8. Question No. 8—Social Development and EmploymentHon LOUISE UPSTON (National—Taupō) to the Minister for Social Development and EmploymentQuestion No. 8—Social Development and Employment8. Hon LOUISE UPSTON (National—Taupō) to the Minister for Social Development and Employment: Does she agree with the 2021 Salvation Army State of the Nation Report that shows unemployment and hardship assistance have both increased compared to September 2017?Hon CARMEL SEPULONI (Minister for Social Development and Employment): The State of the Nation Report takes into account our response to COVID-19 and clearly shows unemployment and hardship assistance has increased during the global pandemic. However due to a robust economic response we are doing better than we first anticipated and in December 2020 the Half Year Economic and Fiscal Update (HYEFU) forecasts for those on main benefits were revised down. Through investments employment programmes and more front-line staff we have seen increases in proactive employment engagements with 28139 proactive engagements last month and in the December 2020 quarter we saw 27000 exits off benefit into work. That was a 43.4 percent increase on the December 2019 quarter. We accept that we've got more work to do but even during these challenging times we are seeing positive signs of progress.Hon Louise Upston: Does she consider it a failure of her Government's policies that New Zealanders have required significantly more hardship assistance in every year since December 2017 and if not when does she expect hardship grants will return to their pre-2017 levels?Hon CARMEL SEPULONI: I don't consider it a failure to provide New Zealanders with the support through the welfare system that they are entitled to. When I came into this position we were committed to culture change of our welfare system and ensuring that New Zealanders got access to what they legally were entitled to. That includes hardship grants for New Zealanders who need them.Hon Louise Upston: Does she consider it a failure of her Government's policies that more New Zealanders required emergency housing grants in every year since 2017 and if not when does she expect these grants will begin to reduce?Hon CARMEL SEPULONI: Just reflecting on the emergency housing grant that was a measure that was introduced under the former Government when the housing crisis emerged. Our commitment is to making sure that New Zealanders who are homeless who need emergency accommodation have access to the emergency housing grant. Alongside that we are committing to an extensive build of public housing committing to an additional 18000 more public houses rather than selling them off.Hon Louise Upston: Is it correct that there were 123041 New Zealanders on Jobseeker Support in December 2017 and why did this increase by over 30000 people prior to COVID?Hon CARMEL SEPULONI: The member talks about the raw figures of those on benefit. We've previously traversed this in the House. Prior to COVID the proportion of working-age New Zealanders on benefit remained relatively stagnant because you do need to take into consideration the population of working-age New Zealanders. We have seen a significant increase over the course of the last year due to COVID but it is a relief that we haven't reached the heights that had been anticipated when the Budget Economic and Fiscal Update was released when the Pre-Election Economic and Fiscal Update was released and when HYEFU was released.Hon Louise Upston: How many of the now 211026 New Zealanders on Jobseeker Support will be supported into full-time jobs through the Government's Flexi-wage extension in the next five months compared to what National proposed with JobStart?Hon CARMEL SEPULONI: What we announced around Flexi-wage was an expansion. If we reflect back on last year there were actually over 4000 people that accessed Flexi-wage in 2020. We have announced a significant expansion to cover 40000 Flexi-wage placements but that is not the only employment initiative that we have in place. Just earlier I talked about the introduction of our Creative Careers Service we are still rolling out successfully Mana in Mahi we have extended He Poutama Rangatahi there are Jobs for Nature that have been rolled out by the Minister of Conservation and there is a lot going on on this side of the House alongside the investments in upskilling and training including—I think—18000 people that have signed up already to Apprenticeship Boost.