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Over $4.5 million of funding has been provided to 121 community organisations in the eighth round of the Community Response Fund.

“This funding recognises the important role local social services play in the health and well being of their communities,” says Ms Bennett.

The Community Response Fund was established in 2009 and extended until mid-2012 to help community groups struggling with extra demand as a result of the recession.

The Fund has now provided $66.8 million to 1434 organisations.

The relatively flat 6.6 per cent unemployment rate in September underlines the importance of the Government continuing with strong and stable economic management, Social Development and Employment Minister Paula Bennett says.

"Unemployment peaked in 2009 and is gradually coming down. And it is good to see an extra 63,000 jobs were created in the past two years, despite challenges from the Canterbury earthquakes and the global financial crisis.

Social Development Minister Paula Bennett has received the first substantive report back on progress from Community Response Model Forums.

“I established these Forums around New Zealand with local people because I believe people know their own communities best and can make good decisions about where social service funding is most needed.”

The fourteen Forums have been established across New Zealand to engage with communities on what services work and what supports are missing.

Social Development Minister Paula Bennett today announced help for small businesses and sole traders impacted by the Rena grounding.

“We’re providing support to businesses that either can’t operate or have experienced significant loss as a result of the Rena grounding and cannot pay employees,” says Ms Bennett.

“This Rena Support Subsidy will give the worst-affected businesses, which rely on the sea and coastline, a hand to keep paying their staff.”

Social Development Minister Paula Bennett is pleased to announce another round of Break-Away School Holiday Programmes is going ahead.

“This is the third year we have run free school holiday programmes for young people who might not otherwise get the chance to attend,” says Ms Bennett.

This year $3 million in funding will provide 30,000 one-week places over the summer holidays and in April next year.

Social Development Minister Paula Bennett is delighted to announce an increase in numbers of social workers both in schools and on the frontline.

“Protecting children is an absolute priority and we need enough qualified social workers focused exclusively on children to do that,” says Ms Bennett.

“We’re answering the call from low decile schools to provide specialist support for children and we’re also boosting frontline social workers to cope with increasing notifications and findings of abuse,” says Ms Bennett.

Social Development Minister Paula Bennett welcomes the appointment of Murray Edridge as the new head of Family and Community Services.

“Mr Edridge has worked with community organisations for many years and is a well liked and highly respected leader in the sector,” says Ms Bennett.

“He has a big job ahead of him, but his experience, leadership skills and talent will stand him in good stead,” she said.

Social Development Minister Paula Bennett says the number of people on benefits remains high, though thousands still find work every month.

“Last month more than 6,700 people cancelled their benefit because they found a job and I congratulate every one of them,” says Ms Bennett.

“While total benefit numbers remain high, the Unemployment Benefit is now at its lowest since July 2009.”

At the end of September there were 55,661 unemployment beneficiaries.

Social Development Minister Paula Bennett has announced a $2.8 million boost to out of school care funding, supporting a focus on work not welfare.

“This Government is balancing greater work expectations on beneficiaries who have children, with greater support, including childcare.”

“We’re committed to removing barriers to work and providing adequate quality childcare is a vital part of that,” says Ms Bennett.

Community organisations have received more than $7 million from the Government in the seventh round of the Community Response Fund. 

“This funding acknowledges the vital role social service providers play and confirms this Government is backing them,” says Social Development Minister Paula Bennett

The Community Response Fund was originally introduced for two years, but Minister Bennett extended it in the last Budget until mid-2012.

Social Development Minister Paula Bennett says Work and Income’s youth focused seminars are getting results, but non-attendance is a real issue.

“These seminars provide opportunities for young people to connect with local employers, or take up education that will lead to a job,” says Ms Bennett.

The seminars run by Work and Income around the country are seeing young people move off benefit into jobs and training.

Social Development Minister Paula Bennett has asked Child Youth and Family to strengthen processes to respond better to school reports of abuse.

“Teachers and principals know the children they teach, they know what’s normal for each child and what’s not,” says Ms Bennett.

“I felt we could strengthen the priority process, so if teachers have genuine concerns about a child’s welfare, they get a rapid response.”

Social Development Minister Paula Bennett says the number of people on the Unemployment Benefit dropped last month, particularly among youth.

“Unemployment Benefit numbers dropped last month by 1,145 with half of the decrease due to more young people going into work,” says Ms Bennett.

