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“Around 39,000 sole parent families now have more weekly income to support their children due to the Child Support (Pass On) Acts Amendment Act,” says Social Development and Employment Minister Carmel Sepuloni.

The Government’s Apprenticeship Boost initiative has now supported 20,000 employers to help keep on and train up apprentices, Minister for Social Development and Employment Carmel Sepuloni announced in Christchurch today.

More than 110,000 people joined the paid workforce in the past year as the number of those in jobs hit a record high.

The Government’s successful Apprenticeship Boost Initiative has supported a whopping 60,000 apprentices stay in or take up an apprenticeship, since it was introduced in August 2020.

The Government is delivering certainty to displaced homeowners affected by the recent North Island extreme weather events, providing an interim payment to support them when their insurance payments for temporary accommodation run out.

The Government has today unveiled a plan to ensure greater coordination, provision of and access to support in regions affected by the extreme weather events earlier this year.

The new Children and Young People’s Commission takes effect from today, ensuring the voices and rights of children and young people are heard, with greater and more diverse representation at the table.

A suite of targeted measures and practical supports take effect from today, 1 July, to help Kiwis into work, bring down the cost of living, and put more money into the pockets of 41,500 sole parents.

A report released today by the Ministry of Social Development shows that for those receiving a Main Benefit, total incomes after housing costs are 48 percent higher than at the end of 2017 after adjusting for inflation.

Further funding is going to community organisations on the frontline who are providing food to people and whānau facing cost of living pressures.

The Government’s $6.1m investment in a new centre manufacturing prosthetics and orthotics will support over 600 amputees and nearly 3,000 people with disabilities.

Associate Minister for Social Development and Employment, Priyanca Radhakrishnan, has announced the reappointment of George Reedy as chair of Peke Waihanga – Artificial Limb Service.

A new law enabling sole parents on a benefit to receive child support payments for their tamariki was passed in Parliament today.

The Government were in the Hawke’s Bay today, ‘breaking ground’ to mark the commencement of upcoming construction on the new Building Futures Training Facility where the Jobs and Skills Hub will be co-located and will support local people into local jobs.

The Budget 2023 Flood and Cyclone recovery package will boost resilience against future extreme weather events with an investment of $100 million in flood protection.

Budget 2023 continues the Government’s year-on-year investment in initiatives to eliminate family violence and sexual violence. 

The Social Workers Registration Act has passed its first reading in Parliament tonight.  It will extend the experience pathway for social worker registration by four years, to 28 February 2028.  

New Zealanders are in paid work in record numbers and wages are outpacing inflation as the Government’s economic plan continues to deliver more jobs and growing wages to help with cost of living pressures.

Over one million New Zealanders will receive more cost of living relief from tomorrow, with the Winter Energy Payment kicking in once again for people receiving New Zealand Superannuation, a Main Benefit or Veteran’s Pension.

In the six months following the announcement of the Government’s Better Pathways package, most children are not reoffending and ram raids have dropped significantly.

From tomorrow over 1.4 million New Zealanders are expected to receive a little extra to help with the cost of living as a result of changes made by the Government.

Up to 14,000 Kiwi kids could be lifted out of poverty as the Government delivers on its promise to change child support rules this week.

Associate Minister for Social Development and Employment Priyanca Radhakrishnan has today launched the Love Better campaign in a world-leading approach to family harm prevention.

Two reports released today by the Ministry of Social Development show the Government’s investment in the COVID-19 response helped drive record numbers of people off Benefits and into work.