The considerable rise in the number of people on jobseeker benefits this winter shows that the Labour-led Government is short-changing New Zealanders, National’s Social Development Spokesperson Louise Upston says.

“The number of people on the benefit while looking for work has increased by over 15,500 since this Government took office. If unemployment is so low and the economy is so strong like the Government claims it is then New Zealanders would expect this figure to be falling.

“It’s clear this Government takes pride in the fact there are more people relying on benefits to survive. National is more aspirational for Kiwis and when employers are crying out for more workers there shouldn’t be more New Zealanders lining up for benefits.

“The most proven way out of poverty is through work, and the rise in the number of people receiving benefits shows that Labour is failing to move people out of poverty. It’s incomprehensible that the number on jobseeker benefits continues to rise as businesses consistently report staff shortages.

“The Government has also imposed 30 per cent fewer sanctions and created more and more dependence on the taxpayer. Sanctions are only imposed if someone fails to turn up for a job interview or work obligations several times.

“The cost of living has dramatically increased under this Government, and this is reflected in almost half a million hardship grants being issued in the past 12 months. More and more New Zealanders are struggling to put food on the table and a roof over their heads.

“If the Prime Minister is serious about tackling child poverty, why is she content for the number of families dependent on benefits to continue to rise?

“It isn’t kind or caring to reduce incentives to work and to stop Kiwis being more aspirational and living more meaningful lives. National believes New Zealanders are better off in work and creating opportunities for them and their families.

“New Zealanders can’t afford this Government.”

Absentee fathers are being let off the hook following the Botched Budget, National’s Social Development spokesperson Louise Upston says.

“The Coalition Government is hell bent on giving absentee fathers a free pass by repealing what used to be known as Section 70A, which is a sanction for sole parents who do not identify the liable parent of the child.

“The Government is basically absolving those parents of their financial responsibilities through this legislation, but that has been a theme from this Government as it has gone soft on sanctions since coming into office.

“National understands that there are times when it’s not appropriate to name the father for safety reasons and other circumstances, that’s why there are exemptions. But when a father can pay child support, he should.

“Beneficiary numbers are up by 13,000 since the election and that’s predicted to keep rising. Jobseeker Support and the emergency benefit are expected to rise by 15,600, with an increased cost of $122 million, while Sole Parent Support benefit recipients are expected to increase by 1,600 at an increased cost of $195 million.

“An increase in the number of people on benefit and children in benefit dependent homes will make it harder for the Government to improve the wellbeing of our most vulnerable children. People are better off when they are in paid work so they can live independent lives and provide a better future for their children.

“At the same time as predicting benefit number increases, the Government is cutting compulsory programmes to assist people into work and they’re reducing funds for childcare assistance.

“This Government doesn’t want what’s best for Kiwis. National believes people deserve a hand up but not a hand out. National would deliver pathways to work so that all New Zealanders have a brighter future.”

A Member’s Bill which would give new mothers more support in the first days after giving birth will this week be put in the Ballot, MP for Taupō Louise Upston says.

“The first few days after giving birth are some of the most important, but can also be the most challenging for new mums.

“National is proposing that new mums should be entitled to three days of care after giving birth, and that support should be available after each child.

“At the moment, new mothers have 48 hours of care funded by DHBs, but we know that they’re often encouraged to leave as soon as possible. This sort of pressure can cause additional stress in what is already a stressful time.

“During the first dew days after birth we know mothers can experience the baby blues, have difficulty breast feeding, can be exhausted and sometimes just need a bit of extra help while they build up confidence.

“We believe mums should have a choice in the kind of care that they opt for, whether that’s in a hospital or at a community or private facility. We would make community care available to all women, no matter where they choose to give birth.

“This policy will cost an additional $16-$20 million. It would also be ring-fenced, meaning if one mother only requires one day in care, her additional two days would be used for another mum who might need a five day stay and the money can’t be put into other areas by DHBs.

“National believes the first thousand days are the most important in a child’s life. We will do all that we can so kids get off to a good start and make sure their parents are supported.”

The Government’s response to the Welfare Expert Advisory Group report is another example of it not delivering in its ‘Year of Delivery’, National’s spokesperson for Social Development Louise Upston says.

