Beyer Georgina: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Beyer Georgina: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:626;Page:21133] 
6.  
GEORGINA BEYER (Labour—Wairarapa) 
 to the  
Minister for Social Development and Employment 
: What reports has he received on how many New Zealand families have benefited from the 1 April changes in the Working for Families package by region? 
Hon STEVE MAHAREY (Minister for Social Development and Employment) 
: 
 I have seen reports with figures such as a 25 percent increase in the number of Inland Revenue Department clients receiving family assistance in Gisborne. In Manukau there are now nearly 16000 Inland Revenue Department recipients of family assistance a 17 percent increase over last year. In Taranaki there has been a 130 percent increase in working families getting accommodation supplements a 119 percent increase in Southland and nearly 14000 working families in Auckland are receiving it. There are now 4300 recipients of childcare assistance in Canterbury a 40 percent increase over last year and a 50 percent increase in recipients in the Waikato. That is proof that this package is getting money through to heartland New Zealand. 
Georgina Beyer 
: What reports has he seen on the implementation of the next stages of the Working for Families package? 
Hon STEVE MAHAREY 
: Reports from the Ministry of Social Development indicate this is proceeding smoothly. However I have also seen a report that states: “For middle-income New Zealanders quite a lot of them who may be eligible under Working for Families probably will get less under us through that package if anything.” That quote came from National Party finance spokesman John Key on  
Insight 
 of 8 May. Of course he needs this money for his tax cuts. 
John Key 
: If the take-up rate for Working for Families has been acceptable from working families and the Government is not desperate to pump up the numbers on the programme why is it that Work and Income staff have been trolling through old applications made and rejected in the middle and latter part of last year and telling those people to reapply? 
Hon STEVE MAHAREY 
: Because we are committed to people getting their entitlement unlike the member’s party which during the 1990s oversaw an accommodation supplement take-up of only 19 percent and did nothing about it at all. 
Judy Turner 
: Has he considered enabling working families to receive their entitlements by alternative means such as a child tax allowance rather than a tax credit as an adjustment to the take-home pay of parents paid through their employer as a direct payment to the main carer of the child or by enabling them to divert into the workplace savings scheme or a tertiary savings scheme or to capitalise to increase equity in a home; if not why not? 
Hon STEVE MAHAREY 
: As always I am prepared to consider outstanding ideas if the member gives us some details. 
Georgina Beyer 
: What assurances can the Minister give that hard-working New Zealand families have gained their entitlements under this package? 
Hon STEVE MAHAREY 
: We have a communications strategy running through the Ministry of Social Development and the Inland Revenue Department that ensures that all New Zealanders understand the Working for Families changes; that everyone who is entitled to assistance is able to gain that assistance accurately; that all people who are eligible whose circumstances change—and I say this for all members in the House that all people’s circumstances will change—we have to advise them about it and that the wider public understand what is happening with their money. Unlike in the 1990s when the accommodation supplement take-up was only 19 percent under the National Government we want everyone to get their entitlements accurately.