Getting people into the right job, at the right time, right from the start

Hon David Benson-Pope
Minister for Social Development and Employment
Member of Parliament for Dunedin South

27 April 2006
For Immediate Release

Comprehensive employment help will be available to all Work and Income clients regardless of their benefit type under a new case management approach launched today by Social Development and Employment Minister David Benson-Pope.

Mr Benson-Pope says the Government is committed to a modern responsive social support system that actively encourages people into work, while ensuring that those who can't work receive appropriate financial and social support. By 2007 Working for Families will be delivering $1.6 billion of tax relief and social assistance to around 350,000 families each year, ensuring that people are better off in work.

He says today's announcement builds on this by reshaping Work and Income services to provide comprehensive employment help to all clients regardless of their benefit category, so more New Zealanders are able to take advantage of the rewards offered by employment.

"All New Zealanders should have the opportunity to have quality jobs that contribute to New Zealand's economic growth and that provide stability and security for themselves and their families. Our on-going reform of the welfare system is actively supporting more people into work," said Mr Benson-Pope.

"Under Labour 117,000 fewer people are reliant on a benefit today than when we took office, a drop in the number of beneficiaries of nearly 30 percent. These results have been achieved by opening up real opportunities - not by impoverishing beneficiaries or placing them in make work schemes.

"From May 2006, all new Work and Income clients will be case managed differently to improve the focus on getting people into the right job at the right time, right from the start. The starting point will be what a person can do rather than what benefit they are entitled to.

"While there will always be a group of people for whom work is not an option, most people on benefit want to, and with the right support, are able to work. Reshaping Work and Income services to recognise and encourage this will help more people into work," said Mr Benson-Pope.

"The pilots we ran showed that up to 20 percent of clients who get a non-unemployment related benefit (Domestic Purposes, Sickness or Invalid's Benefit) were identified as being able to work now, be it part time or full time. This showed that offering employment services primarily to unemployment benefit clients was missing a group of other clients willing and able to work, who would benefit from greater access to employment services," said Mr Benson-Pope.

Mr Benson-Pope says policy work continues on reforming the social support system to replace the seven main benefits with a simplified benefit system. The details of the new and simplified benefit structure, including its name, will be the subject of Cabinet decisions later in the year. Legislation was likely to be introduced by the end of this year, with the remaining elements being introduced in 2007.

Media Contact: Pete Coleman (Press Secretary) 04 471 9685 or 021 811 003.