“The Welfare Expert Advisory Group recommended 42 extensive changes to the social welfare system but the Government has delivered on just three of them. There are no recommendations about improving outcomes, like having fewer people in benefit dependent households.

“This Government can’t just keep kicking the can down the road when it comes to big decisions.

“National disagrees with the bulk of the report, which would see fewer obligations imposed on beneficiaries and fewer incentives to get back into work. This is just like the Tax Working Group where we’ll have to wait in limbo while the Government decides what it will do.

“This is another case of the Greens being promised action in their coalition agreement and receiving nothing when it comes to delivering on that agreement.

“Increasing the abatement threshold for people on benefits means people can keep more of what they earn. This is a welcome incentive to encourage more people into work.

“National believes that New Zealanders should be given a hand up, not a hand out and those who can work, should.”

The number of New Zealanders needing assistance to eat and live is at record highs under the Labour-led Government, National’s Social Development spokesperson Louise Upston says.

“Hardship assistance has increased by $48 million in the past year. Under this Government Kiwi families are struggling to put food on the table. There were an extra 70,000 requests for assistance for food in the last year alone.

“They’re also battling to find accommodation. Emergency housing grants went from $6.6 million to $23 million in the space of a year. That’s more than three times higher than a year ago and the highest ever.

“With the Accommodation Supplement going up last year it’s incredible that more and more New Zealanders are struggling to afford accommodation.

“The number of Kiwis on benefits has increased by 13,000. Under National, we were moving more people into work – meaning them and their families were leading better lives. It’s hard to believe the number of people on the job seeker benefit keeps increasing when there are employers who are desperate for people to fill jobs.

“This Government is happy for that number to keep increasing. The number of sanctions being imposed is down 31 per cent since March 2018. This Government is not aspirational for New Zealanders. Sanctions are only imposed if someone fails to turn up for a job interview or work obligations several times.

“The Prime Minister has pledged to reduce child poverty, but the hardship and special needs grants figures show it’s getting tougher for those children living in benefit-dependent households. Where is the plan from this Government to get Kiwis off benefits and into work in order to help give their children a brighter future?

“It isn’t kind or compassionate to reduce incentives to work and to stop Kiwis being more aspirational and living more meaningful lives. National believes New Zealanders are better off in work and creating opportunities for them and their families.”

A new Bill pulled from the ballot today would ensure that the victims of legally insane offenders are treated the same as other victims of crime, MP for Tāupo Louise Upston says.

“My Bill will rename the verdict of ‘not guilty on account of insanity’. The new verdict would acknowledge that the offender did commit the criminal act. 

“We want to change the finding to something that demonstrates that there’s no doubt about who committed the act.

“This is similar to a law in Canada which provides victims with the acknowledgment that a person was proven to have caused death, even if they lacked the intent to be guilty of murder.

“Victims should be at the heart of our justice system, that’s why my Bill will also ensure that victims of legally insane offenders will be notified if the offender is being released from a secure health care facility into the community. 

“National wants families to be consulted over the decision too, to make sure that victims can have their say and make sure their voice is heard.

“As a local MP, I have dealt with constituents who feel they don’t have the same rights as other victims. It’s important to me that victims are at the heart of our justice system.”

The annual Salvation Army State of the Nation report shows that a Government which claims to make the wellbeing of children and families its top priority is failing them miserably, National’s Social Development spokesperson Louise Upston says.

“The list makes for grim reading.

“The number of children in benefit dependent households is up, the number of care and protection reports is up, the number of family violence referrals for child abuse and neglect is up, the number of recorded offences against children under the age of 15 for serious assault resulting in injury is up, young people not in education, employment or training (NEETS) is up, the number of people on jobseeker benefit is up, household indebtedness is up, the cost of living has risen faster for low income families and the number of total ECE enrolments down.

“Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern once said that ‘children are at the heart of everything we do’. And yet the consequences of their poor decision making is clear in this report.

“Once again the rhetoric is not matching the reality and this Government is failing children and vulnerable New Zealanders.

