6. Question No. 6—Social DevelopmentPRIYANCA RADHAKRISHNAN (Labour) to the Minister for Social DevelopmentQuestion No. 6—Social Development6. PRIYANCA RADHAKRISHNAN (Labour) to the Minister for Social Development: What recent announcements has the Government made on providing financial support for people who have lost work due to COVID-19?Hon CARMEL SEPULONI (Minister for Social Development): Talofa lava Mr Speaker. Yesterday we announced the COVID-19 income relief payment to provide support for people who have lost work since March due to the impacts of COVID-19. Like Australia the UK and many other countries we can't escape the reality that there will be job losses and people's lives will be affected. The measures we have taken to protect jobs and help businesses stay afloat against the impacts of COVID-19 are significant but unfortunately unemployment will rise before it improves. As with the global financial crisis and the Canterbury earthquakes widespread redundancies were expected and temporary financial assistance was introduced to reduce the impact on those who lost their jobs. The COVID-19 income relief payment will help cushion the blow for families who have experienced an unexpected job loss due to the economic impacts of COVID-19. This payment is part of our next step to help New Zealanders respond and recover during these unprecedented times.Priyanca Radhakrishnan: Who will qualify for the COVID-19 income relief payment?Hon CARMEL SEPULONI: The COVID-19 income relief payment will help reduce the negative impact of job losses on individuals and families. We know that many people who may be faced with job loss might not qualify for a benefit. In ordinary times we'd expect many of these people to quickly find other work or manage their costs over time without additional support. However the unprecedented times we face mean many of these families and individuals will be under pressure to get back on their feet quickly to meet their living costs but will be doing this in a different labour market than they have faced before. These are extraordinary times and there is a growing cohort of people not eligible for the benefit but also facing the global economic impacts of COVID-19. This payment will provide a cushion for up to 12 weeks for people who have lost a job or a business since 1 March and up until 30 October and whose partners earn under $2000 per week.Priyanca Radhakrishnan: What feedback has she heard on the COVID-19 income relief payment?Hon CARMEL SEPULONI: We have received support for our announcement from a diverse group of stakeholders. Business New Zealand said yesterday in their press release we are glad to see the Government cushioning the blow and protecting jobs where possible and supporting workers back into jobs where necessary". The New Zealand Council of Trade Unions said they "support this initiative to really make sure that those Kiwis who are out of work are actively assisted to find new work while being financially secure." There has also been some criticism about this payment and what this means for our welfare overhaul. I want to confirm that we are still committed to continuing our welfare overhaul and improving support for New Zealanders who interact with our welfare system. We have made significant changes to date including indexation of main benefits and benefit increases. Is there more to do? Yes and we are committed to continuing this work."