Displaying 1 - 24 of 104 results.

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.”

  • Paula Bennett
  • Housing
  • Social Development

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.

  • Paula Bennett
  • Housing
  • Social Development

The National Government is providing significant extra funds for extended family members caring for children, in recognition of the difficult job they do. 

Around 12,400 children are cared for by extended family and other carers.

“Some of these children have suffered abuse or neglect or the death of a parent and other family members who step in often find it both emotionally and financially challenging.

“I said this Government was committed to providing more support to grandparents and family carers and today I am announcing that support.”

  • Paula Bennett
  • Social Development

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.

  • Paula Bennett
  • Housing
  • Social Development

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.

  • Paula Bennett
  • Housing
  • Social Development

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.

  • Paula Bennett
  • Housing
  • Social Development

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.

  • Paula Bennett
  • Housing
  • Social Development

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.”

  • Paula Bennett
  • Housing
  • Social Development

Social Development Minister Paula Bennett says investing in teenagers and teen parents will pay dividends as they grow up better equipped for life.

“I’m particularly passionate about helping teen parents. They have a tough few years ahead of them and need all the help we can give.”

“We have a responsibility to be clear on our expectations of them and support them into adulthood,” says Mrs Bennett.

  • Paula Bennett
  • Social Development

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.”

  • Paula Bennett
  • Housing
  • Social Development

Social Development Minister Paula Bennett says the new Work Focused Case Management approach is yielding real results for beneficiaries.

Intensive one-to-one support from an assigned case manager has been offered to more than 83,000 people so far.

“Since introducing this in July, 7,103 people have gone off welfare into work through this approach,” says Mrs Bennett.

In total since reforms were implemented in July, more than 13,000 sole parents and Jobseekers have gone off welfare, into work.

  • Paula Bennett
  • Social Development

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.”

  • Paula Bennett
  • Housing
  • Social Development

Social Development Minister Paula Bennett has presented awards to eleven foster families tonight at Government House in Wellington.

“These awards recognise the selfless commitment foster carers make to children in care who desperately need a stable home,” says Mrs Bennett.

“On behalf of all New Zealanders, I thank these outstanding foster parents for supporting these children, keeping them safe and giving them a better future.”

  • Paula Bennett
  • Social Development

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.”

  • Paula Bennett
  • Housing
  • Social Development

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.”

  • Paula Bennett
  • Housing
  • Social Development

By blundering into an emerging sex abuse case, Labour MP Sue Moroney is likely to create more damage.

“Sadly she has put her desperation to grab a headline ahead of the children at the centre of this,” says Social Development Minister Paula Bennett.

The Kaitaia community is dealing with an extremely traumatic incident as sex abuse charges have been laid against a man who gained access to children.

Moroney has today claimed a change in policy is related to this incident by allowing sole charge supervision in this after school programme.

  • Paula Bennett
  • Social Development

The number of people on benefits in New Zealand has fallen consistently for three quarters says Social Development Minister Paula Bennett.

Today’s data release shows benefits fell to 304,394 in the September quarter.

“A year ago there were almost 321,000 New Zealanders on benefits; that fell by 16,548 since September 2012, and by 5,388 in just the last quarter.”

The number of people on Sole Parent Support fell by more than 3,000 in the last quarter and there are at least 2,000 fewer people on Jobseeker Support.

  • Paula Bennett
  • Social Development

More than 700 beneficiaries have sought out and landed jobs despite having no requirement to work since the new Work Bonus became available.

“We introduced a work bonus as an incentive to help people move off a benefit and onto a wage,” says Social Development Minister Paula Bennett.

The government is making a difference through a modernised welfare system by setting expectations, incentives and support to work.

  • Paula Bennett
  • Social Development

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.”

  • Paula Bennett
  • Housing
  • Social Development

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.”

  • Paula Bennett
  • Housing
  • Social Development

Social Development Minister Paula Bennett has welcomed the latest actuarial valuation of the welfare system, which confirms policies are well-targeted.

The June 2012 valuation shows the current lifetime liability [1] is $86.8 billion.

Leaving aside the effect of interest rates adding $13.4 billion, we have actively reduced the liability by $3 billion due to fewer people being on benefit. 

  • Paula Bennett
  • Social Development

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.”

  • Paula Bennett
  • Housing
  • Social Development

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.”

  • Paula Bennett
  • Housing
  • Social Development

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.

  • Paula Bennett
  • Housing
  • Social Development