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Social Development Minister Paula Bennett is delighted over 62,700 people went off benefit and into work in the first nine months of 2013 alone.

“It’s not easy taking the plunge into work, but we’re seeing an average of over 7,000 people a month going off welfare into work,” Mrs Bennett said.

“People are stepping up and building better futures, and it’s important we recognise just how significant the move off welfare is for them and their families.”

Break-Away holiday programmes are offering thousands of children from high needs communities a fun and busy break over the school holidays.  

Break-Away programmes run during the Christmas and Easter holidays, and are delivered by community organisations with support from MSD.

“Since this Government introduced the Break-Away initiative in 2009, almost 95,000 school children from the Far North to Southland have taken part,” Mrs Bennett said.

A group of 20 young people in care will be recognised today at the William Wallace Awards, jointly hosted by Prime Minister John Key and Social Development Minister Paula Bennett.

The Awards are an annual event celebrating young people in foster care who’ve excelled across a range of areas, including academically, in music, art, and sport, and as role models in their communities.

“These young people have all overcome extremely difficult starts to life, and have shown huge determination and courage to get to where they are now,” Mrs Bennett said.

Social Development Minister Paula Bennett is welcoming public submissions on the Vulnerable Children Bill to be heard from next week.

“The ten-year Children’s Action Plan and Vulnerable Children legislation is the most important work I have done as Minister and New Zealanders continue to have a vital role in shaping this,” says Mrs Bennett.

Work opportunities continue to open up for beneficiaries thanks to strong relationships between Work and Income and employers.

Social Development Minister Paula Bennett was pleased to help open Countdown Lincoln Road in Henderson today, where 44 new jobs have been created – 14 filled by Work and Income clients.

“Work and Income have been incredibly active in the lead up to the new supermarket opening, establishing contact with Countdown and letting them know beneficiaries were ready and waiting to get hired,” Mrs Bennett said.

Figures released by Social Development Minister Paula Bennett illustrate the benefits of going from welfare to work, factoring in tax credits for families.

“On average around 1,500 people a week, move off welfare into work which brings pride to individuals and families and is financially beneficial.”

An average sole parent with two children under thirteen, living in South Auckland would receive around $642 on benefit, including accommodation supplement and a minimal extra allowance for costs.

Social Development Minister Paula Bennett says the Ministry of Social Development is well on track to deliver social housing reforms next year.

“From April next year, MSD’s Work and Income will assess and manage the social housing needs of low income New Zealanders,” says Mrs Bennett.

“It makes sense for Work and Income to take on this role, with offices around the country and staff who are familiar with individuals and families in need.”

Social Development Minister Paula Bennett has been leading a project to set up supported flatting arrangements for teenagers.

“There are teenagers living away from home for a variety of reasons.Many face real challenges and lack the support they need to thrive,” says Mrs Bennett.

Teenagers can be at-risk living independently without good support and safe, appropriate accommodation.

“I’ve been investigating options to provide supported flats that allow teens to live independently, but in a safe place and with support close by.”

Social Development Minister Paula Bennett has challenged Labour to explain its plan to axe the Families Commission.

“Labour says it would need to ‘axe’ the Families Commission so it can carry out its ‘poverty plan’ which is clearly limited to simply counting poverty.”

“The Commission has gone through significant change since her colleague Rajen Prasad was commissioner and is now doing meaningful work.”

An agreement between CYF and Tainui marks a new understanding and connection between the two says Social Development Minister Paula Bennett.

The Memorandum of Understanding was signed in Waikato today.

“This is the third agreement to be signed with iwi and is a significant step forward,” says Mrs Bennett.

“A new working relationship will focus on protecting children, using iwi networks to proactively support whānau in need.”

Changes to the benefit system for young people are seeing more in education, training and attending vital parenting and budgeting courses.

“Welfare reform started with young people, for good reason – a recent report found young people who go on benefit, then spend an average 19 years on benefit,” says Social Development Minister Paula Bennett.

“We now require all beneficiary 16 and 17 year olds and teen parents to be in education or training so they have a better chance at getting a decent job.”

The Families Commission’s new Social Policy and Evaluation Research Unit (SuPERU) will manage the Growing Up in New Zealand study from today.

Social Development Minister Paula Bennett welcomed the transfer of the longitudinal study from the Ministry of Social Development to SuPERU.

“This is a pleasing development and means the study will now benefit from the academic rigour of the SuPERU and its focus on delivering greater transparency and value for money.”

