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More than 6450 people went off welfare into work in Waikato last year.

Social Development Minister Paula Bennett says the number of people on Unemployment Benefits in the region dropped 3.5 percent to 3699 in 2012.

“The job market has been patchy since the global recession, but Work and Income staff have worked hard to get people into jobs.”

The Future Build Programme run in partnership with Wintec, the Building and Construction Industry Training Organisation and local employers, helped 19 Waikato beneficiaries into jobs.

More than 4800 people went off welfare to take up jobs in Work and Income’s Central region over the last year.

The Central Region covers Kapiti, Horowhenua, Wairarapa, Tararua and the Manawatu.

Social Development Minister Paula Bennett says the number of people on Unemployment Benefits in the region dropped by 7.8 percent over the year in 2012, down to 3,765.

The Crown today signed a Social Development Accord with Te Hiku o Te Ika as part of the iwi Treaty Settlement.

Social Development Minister Paula Bennett says this Accord commits the Crown and government agencies to work with Te Hiku to improve social outcomes for the iwi hapū and whanau.

The Ministry of Social Development is the responsible agency for implementing the Accord which was signed by Prime Minister John Key.

“Ten Government agencies will be working alongside Te Hiku to determine what intervention is needed before doing the work together.”

Social Development Minister Paula Bennett has acknowledged Carl Davidson’s contribution to families as Chief Families Commissioner.

Carl Davidson steps down from the position he has held since August 2010 to focus on his own family and work in Christchurch.

Mrs Bennett says Carl Davidson has done an outstanding job as Chief Families Commissioner, bringing a level of professionalism to the organisation and elevating its role publicly.

“I thank him for his valuable contribution and wish him well in the future.”

Social Development Minister Paula Bennett is delighted young people have given the go-ahead for 49 youth programmes around the country.

“I decided young people themselves should consider applications for programmes aimed at their peers and recommend which should receive funding.”

“The panels of young people have made really good decisions to support initiatives to develop leadership skills and community engagement.”

A further 80 schools will be covered by the expansion of Social Workers in Schools (SWiS) when students return to classrooms from this week.

Social Development Minister Paula Bennett announced the expansion of SWiS to all decile 1-3 schools last year, with coverage planned to increase from 285 to 673 schools.

There will be 35 new full time social workers starting the 2013 school year at primary schools in Kaipara, Greater Auckland and the South Island.

Social Development Minister Paula Bennett says while Labour rehashes its own underwhelming policies from last year, the Government continues to make a real difference.

“Labour is a bit late with its scheme to effectively pay the Unemployment Benefit to employers to take on beneficiaries, when the National Government has been helping beneficiaries into work through job subsidies for years.”

The new flexible, business-focused Job Streams was announced last June and prior to that there was Job Opportunities and Community Max.

The number of people on benefits in New Zealand is the lowest it’s been at the end of a December quarter since 2008.

Social Development Minister Paula Bennett says the number of people on benefits decreased by nearly 12,000 in the last twelve months.

“But with 339,095 people on benefit in New Zealand, there is much more work to do.”

“We are very much in a transitional phase with the first stage of Welfare Reform currently being implemented and the second stage yet to begin,” says Mrs Bennett.