Fairbrother Russell: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Fairbrother Russell: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:646;Page:15721] 
11.  
RUSSELL FAIRBROTHER (Labour) 
 to the  
Minister for Social Development and Employment 
: What reports has she received on the number of New Zealanders receiving an unemployment benefit? 
Hon RUTH DYSON (Minister for Social Development and Employment) 
: 
 In 1999 there were over 161000 people on the unemployment benefit. That number is roughly equivalent to the population of Hamilton. There are now fewer than 20000 people in receipt of an unemployment benefit. That number is less than the population of Masterton. That is a fantastic outcome for 8 years of a Labour-led Government. 
Russell Fairbrother 
: What reports has the Minister received on the number of people on the domestic purposes benefit? 
Hon RUTH DYSON 
: I have seen a report that indicates that the Labour-led Government is supporting more sole parents to get off benefits and into paid work. Since the introduction of the Working for Families package in 2004 the number of people on the domestic purposes benefit has fallen by nearly 13000. That is the largest fall in the number receiving the domestic purposes benefit since it was introduced in 1973. That is quite a contrast to the rising number we saw in the 1990s. 
Hon Tariana Turia 
: Can the Minister tell us whether she has any reports about the number of young Maori who are unemployed and under the age of 25 years? 
Hon RUTH DYSON 
: I can certainly give the member firstly some figures and secondly my assurance that I share her concern that despite the dramatic drop in the number of Maori unemployed including young Maori unemployed the numbers are still disproportionate to those for the rest of the population and are too high. Currently just over 7000 Maori are on the unemployment benefit. That number has fallen from a staggering 44000 in December 1999 so 37000 Maori have moved off the unemployment benefit in those years. 
Hon Tariana Turia 
: I raise a point of order Madam Speaker. My supplementary question specifically asked about the number of young Maori who make up the majority of the population. Can I have the figures for young Maori? 
Madam SPEAKER 
: No. As the member well knows one cannot expect a specific answer to a question particularly to a supplementary question because no notice has been given to the Minister. 
Barbara Stewart 
: Does the Minister have accurate figures for the number of teenagers aged between 15 and 19 who are receiving the unemployment benefit and can she assure us that every effort is being made to ensure those young people find employment; if not why not? 
Hon RUTH DYSON 
: The number of under-20-year-olds on the unemployment benefit has dropped by 16441 or 94 percent since 1999 and has dropped by 493 or 31 percent just in the past year. So at the end of March the total figure was 173. I give that member as I have the member who asked the preceding question my absolute commitment—a view shared by my ministerial colleagues and the Mayors Task Force for Jobs—to ensure that this investment remains in our young people so that their futures will be brighter. That will continue. 
Russell Fairbrother 
: What reports has she received on the reasons that people move off the unemployment benefit? 
Hon RUTH DYSON 
: Not surprisingly although it may be news to the National Party the main reason for people leaving the unemployment benefit is to enter paid work. In the last 8 years 8.8 percent of all unemployment benefit cancellations were the result of a transfer to the sickness benefit and less than one-third of 1 percent of all unemployment benefit cancellations were the result of a transfer to the invalids benefit. Those figures should finally put to rest the accusation that the Opposition spokesperson on social welfare consistently makes that these outstanding figures for the reduction in those on the unemployment benefit are as a result of a transfer to another benefit. That is not true; they are the result of people moving into paid work. 
Judith Collins 
: Why has she not done more to help the 60000 working-age people who according to the ministry’s own benefit fact sheets have been on the unemployment benefit sickness benefit invalids benefit or domestic purposes benefit for more than 10 years; and can she tell the House why the ministry no longer retains the benefit history of those long-term beneficiaries as per her answer to written question No. 01522? 
Hon RUTH DYSON 
: The number of people on the unemployment benefit has dropped dramatically—by 94 percent in the last 8 years. The number of people on the sickness benefit has dropped considerably and the member should know that tragically a large number of people will be on the invalids benefit for a long period of time because they are seriously and permanently impaired. I support their having permanency in the only form of income they are able to receive.