“This Government talks about supporting the most vulnerable and improving wellbeing, but it’s the results that matter. National’s social investment approach which set targets, measured progress and meant the Government was accountable for the improvements it was making to peoples’ lives because it’s improving lives that matters.

“Now we have a Government that talks a lot about aspiration, but this report makes it clear that good intentions don’t make for good policy, or good outcomes.” 

With unemployment rising and the number of young Kiwis not in employment, education or training (NEETs) soaring to the highest in almost a decade, the young are doing it harder under the Labour-led Government, National’s Social Development spokesperson Louise Upston says.

“Figures out from Statistics NZ today should be a warning sign to the Government that it needs to do more to ensure young people are in employment, education or training.

“For the first time since 2012, the NEETs rate is above 14 per cent. That represents almost 100,000 young people aged between 15 and 24.

“While the NEETs rate is volatile, Statistics NZ hasn’t measured a bigger quarterly change since their records began in 2004. This is the single biggest number of young New Zealanders out of work or not learning on record.

“These numbers are staggering and New Zealanders will be wondering why the Government is so complacent. If Shane Jones has $3 billion to spray around in his slush fund on programmes to reduce unemployment, he should be using it to help create opportunities for young people in the regions – not more bureaucrats in Wellington.

“This is on the back of last month’s figures showing the number of 18-24-year-olds receiving a benefit has increased by 10 per cent. We know that young people are more likely to stay on benefits for longer if they get stuck in the cycle earlier. This can only mean the Government has given up on young New Zealanders.

“If the Government had kept our Better Public Service targets and continued to measure outcomes like reducing the number of people on main benefits, they would know where to invest taxpayers’ money to get the best outcomes and reduce youth unemployment.

“National wants all New Zealanders to be in the driving seat of their own lives. Young New Zealanders should be given the most encouragement to get into work to avoid a lifetime of benefit dependency.”

The number of people claiming the job seeker benefit has increased by 11,000 because the Government is going soft on benefit sanctions and those who don’t want to work, National’s Social Development spokesperson Louise Upston says.

“Over the past year there has been a 42 per cent decline in the number of people who have been sanctioned for failing to meet the basic criteria which goes with receiving taxpayer’s money. That includes simply turning up to appointments.

“Given that unemployment has decreased, it’s inexplicable that the number of people on a jobseeker benefit would increase so rapidly and that the Government would make it easier for people to avoid work.

“The Minister needs to explain why so many more people are lining up for benefit, while at the same time there aren’t enough people to plant Shane Jones’ ‘billion’ trees or to pick fruit from our orchards.

“For the past ten years the total number of people on benefit has been decreasing because the National Government was focused on creating jobs and getting people into work, and making sure people met their obligations.  

“Now for the first time in a decade with unemployment at record lows the number of people on benefits has increased rapidly - by more than 9000.

“It’s especially disappointing to see that the number of 18-24 year-olds receiving a benefit has increased by 10 per cent. It’s this age group which needs the most encouraging to get into work to avoid a lifetime of benefit dependency.

“For the first time in a long time food hardship grants has also overtaken housing grants. This shows the cost of living increases imposed by this Government are having a real impact on our most vulnerable.

“National is aspirational for all New Zealanders. We believe that people deserve a fair go, but not a free ride. Employment is the best way to lift families out of poverty.”

A new Bill from the National Party would ensure that the victims of legally insane offenders are treated the same as other victims of crime, Taupō MP Louise Upston says.

“My Bill, which will be put into the Ballot this month, will rename the verdict of ‘not guilty on account of insanity.’ The new verdict would acknowledge that the offender did commit the criminal act. 

“This is similar to a law in Canada which provides victims with the acknowledgement that a person was proven to have caused death, even if they lacked the intent to be guilty of murder.

“It will also require decisions about the release of legally insane defendants from secure mental health facilities be assessed by a non-clinical decision maker to ensure the community will be safe.

“Victims should be at the heart of our justice system, that’s why my Bill will also ensure that victims of legally insane offenders will be notified if the offender is being released from a secure health care facility into the community. 

“As a local MP, I have dealt with constituents who feel they don’t have the same rights as other victims. It’s important to me that victims are at the heart of our justice system.”