5. Question No. 5—Social Development and EmploymentRICARDO MENÉNDEZ MARCH (Green) to the Minister for Social Development and EmploymentQuestion No. 5—Social Development and Employment5. RICARDO MENÉNDEZ MARCH (Green) to the Minister for Social Development and Employment: Does she think current income support levels allow everyone to live without debt and out of poverty?Hon CARMEL SEPULONI (Minister for Social Development and Employment): This Government has lifted the levels of main benefits higher than any other Government but we also acknowledge that there is more to do. During the last Budget we took another step by waiving the $5 co-payment on prescriptions so that New Zealanders don't have to miss out on the medications that they need. I'm also reminding the House that the most recent Budget was what funded the 1 April changes which included increases to benefits superannuation and student allowance as well as the minimum wage. We continue to introduce legislation that raises incomes for New Zealanders. This week in the House we have the third reading of the Child Support (Pass On) Acts Amendment Bill. This change will lift as many as 14000 children out of poverty and give affected families a median of $20 extra per week after the abatement of income-tested financial assistance.Ricardo Menéndez March: Is she concerned that debt to the Ministry of Social Development (MSD) for things outside of benefit fraud and overpayments has now reached over $1 billion and if so will she lift base income levels so that people do not need to get into debt to cover basic essentials?Hon CARMEL SEPULONI: As I said in my answer to the primary question we have significantly increased benefits. We've also increased Working for Families and the minimum wage; we have been very much focused on lifting incomes in New Zealand. We still recognise that there are some—particularly those on low incomes—who may need to access support for things like whiteware for things like dental care and for other things and that support is available through the Ministry of Social Development. In some instances they do need to pay back those grants but they are interest free and we expect case managers to work with clients to ensure that they are able to pay it back at an affordable rate.Ricardo Menéndez March: Does she agree that poverty is a political choice and if so is her Government committed to ending poverty rather than simply alleviating it?Hon CARMEL SEPULONI: One of the first choices that we made as a Government was to introduce child poverty reduction thresholds through legislation. That really does demonstrate this Government's commitment to responding to the challenge of child poverty in this country. We now see 77000 fewer children living in poverty because of the initiatives and policies that we have implemented but the job is not yet done. We still remain focused on reducing levels of child poverty in Aotearoa.Ricardo Menéndez March: Will the Government be able to end poverty with the current levels of investment in the welfare system and Working for Families?Hon CARMEL SEPULONI: The member knows that we have been reviewing Working for Families. That work is still under active consideration.Ricardo Menéndez March: Does she believe that disabled people need to continue proving their disability to continue being eligible for income support?Hon CARMEL SEPULONI: As a Government we have made changes to the amount of time someone on a jobseeker - health condition injury or disability exemption needs before they require a new medical certificate. We now look at how long their doctor says their condition will last before asking for another medical certificate. Medical certificates for supported living payment assess work capacity as the payment requires people to be permanently and severely restricted in their ability to work. Severely" means that they cannot regularly work 15 hours or more per week in open employment. Some people receiving the supported living payment will never have their work capacity reassessed if they meet the criteria for simplified access. This includes clients who are terminally ill totally blind or have a severe intellectual or cognitive impairment. There are other clients on the supported living payment who may be assessed every two years but that's also to ensure that they're getting access to the supports that they should be accessing through MSD as well as access to support for employment if that is what they wish to do and are able to do.Ricardo Menéndez March: What does she say to the 70000-plus recipients of the supported living payment who have long-term health conditions and have been on the supported living payment for over five years yet have to continue proving that they are sick or disabled in order to continue receiving that support?Hon CARMEL SEPULONI: It's not just about proving that they're sick or disabled; it's also about the system responding to their needs and actually proactively interacting with them. It's important that we meet with clients to ensure that they're getting access to what they are entitled to and if they are able to work support them to do that."