7. Question No. 7—Social Development and EmploymentRICARDO MENÉNDEZ MARCH (Green) to the Minister for Social Development and EmploymentQuestion No. 7—Social Development and Employment7. RICARDO MENÉNDEZ MARCH (Green) to the Minister for Social Development and Employment: Has she seen the New Zealand Food Network's statement We're seeing people having to cut their food budgets in order to pay for housing and rental hikes increasing fuel costs and power bills"; if so what actions will her Government take in response if any?Hon PRIYANCA RADHAKRISHNAN (Associate Minister for Social Development and Employment) on behalf of the Minister for Social Development and Employment: I am aware of recent reports around the New Zealand Food Network survey findings and I am proud that we as a Government have invested around $56 million in food infrastructure so that our community food providers can better coordinate and support their communities. We are aware that Kiwis are doing it tough and that's why in response to cost of living pressures this Government has already increased main benefits increased Working for Families for over 300000 families rolled out the winter energy payment for over 1 million New Zealanders and expanded Ka Ora Ka Ako so that it's benefiting 220000 learners. As a result of these actions there has been a drop in children in food-insecure households from 24.1 percent in 2012-13 to 12.5 percent in 2021-22 an increase in after-housing incomes for those on benefits by on average 43 percent in real terms since 2018 and we have 77000 fewer children in poverty using the after-housing cost measure. There is more to do and this Government remains committed to continuing our positive track record.Ricardo Menéndez March: Does she accept that food banks are a symptom of inequality and deprivation rather than a solution to these issues?Hon PRIYANCA RADHAKRISHNAN: As I have previously said as well I do firstly acknowledge that it is tough and I also do acknowledge that ensuring that people have an adequate income is the primary means of ensuring food security—and that is exactly what we are doing.Ricardo Menéndez March: Does she accept that a 165 percent increase in food bank use across the country over the last three years demonstrates that main benefits need to be increased beyond the planned indexation adjustment for inflation in this year's Budget?Hon PRIYANCA RADHAKRISHNAN: I have acknowledged that the way that we ensure that people can have food security is to ensure adequate income. We've done that in many different ways including as I've mentioned the Families Package the various payments—the winter energy payment for example—and increases to main benefits consistently.Ricardo Menéndez March: Does she think that depriving someone's income via benefit sanctions some of which the Minister has been on the record as not even agreeing to is driving more people to use food banks as a means to survive?Hon PRIYANCA RADHAKRISHNAN: What we are trying to do on this side of the House is to strike a balance between ensuring that sanctions aren't overly punitive but also encourage people off benefits and into work; at the same time encouraging incomes to lift through various different measures and I've outlined those already.Ricardo Menéndez March: Does she think it's a good use of Ministry of Social Development staff time to investigate whether someone on a benefit—and I'm quoting from the Work and Income website—is "having sexual relationships" for the purpose of determining whether someone can access income support when so many people are struggling to put food on the table and if not when will she individualise benefit entitlements?Hon PRIYANCA RADHAKRISHNAN: Our current system is based around the household as a unit of entitlements that reflects financial interdependencies and scales of economy for many families. However I do recognise that further work needs to be done so that the welfare system reflects the modern family structures. That's why as part of the welfare overhaul I have committed to exploring relationship definitions and unit of entitlements starting next year. This will have a specific focus on sole parents and cohorts who are unable to work—for example consideration of individualising the supported living payment."