“We’ve consistently kept the focus on young people and Work and Income staff have really taken that to heart and made a big difference.”

The total number of people on the Unemployment Benefit is now 55,974, the lowest it’s been since July 2009.

While the unemployment rate remains steady at 6.5%, more New Zealanders are in work this quarter says Social Development Minister Paula Bennett.

“We’re seeing a slowly strengthening and resilient labour market, with employment indicators very gradually improving.”

There are now more than 2,214,000 New Zealanders in work, with another 61,000 jobs created since 2009.

‘Some of the trends we’re seeing are more full-time jobs, more women in work, increasing wages and more hours for workers,” says Ms Bennett.

Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Minister Gerry Brownlee and Social Development and Employment Minister Paula Bennett have announced that temporary accommodation assistance is available for Cantabrians in the residential red zone.

From today Temporary Accommodation Assistance (TAA) will be available for Christchurch residents who own homes within the residential red zone.

“This will help earthquake-affected residents who’ve had to move out of their own home and have extra accommodation costs to cover,” says Mr Brownlee.

Social Development Minster Paula Bennett joined Sir Peter Gluckman, Green Paper Champions, MPs and the public in Aotea Square today to launch the Green Paper for vulnerable children.

“Too many children are being hurt, abused, neglected and badly let down but we can change this and now is time to act,” says Ms Bennett.

Social Development Minister Paula Bennett has today publicly released a progress report on Fresh Start Youth Justice reforms.

“These reforms were only implemented eight months ago, so it is early days, but we’d like to provide some transparency about how they’re going.”

So far at least 1,150 young people have been provided with one or more of the new Fresh Start programmes or new orders.

Social Development Minister Paula Bennett is pleased to welcome Janet Grossman as the new head of Work and Income.

Janet is taking up the role as Ministry of Social Development Deputy Chief Executive at a significant point in time.

“Work and Income have faced an extraordinarily big job since the 2009 recession and continue to work hard to help beneficiaries,” says Ms Bennett

“This is a big job and I’m confident Janet will quickly prove a valuable asset for Work and Income,” says Ms Bennett.

The number of New Zealanders on benefits has fallen for five months consecutively says Social Development Minister Paula Bennett.

“I’m delighted to see nearly 800 fewer people on Unemployment Benefits since May and 94% of that reduction is of young people,” says Ms Bennett.

It’s the first time that the Unemployment Benefit has decreased in the month of June for four years.

There are now 56,264 people on an Unemployment Benefit, that’s down from a high of 68,369 in January last year.

Social Development Minister Paula Bennett says community groups can now apply for the seventh round of the Community Response Fund.

“This funding is targeted at those social service providers still feeling the effects of a recession, combined with increased demand,” says Ms Bennett.

The CRF was established in May 2009 for two years to help social services deal with increased demand and cost pressures as a result of the recession. 

The total number of people on welfare dropped by 2,295 in the last month says Social Development Minister Paula Bennett.

There are currently 328,043 people on benefits in New Zealand, with 57,058 of those on an Unemployment Benefit.

“Future Focus changes and increasing business confidence have made a real difference and more people are finding work, but overall improvements are still in small increments,” says Ms Bennett.

More than 9,000 New Zealanders went off benefits and into work in May.

Government support for Cantabrian workers has now topped $200 million says Social Development and Employment Minister Paula Bennett.

“That support helped employees remain connected to their workplace and gave employers the breathing space needed to get back on their feet.”

The Government announced a support package days after February’s quake.

The first round of the Employer Support Subsidy went to 8,000 employers
for 47,000 employees.  It also supported nearly 11,000 sole traders.

Youth Affairs Minister Paula Bennett welcomes the 2011 Youth Week theme for young New Zealanders to ‘Step Up, Be Heard, and Take Responsibility’.

Youth Week runs from 21 to 29 May 2011.

“Youth Week is about young people stepping up to the challenges before them and taking responsibility for their own futures,” says Ms Bennett.

Social Development Minister Paula Bennett is delighted to announce the appointment of Dr Russell Wills as Children’s Commissioner.

Dr Wills is the Head of Paediatrics at Hawke’s Bay DHB and has a strong clinical background as well as a history of advocating for children.

He will take up the role of part time Children’s Commissioner and continue part time as a paediatrician, remaining strongly connected to the community.