Making welfare work

National believes that those who can work, should work, and we’ll help them to do just that. Delivering better public services is one of the National-led Government’s four key priorities for our second term, and welfare reform is a significant part of this.

The benefit system is simply not working and not delivering for New Zealand. One in eight New Zealanders of working-age, is on a benefit, while 220,000 children live in benefit-dependent homes. This is creating too many vulnerable people and trapping them in a life of limited choices, poverty, and poor health. Evidence clearly shows children are better off when their parents are in work and not on welfare.

This week we announced a two-stage programme to fundamentally alter the welfare system with a new work-focused benefit, greater work expectations, and an approach that focuses on the long-term cost of welfare dependency.

This month we will introduce legislation that will require some beneficiaries with children to be work available, as well as those on Widow’s and Women Alone benefits. It will also target support for youth who are on a collision course with long-term welfare dependency.

Later this year we’ll introduce more legislation to overhaul of benefit categories and clamp down on fraud.