Logie Jan: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to MinistersText is subject to correctionLogie Jan: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers[Sitting date: 17 October 2013. Volume:694;Page:14007. Text is subject to correction.]7.JAN LOGIE (Green)to theMinister for Social Development: When she said last month “for every example that the member can give I can give another 10 of people who are grateful for the help that they are getting” was she saying that it is acceptable that a large portion of people are not getting the help they are entitled to?Hon PAULA BENNETT (Minister for Social Development):I have seen absolutely no evidence that there is a large portion of people who are not getting the help that they require. In fact evidence speaks otherwise. For example access to hardship assistance has not reduced. Since September last year as I have already stated in the House benefit numbers have reduced by 16500 people or 5.2 percent. Over that time grants of hardship assistance have fallen by just 1 percent. The other example is the triage rates which are those who go into Work and Income to go on a benefit. For the last 3 years or 4 years they have averaged around 42 percent; they are currently at about 37 percent. So actually more who walk through our door are going on benefit than were previously 12 months ago. Who we are working more with though are people who have been on longer putting more support up front around them and doing more face-to-face interviews and we are seeing great progress from that.Jan Logie: What prompted her U-turn on our request for an evaluation of the implementation of the welfare reforms including clients’ perspectives?Hon PAULA BENNETT: I do not believe there has been a U-turn. I think that we are constantly looking at the way that we are implementing what is happening. We are doing pilots. We are testing things. We are prepared to change. We are always refining. I think we are having a better look and more transparent look at the welfare system now than we ever have before.Jan Logie: I seek leave to table the as yet unpublished response to my written question about the evaluation of the welfare reforms.Mr SPEAKER: In that it is unpublished—it is in the 3-day time frame?Jan Logie: It is.Mr SPEAKER: I will put the question. Leave is sought to table that. Is there any objection? No there is not. It can be tabled.Document by leave laid on the Table of the House.Jan Logie: Can she guarantee that this ongoing evaluation will mean no more cases such as that of the young New Zealander required by Work and Income to attend work-testing seminars for job seeker support while still in an in-patient unit at a mental health unit?Hon PAULA BENNETT: I would say that the first thing we should look at is what benefit that young person is on. We are always prepared to look at that because actually they should not be work tested if that is the case. They would have received a letter. That letter quite clearly would have said: “Please contact us if there is any reason why not.” We may not have known that they were in the in-patient clinic. So it is hard for me to talk about those individual circumstances but that is not the expectation at all.Jan Logie: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. My question was—Mr SPEAKER: Order! I heard the question and the question asked for a guarantee. The Minister did not give a guarantee and was unlikely ever to give a guarantee.Jan Logie: Can she guarantee that this evaluation will mean no more cases such as that of the woman who was told she was not entitled to the supported living payment to care for her 80-year-old mother even though her doctor had certified that her mother needed 24/7 care and who was then turned down for jobseeker support because she was not work-available as she was providing that care for her mum?Hon PAULA BENNETT: Well it is impossible for me to talk about individual circumstances. If the member really cared then she would bring them to me and I might be able to look at them and help.Jan Logie: On this day the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty will the Minister ensure that this evaluation will mean no more cases such as that of the young deaf woman who was told she could not even apply for the support living allowance because she could speak?Hon PAULA BENNETT: I just struggle to believe that that is true. As I say if the member wants to play politics that is fine. If she has real cases that she wishes to bring to me I have offered her my door open many times and I am willing to help individuals who may have been unfairly treated.