Jobseeker Support benefit has risen 10 percent, or 13,416 people, since December 2018. Unemployment is currently at a low 4.2 percent.
Special needs grants, which includes emergency housing grants, are also up.
Social Development Minister Carmel Sepuloni said 19,000 people came off the benefit in the last few months and her Government was committed to helping any New Zealander who needs it.
She also said housing grants were rising when the Government came into power due to increasing prices and that was being addressed by the construction of new public homes.
“I want to ensure that people are able to access their full and correct entitlements and that’s what you’re seeing here. We are stabilising people’s situations, putting a roof over their heads, meeting their immediate needs so they can focus on getting into work,” she said.
“At any given time, we have many families, often with high needs and complex situations that are waiting for public housing. This is why the Government has already delivered 3830 public housing places with another 1800 places under construction this financial year.”
Speaking to reporters on Thursday, Sepuloni wouldn’t rule out increasing the benefit at the next election, saying the Government was committed to “income adequacy”.
“We have been focused on income adequacy right from the beginning and the Families Package was the first signal of that. Is there more to do in terms of addressing income adequacy? Absolutely.
“I am not committing to any individual initiative here, I am just saying there is a commitment to addressing income adequacy.”
The Families Package was implemented in July 2018 and launched, among other things, the Winter Energy Payment, which helps with the cost of heating over the winter months, and increasing the Working for Families tax credits.
ACT Party Leader David Seymour said the fact there were nearly 25,000 more people on the benefit than two years ago was disappointing.
“If 25,000 more people on welfare is Labour’s idea of a good economy, we’d hate to see what a downturn looks like,” he said.
“Labour must take a stronger line on welfare. If beneficiaries can work, they should work. People must not be allowed to remain on the welfare scrap heap.”
National’s social development spokesperson, Louise Upston, said part of the problem was fewer meetings between clients and case managers.
“How can Ms Sepuloni be committed to getting Kiwis into ‘meaningful, sustainable work’ when her department can’t even meet with them?
“Part of the problem is the Government’s policies are driving up the cost of living, which means case managers have to devote more time to giving out hardship grants to help struggling Kiwis put food on the table and a roof over their head rather than working on long-term solutions to get them back on their feet.
The minister said that in the last Budget, the Government committed to employing 263 case managers at the Ministry of Social Development focused on getting people into work.
“Between July and November last year, MSD recruited 170 of those and 93 more will be recruited this year to ensure more people are upskilled and trained and helped into work,” she said.
She said on Thursday that she wasn’t interested in people coming off the benefit for the sake of it.
FFS, Last year was Socialist Cindy’s YEAR OF DELIVERY.
What exactly have they delivered?
Higher Unemployment
Higher housing needs. Higher rents.
Higher numbers of citizens dependent on the taxpayers.
Higher number of potential criminals by their stupid gun law changes.
Labour diligently growing its voter base.
So benefits increase and so does the cost of living. No matter what the benefits rise to it will never be enough for those with their hands out. I hate this col and hope this is the last part of a year they drag this country down.
It’s too easy to opt out if you are inclined to take advantage of taxpayer funding.
I’d like to know, can we keep paying for all this shit and into the future..?
Chain those slaves to the yoke Labour. Stockholm syndrome will get you through.
Carmel Sepulono is actually quite a nice lady.
I got a nice email from her.
But she really does not understand her portfoliio.
She says the the reason there are more unemployed is that the population is growing.
And that there is a bit of softness in some areas. (Yet Robertson says the economy is doing well)
Eg retail and manufacturing (and now wood processing)
Yet in the next sentence she says that the unemployment rate is very low.
How can she be nice when this same person let her mother RIP off the system with no consequences. Nice people go out to work and put food and a roof over their families heads, not go out and steal off the hand that feeds them.
13,000 more unemployed in their first year
And now another 13,000 this year.
Quite a good record.
What we really need to know is more aobut those 100,000
How many have been unemployed for say 6 months
How many have been unemployed for say 2 years
How many are gang members
How many go to job interviews
Why can’t they get low skilled jobs say at Countdown when everyone from India can get a job there.
Cotton On workers/union lobbying hard for Living Wage.
Cotton On announces closure of two outlets.
Coincidence – I don’t think so.
It seems that Trump is looking to spend some of his political credibility, and do the right things.
….. Trump called tackling entitlement spending “the easiest of all things” and suggested higher economic growth would make it easier to reduce spending on the programs. ……
…… Perhaps a president who doesn’t care about the public’s reaction or Democratic sniping will be able to start the long process of reform. Is Trump that president?
As unpredictable as he is he may well be.
https://pjmedia.com/trending/trump-may-consider-entitlement-cuts-in-second-term/
First he as to win the Presidency, and it seems he may be fronting and making it an election issue.
The dirty little secret of Davos 2020 is they all need Trump to be reelected: Niall Ferguson
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DKzKdpzCd74
8 minutes 10 secs. : Jan 21, 2020
The dirty secret said at 2.00
Near the end shows that Liberalism, the centre ground is struggling against the 2 choices.
Auckland flatmates fail to overturn Work and Income ruling that they are lovers, face hefty bill of $150,000
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12302994
I rang Peter Williams this morning and suggested he ask Peters his view on this case when he come on air next Tuesday.
Oooh Chuck you are very naughty….