The Government says it is taking early action to curb a surge in welfare dependency, with the Ministry of Social Development (MSD) to begin work check-ins for job seekers who have been on benefit for six months.
Social Development and Employment Minister, Louise Upston says the Government is also setting out its expectations around employment and the use of benefit sanctions.
In 2017, 60,588 sanctions were applied to beneficiaries who did not comply with their obligations to prepare and look for work – that figure nosedived to 25,329 in 2023. Over that time, people on jobseeker benefits increased by about 70,000 and about 40,000 more people have been receiving this support for a year or more.
“I believe the previous minister set the tone for a lighter touch to benefit sanctions by saying they needed to be used ‘sparingly’ and as a ‘last resort’, dampening their effectiveness as an incentive to fulfil work obligations,” the Minister said.
“I’ve written to the chief executive of MSD to make this Government’s view clear that we want to see all obligations and sanctions applied. If job seekers fail to attend job interviews, to complete their pre-employment tasks, or to take work that is available, then there needs to be consequences.
“I’m not prepared to accept the welfare system we inherited, where work-ready job seekers are forecast to spend an average of 13 years on a benefit, and teenagers could become trapped on welfare for 24 years of their working lives.”
From June, MSD will begin work check-ins for job seekers who have been on benefit for six months, particularly young people.
“These check-ins will make sure job seeker beneficiaries are taking appropriate steps to find employment and are receiving the right help,” the Minister said.
The actions are a precursor to the Coalition Government’s wider reset of the welfare system, which will include mandatory reapplication for Jobseeker Support every six months, community-provided job coaching, proper needs assessments, a traffic light system that makes obligations clear, new non-financial sanctions, and action being taken for those who repeatedly fail to comply with their work obligations.