Whangarei’s Children’s Team goes live today, a milestone welcomed by Social Development Minister Paula Bennett.

“Children’s Teams are a new, community-driven way of engaging with and supporting vulnerable children and families,” Mrs Bennett said.

“I’ve visited Whangarei several times in recent months and am impressed with how enthusiastic and committed the community is to making a difference for their children.”

Social Development Minister Paula Bennett has joined in celebrations with social workers in Wellington today to mark National Social Workers Day.

“Social work is an incredibly demanding and difficult area, and social workers do a superb job supporting vulnerable children and families,” Mrs Bennett said.

“I also want to acknowledge and thank all social workers who work with district health boards, schools, non-government organisations, and other organisations. Their contributions are significant.”

Outstanding arrest warrants are being cleared through a policy to sanction beneficiaries who are on the run from Police.

Social Development Minister Paula Bennett says this imaginative policy has already seen 161 arrest warrants cleared within six weeks of operation.

“Arrest warrants don’t just go away by themselves; they have to be dealt with and by prompting action through the benefit system, that’s happening faster.”

The Government has finalised a whiteware purchasing agreement which will provide a good deal for both beneficiaries and taxpayers.

“In this year’s Budget I announced we would work to get better value for beneficiaries and taxpayers in the way we help people purchase fridges, freezers and washing machines,” Social Development Minister Paula Bennett said.

Hardship grants are available to beneficiaries and people on low incomes to purchase whiteware products. These grants have to be repaid.

Social Development Minister Paula Bennett was delighted to get unanimous support from Parliament for the Vulnerable Children Bill at first reading.

“This legislation is part of the wider Children’s Action Plan, with more than 30 initiatives to prevent child abuse and improve the lives of our most vulnerable children,” says Mrs Bennett.

“I’ve deliberately kept politics out of this and I’m delighted Opposition parties have found a way to support this work in exactly the same vein.”

The Government is considering options contained in an independent report to strengthen the Child, Youth and Family complaints process.

Social Development Minister Paula Bennett has asked officials to investigate a recommendation to expand the capability of the Children’s Commissioner to assume a greater independent monitoring role of CYF.

“I commissioned an independent report to investigate whether any changes to the complaints system are needed to ensure independence.

Changes to the living alone payment coming into effect today will ensure better support for superannuitants and veterans’ pensioners who live alone.

When a superannuitant or veterans’ pensioner suffers the loss of a spouse or partner and now lives alone, they are entitled to the living alone payment to help with the costs of running their household.

“We know it’s tougher living alone when you can no longer share basic household costs like groceries or the power bill,” Social Development Minister Paula Bennett said.

A mobile app designed to encourage young fathers to interact with their children has been launched today by Social Development Minister Paula Bennett.

The ‘Peekaboo’ app, developed by Plunket, Vodafone and the Ministry of Social Development, is available in English and Te Reo and will be free for download from both the Apple and Android stores from September 1.

“Launched to coincide with Father’s Day, the app is a homegrown, educational tool that brings parents and their young children together,” Mrs Bennett said.

Thousands of New Zealanders have come off welfare and into work thanks to the Government’s Job Streams wage subsidy employment package.

“Introduced a year ago, Job Streams offers beneficiaries a flexible pathway into work through two distinct initiatives - Flexi-Wage subsidies and Skills for Industry training programmes,” Social Development Minister Paula Bennett said.

“The simple, work-targeted focus is making a real difference for Jobseekers.”

Hundreds of beneficiaries are taking up the new work bonus payment by leaving welfare to take up work opportunities.

Social Development Minister Paula Bennett says this incentive payment is for beneficiaries who go into work despite having no work expectation on them.

It means instead of the benefit simply stopping, it is phased out incrementally so people keep a proportion of it as they transition to a wage.

“In the last two weeks of July alone, 239 people took advantage of the work bonus payment as they proactively found jobs,” says Mrs Bennett.

Social Development Minister Paula Bennett has announced measures to better support children as they move out of State care and into independence.

“While on my U.S Eisenhower fellowship, I was impressed with savings accounts set up for children in care and saw an opportunity with KiwiSaver.”

“New Zealand children in care generally don’t have family who can sign them up to Kiwisaver, but being enrolled will help them later in life and send a message that their future matters,” says Mrs Bennett.

Taking a lead role for sexual violence services, Minister Bennett is working with a range of government agencies on a review of funding and services.

“The Government recognises the sector does incredibly important work for victims of sexual violence and needs funding certainty,” says Mrs Bennett.

The in-depth review into the sexual violence response sector will look at: