Search

It is a pleasure to be here to speak to you all.

I hope you have had a successful conference to date and that you have shared ideas, problems and solutions.

I admire the work you do in our communities. There are moments in my job when I sincerely feel the pull to be working at the grass roots level.

But we all have our roles to play and thank you for the important role you play.

They say that this is the worst time to be speaking to a conference - after lunch, before an audience with full tummies who might nod off.

Social Development Minister Paula Bennett says more than 8,000 people cancelled their benefit last month because they found work.

“More than 5,000 people who were on Unemployment Benefits around New Zealand went off welfare into work last month,” says Ms Bennett.

The number of people on Unemployment Benefits is now 53,479. This is the lowest level in the month of March since 2009.

Youth workers trained to recognise mental health issues will be put into selected secondary schools and Youth One Stop Shops as part of the National-led Government’s youth mental health package, says Social Development Minister Paula Bennett.

The package, announced today by Prime Minister John Key, will significantly improve the way the Government deals with young people who have mental health problems.

“I am delighted to be putting specially-trained youth workers into schools to work alongside nurses to help our young people,” says Ms Bennett.

Minister for Social Development Paula Bennett was saddened to hear news of the passing of Rev Dr Hone Kaa and sends her condolences to his whanau and iwi.

“Dr Kaa was a passionate New Zealander and strong community leader who will be dearly missed by all who knew him,” says Ms Bennett.

“My thoughts are with his grieving family and the wider Maori community who with Dr Kaa’s passing have lost an influential leader.”

The Social Security (Youth Support and Work Focus) Amendment Bill passed its first reading in Parliament today and will be referred to select committee.

Social Development Minister Paula Bennett says, “this is a significant step in a series of welfare reforms being introduced by this Government”.

“This Bill will deliver a more active welfare system with greater support for young people, some sole parents, widows and women alone.”

The Bill will be referred to the Social Services Select Committee.

The welfare system is failing New Zealanders.

It has created a cycle of dependency that has 12 percent of working age New Zealanders on benefits, directly affecting more than 220,000 children.

The system, I say, is failing them.

And it is out of step with today’s needs because times have changed.

Today we have teenagers on welfare who have been given a weekly sum of money and just left to get on with it.

Working for Families tax credits will increase from 1 April this year, Revenue Minister Peter Dunne announced today.

“This adjustment will assist Families who are eligible for the WFF tax credits and compensate for cost of living increases over past year”, said Mr Dunne.

“These increases will make a real difference to families for whom every cent counts,” said Social Development Minister Paula Bennett.

Social Development Minister Paula Bennett announced the annual increase in benefit payments and superannuation for more than a million Kiwis.

“We passed legislation so annual increases are linked to increases in the consumer price index and keep up with rising living costs,” says Ms Bennett.
The increase will take effect from April 1 this year.

The 2012 Annual General Adjustment will see a 1.77 percent increase to:

Social Development Minister Paula Bennett says the number of people on benefits fell by more than 21,000 in the last month.

“February saw 5,651 fewer people on Unemployment Benefits, which is a 9 percent drop,” says Ms Bennett.

There are now 56,471 people on the Unemployment Benefit and a total of 329,649 people on all benefits.

“I am particularly pleased to see nearly 3,000 fewer young people on Unemployment Benefits in February, though we still have a long way to go.”

There are now 16,400 young people on Unemployment Benefits.

Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Minister Gerry Brownlee and Social Development Minister Paula Bennett have announced a “Working InZone” programme to get unemployed Cantabrians working in the region’s residential red zone.

“Funding of more than $770,000 will support up to 100 Christchurch and North Canterbury beneficiaries to clean up, maintain and secure the properties purchased by the Government in the residential red zone,” Ms Bennett said.

E nga mana, e nga reo, e te iwi o te motu, tena koutou, tena koutou, tena koutou katoa.

Thank you for this opportunity to speak to you all. It’s great to be here.

Today I’d like to spend a bit of time talking about:

•    our current welfare system
•    welfare reform
•    what it means for people with disabilities

Our welfare system is failing you. And worse, it is failing the people you work with.
 

Social Development Minister Paula Bennett has announced funding for a clean up operation in parts of South Taranaki damaged by a weather bomb at the weekend

“Community members have already sprung into action and this measure is designed to support them,” says Ms Bennett.

Enhanced Taskforce Green will be activated to subsidise a clean up and repair crew, along with hire equipment and supervision.

“This also provides paid work for local beneficiaries who gain skills and experience as they repair damage to buildings and clear debris.”

Social Development Minister Paula Bennett thanks New Zealanders for responding to the Green Paper on Vulnerable Children and encourages continued discussion.

“A big thank you to everyone who joined me in this debate, submissions have closed but the debate goes on and that’s how it should be,” says Ms Bennett.

The Government, Green Paper Champions and Ministry of Social Development have held 68 Green Paper meetings since the Green Paper was launched in July last year.

The first stage of welfare reforms announced today build on the success of Future Focus changes says Social Development Minister Paula Bennett. 

“Just by requiring people to reapply for the Unemployment Benefit after one year, so far 12,500 have cancelled their benefit, saving $17 million.”

Of that number, more than half didn’t even complete the application and more than 3,300 had already found a job.

Social Development Minister Paula Bennett today announced that stage one of the National-led Government’s comprehensive welfare reforms will get underway next month.

Social Development Minister Paula Bennett is encouraging New Zealanders to make a submission to the Green Paper before the closing date this Tuesday 28 February.

“In the past when I have spoken about child abuse and neglect, people have looked at their feet in desperation to escape these uncomfortable topics,” says Ms Bennett.

“But the Green Paper has helped New Zealanders confront these issues and this was evident in the level of thought and care in ideas put forward at the 17 Green Paper meetings I fronted.”

Youth Affairs Minister Paula Bennett congratulates Sam Johnson, winner of the Young New Zealander of the Year award.

“This young man mobilised the Student Army to help Cantabrians clean up after the earthquakes and made a huge impression on New Zealand.”

Sam Johnson used Facebook to amass an army of 26,000 volunteers.

“He got thousands of students willingly turning up day after day with shovels and wheelbarrows ready to do whatever was necessary to help others.”

Social Development Minister Paula Bennett welcomes a joint initiative to provide work experience opportunities for young people in Auckland.

The Auckland Council, the Auckland Chamber of Commerce and the Ministry of Social Development are working together on an initiative to provide around 230 places this year.

“Work experience is vitally important for young people looking for that first job,” says Ms Bennett.

Social Development Minister Paula Bennett says a Ministerial Inquiry into a case of serious abuse of a nine year old, has led to major changes.

“Both parents responsible for the appalling litany of abuse against their nine year old child have now been found guilty and sentenced and that’s where the primary responsibility lies,” says Ms Bennett.

”But I called for a Ministerial Inquiry because it was clear multiple agencies and adults missed the abuse and we have to do things better.”

The number of people on benefits in New Zealand remained relatively steady over the last month says Social Development Minister Paula Bennett.

“Normally you would see a huge spike in benefits over January, but all benefits rose by just 100 to 351,032 in the last month,” says Ms Bennett.

This is the smallest December to January increase since 2008.

“In the last month more than 2,000 Maori went off welfare into work and more than 2,000 young people did the same,” says Ms Bennett.

Social Development Minister Paula Bennett is delighted with the response to the Green Paper both in terms of turn out and contributions.

“I have been fronting up and listening to a huge range of New Zealanders from local iwi in Whangarei to staff in the lunch room at Carter Holt Harvey, to a children's panel in the Waikato,” says Ms Bennett.

The Minister’s Green Paper tour which started in Kaitaia will end in Invercargill with meetings in 17 towns and cities including all of New Zealand’s main centres.

Social Development Minister Paula Bennett today released the Ministerial Inquiry into the abuse of a nine year old girl and other matters relating to the welfare, safety and protection of children in New Zealand.

“The Inquiry focused on a deeply saddening case of appalling abuse and also more broadly at how agencies deal with at risk families and children.”

Today this child’s mother was sentenced to seven and a half years for 25 cases of abuse against her daughter.