Bradford Sue: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Bradford Sue: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:630;Page:2482] 
3.  
SUE BRADFORD (Green) 
 to the  
Minister for Social Development and Employment 
: Is the Government still committed to delivering a single core benefit given his statement in  
The Jobs Letter 
 yesterday: “I can’t say that we will be delivering a single core benefit”; if not why not? 
Hon DAVID BENSON-POPE (Minister for Social Development and Employment) 
: 
 Yes the Government remains committed to delivering a new and simplified benefit structure. My comments referred to ongoing discussions about whether the new and simplified benefit structure will be called a single core benefit. The details of the new and simplified benefit structure including its name will be the subject of Cabinet decisions later in the year. 
Sue Bradford 
: How does the Minister reconcile his comments in  
The Jobs Letter 
 that he is trying to minimise the number of “losers” created by the 1 April instalment of Working for Families with Steve Maharey’s categorical statement to the House in March 2005 that no one would be worse off under the Working for Families package? 
Hon DAVID BENSON-POPE 
: The introduction of temporary additional support needs to be considered in the context of the $1.6 billion Working for Families package. Increases in assistance to families and people on low and middle incomes will improve their financial position and clearly reduce the need for ongoing hardship assistance. No one receiving the special benefit at the point of change last Saturday was disadvantaged and people receiving the special benefit at that point will continue to receive it until their circumstances change. 
Steve Chadwick 
: What is the purpose of the new benefit structure? 
Hon DAVID BENSON-POPE 
: The aim is to ensure that our benefit system is responsive to the needs of those receiving benefits in order to help all those on benefits reach their full potential and to ensure that those who are able to work get both a chance and the support to do so such as offering the same range of case-management services for employment to people across the current separate categories. 
Peter Brown 
: Will the Minister confirm that there are relatively few blind people who work for a living and that because of their special circumstances they are allowed to retain their benefits; will he confirm that if this single core benefit regime comes in this system will not change with regard to blind people? 
Hon DAVID BENSON-POPE 
: The ministry is currently preparing consultation material which will seek feedback from stakeholders including the Royal New Zealand Foundation of the Blind and that will inform our subsequent decisions. 
Judith Collins 
: Is the Minister trying to tell this House that Labour has worked on a single core benefit since 1989; can he still not tell the House exactly when it will be implemented or even what it will be called? 
Hon DAVID BENSON-POPE 
: No and mid-year. 
Sue Bradford 
: Will the Minister assure beneficiaries that when genuine need arises they will have access to the same levels of support as existed under the old special benefit and can he explain what benefit mechanism he will use to do this especially given that the current emergency benefit is not appropriate for this purpose? 
Hon DAVID BENSON-POPE 
: Where a client faces costs that cannot be met by temporary additional support case managers will help people access other hardship provisions such as special-needs grants or benefit advances. 
Judith Collins 
: Why did the Minister state in  
The Jobs Letter 
 that the biggest challenge ahead for the Ministry of Social Development is the Child Youth and Family Services - Ministry of Social Development merger which was supposed to be a seamless transition; and what has really happened to the introduction of the single core benefit which earlier this year he said was the biggest welfare restructure in 50 years? 
Hon DAVID BENSON-POPE 
: Firstly because I believe it is and secondly nothing. 
Sue Bradford 
: What steps if any is the Minister taking to ensure that the Government’s much-delayed progress towards a single core benefit—or whatever it is to be called—will not create a system that is less flexible less financially generous and more punitive to those in genuine need than the system it will replace? 
Hon DAVID BENSON-POPE 
: I do not agree with the member’s proposition about delay but the answer is yes.