SpeechSocial Development and Employment ACC and Disability IssuesANGIE WARREN-CLARK (Chairperson of the Social Services and Community Committee): Thank you Mr Chair. It's my pleasure as the chair of the Social Services and Community Committee to commence the debate for the Annual Review 2021.The Social Services and Community Committee reviews 23 ministries and entities. Our consideration was grouped into sectors and reports we've written combining these sector subjects. I want to acknowledge the Office of the Auditor-General officials from the many ministries our Parliamentary Service clerks for organising the logistics and their report writing. I acknowledge and thank the participants of the review from our select committee including those subbing in. Of note we were able to conduct our review process despite the conditions of COVID with remote working having a number of meetings which were either hybrid or purely by Zoom. Finally I would like to thank the Ministers for appearing to summarise the sectors. This produces an additional layer of accountability and scrutiny. I come now to the Social Development and Employment and Disability Review. We met with the Minister for Social Development and Employment the Hon Carmel Sepuloni in February to provide an all-of-sector overview. We heard that due to COVID people receiving benefits were expected to peak at 487000 people but this peak did not happen. In January 2022 366115 people were receiving a working-age benefit. We heard about the programmes Mana in Mahi Flexi-wage Apprenticeship Boost and He Poutama Rangatahi. We learnt that the Ministry of Social Development's (MSD's) relationship had strengthened with the volunteer and community groups and the COVID-19 response had helped this. We questioned the Minister on benefit sanctions the 2019 Welfare Expert Advisory Group recommendations and progress and excessive sanctions warrant to arrest sanctions and we heard the Minister is satisfied that the changes to sanctions since 2017 have reduced harm to children. The Minister told us that she has increased childcare assistance payments indexed to the Consumer Price Index that low levels of unemployment have meant there may be employee shortages. Members also asked about job vacancies and matching beneficiaries to these. We heard about examples of this work including the flexibility of work conditions to support single parents to work. The Ministry of Social Development is responsible for paying New Zealanders' superannuation benefits rent subsidies student financial support and the COVID-19 wage subsidies. In 2021 MSD revenue was $1.585 billion expenditure was $1.406 billion; $310 million less was required due to benefit numbers below 400000. MSD is responsible for non-departmental expenditure of $32 billion made up of New Zealand Superannuation and three main benefits. The Auditor-General has assessed performance as good. We heard from the ministry about tenant safety in emergency housing and about MSD intensive case management. We learnt more about the implementation of the Welfare Expert Advisory Group. We heard there is a four- to five-year programme of interlocking system change with 41 recommendations in progress or partially implemented currently. We also heard examples of additional funding for families programmes to keep people off benefits such as Flexi-wage and about the reinstatement of the Training Incentive Allowance. We discussed debt inflation and the culture of MSD. We looked at issues that are affecting those with disabilities and we heard from the Minister that the current disability system requires improvement. The Minister spoke about the future intentions to set up the Ministry for Disabled Peoples or whatever it will be called which will be established on 1 July this year and we look forward to hearing about this more in the future. We understand that accessibility and transformation of services for disability people their family whānau and communities is pending. Overall the review was thorough and in-depth. We asked and had answered more than 1000 written and oral questions across the sector. I thank the Minister for making herself available for this committee of the whole House today.