9. Beneficiaries—Treatment by Work and Income and Living ConditionsMETIRIA TUREI (Co-Leader—Green) to the Minister for Social DevelopmentBeneficiaries—Treatment by Work and Income and Living Conditions9. METIRIA TUREI (Co-Leader—Green) to the Minister for Social Development: Does she believe that the Ministry of Social Development has a responsibility to treat unemployed people sole parents and people with disabilities with respect and dignity and ensure every person on a benefit has all the support they are entitled to?Hon ANNE TOLLEY (Minister for Social Development): I believe that the ministry should treat everyone with respect and dignity regardless of whether they are on a benefit or not.Metiria Turei: Does she think that her ministry lives up to this standard given the hundreds of examples made public this week describing denigrating and obstructive responses by Work and Income deliberately denying people their entitlements?Hon ANNE TOLLEY: I have travelled all over New Zealand and have been into Work and Income offices and talked with staff. I have never met anyone yet who is not absolutely passionate about helping people get back on their feet get into work and live successful lives.Metiria Turei: Given that a recent study into grandparents seeking financial support has found that the service standards published by Work and Income are continually breached not displayed in offices and are not subject to a complaints procedure …" will she commit to changing the punitive culture in Work and Income so that it focuses on giving people the help when they need it?Hon ANNE TOLLEY: The benefit that the member is referring to is the unsupported orphans benefit. I think that is the name of it. There are procedures that do take a long time to process—determining whether or not a child is in the full care of a grandparent. I have met with Grandparents Raising Grandchildren on a number of occasions. What I can say to the member is that this issue in particular is being addressed through the Ministry for Vulnerable Children Oranga Tamariki which focuses on the needs of the child and therefore will enable much better support I believe to be wrapped around any people who are taking care of those children and in particular grandparents.Sarah Dowie: What recent actions has the Ministry of Social Development (MSD) taken to ensure people do receive the support they are entitled to?Hon ANNE TOLLEY: We have been working our way through a number of issues to ensure that the practice aligns with the legislation and that people do receive their full entitlements. For example one issue that was identified was a coding error that meant some clients were being paid the accommodation supplement at the wrong rate. When this was discovered MSD took the appropriate action to reimburse 22000 current clients at around $14 million and undertook to identify previous clients who may have been underpaid. MSD is absolutely committed to ensuring that people get the support that they are entitled to.Metiria Turei: When Work and Income tells 85 percent of grandparents who are caring for their grandchildren that they are not entitled to benefits that they should in fact be receiving will she instruct Work and Income to review every case to ensure every single person on a benefit is receiving their full entitlement?Hon ANNE TOLLEY: I am not aware of where that figure comes from. If it comes from a survey that was done recently then I would question the assertion that that relates to all grandparents. As I have said there is a process by which Work and Income has to be satisfied that the grandparent now has the full care of and responsibility for the child and that does cause from time to time some lengthy delays. As I say this has been raised with me on a number of occasions by the organisation representing those grandparents and we are addressing it as best as we are able to. Metiria Turei: When so many stories of people being driven into poverty and despair by the broken welfare system have emerged in this last week will she instruct the MSD to hold an amnesty for every current beneficiary—Hon Gerry Brownlee: Oh! Now we get to it.Metiria Turei: —for every current beneficiary so not me Minister—so that they can talk to Work and Income about—Mr SPEAKER: Order! Would the member complete her question. It is a very long question.Metiria Turei: —so that they can talk to Work and Income about their full entitlement without risking investigation or financial punishment?Hon ANNE TOLLEY: First of all I reject the assumption that the social welfare system that this country so proudly has is broken. In fact on the contrary I would say the results—that people are working very hard throughout New Zealand—have shown a record number of people coming off reliance on a benefit and into work. Sixty thousand children in New Zealand now no longer live in houses dependent on a benefit and I think that is a huge success for this country and a huge success for the people who are now living totally independent lives able to support themselves and their families.Metiria Turei: Why will the Minister not hold an amnesty for current beneficiaries when she cannot guarantee that every parent on a benefit has enough money to feed their kids and pay their power bills this winter without having to ask for extra assistance?Hon ANNE TOLLEY: I think the member forgets that this Government was the first Government in over 40 years to raise the amount of money paid to beneficiaries—the first Government in 40 years. There is no doubt that it is difficult to manage on a benefit but that is why the staff at Work and Income work so hard with families to help them into sustainable employment because the best way out of poverty is to be self-reliant to be independent and to be able to be working in New Zealand supporting their own families.Metiria Turei: How many beneficiaries are currently homeless?Hon ANNE TOLLEY: I suggest the member puts that down in a written question.Metiria Turei: Given the Minister does not know how many current beneficiaries are homeless how can she agree with the use of financial sanctions to threaten the poorest people in New Zealand with worsened poverty?Hon ANNE TOLLEY: Sanctions are only ever applied after several warnings and are applied only when people do not comply with their obligations. Some of those obligations are very simple—turning up for an appointment. If there is a good reason the sanction is not applied. It is very easy for people to re-comply but there has to be some accountability when you are abusing spending taxpayers' money.Metiria Turei: Why does the Minister believe that it is OK for the Government to use poverty as a weapon against solo mums and their children disabled people and homeless people who have already lost everything?Hon ANNE TOLLEY: I completely refute the assertions of that member.Metiria Turei: How many people on a benefit have committed suicide in the last 5 years?Hon ANNE TOLLEY: I do not believe that the MSD has ever collected those sorts of statistics."