3. Question No. 3—Social Development and EmploymentRICARDO MENÉNDEZ MARCH (Green) to the Minister for Social Development and EmploymentQuestion No. 3—Social Development and Employment3. RICARDO MENÉNDEZ MARCH (Green) to the Minister for Social Development and Employment: Does she consider that current requirements relating to the effect of relationship status on someone's eligibility to receive a benefit are fair and equitable? Hon CARMEL SEPULONI (Minister for Social Development and Employment): Mālō ni Mr Speaker. The welfare system is primarily based around income assets and the need of a household. We know that family structures have shifted over time. The Welfare Expert Advisory Group highlighted this in their report. I agree that further work is needed on this and a review of settings that underpin financial assistance and eligibility is on the work programme for the welfare overhaul. However what I am most focused on is providing immediate support for families in need. Since we've been in Government our changes have led to around a 40 percent increase in after - housing-cost income inflation-adjusted for those on a main benefit and an increase in income of $243 per week for couples with children. Ricardo Menéndez March: Does she think that disabled people should be able to remain financially independent no matter their relationship status and if not is she putting more families in need into hardship as a result of these rules? Hon CARMEL SEPULONI: We do believe that disabled people should be able to live financially independently. We have moved to increase benefits through our welfare system significantly since we took office and we have also invested in other measures to support disabled people including being committed to the roll-out of Enabling Good Lives across the country. There is as I said a need for a review of relationship settings within the welfare system and that's something that's certainly on the cards. Ricardo Menéndez March: Will she pause investigations into issues relating to relationship status for applicants who may lose their income support as a result of these rules while she makes her review? Hon CARMEL SEPULONI: The Ministry of Social Development (MSD) staff have to follow the legislation as it stands now and so there is no way that any fraud investigation can be paused. However as the Welfare Expert Advisory Group pointed out the system that we undertake with regards to investigations of potential fraud cases is a three-step process that is fair and reasonable and that is the process that we will continue to follow whilst these rules are in place. Ricardo Menéndez March: Does she have confidence in how the Ministry of Social Development is making determinations off the fact of relationship status and if so why are MSD staff tasked with figuring out whether people are in a sexual relationship even if they are financially independent and not living together? Hon CARMEL SEPULONI: I do have confidence in MSD staff. I think though that it would be unrealistic of me not to think that every now and then a determination they make could be wrong and so that is why we have the review committee in place so that people can challenge those decisions if they deem them to be questionable or incorrect. Ricardo Menéndez March: Why did the COVID-19 Income Relief Payment which supported thousands of people who lost their jobs in 2020 have a higher threshold for a partner's income than the jobseeker benefit before partners lost their income support? Hon CARMEL SEPULONI: The income relief payment was not business-as-usual. It was a temporary payment that came about because of the extraordinary circumstances that we were facing with respect to COVID. Many families who did lose jobs would not have anticipated that that was going to happen. We needed to put an urgent measure in place but as I said unlike our welfare system that was temporary and we had no intention to carry that on. Ricardo Menéndez March: Does she support changing the relationship settings for main benefits to be consistent with those proposed for the income insurance scheme which at this time has full individualised support to prevent inequity between different types of support in similar circumstances? Hon CARMEL SEPULONI: As I've said a review of relationship settings within the welfare system is something that's certainly on the cards.