1. Question No. 1—Social Development and EmploymentHon CARMEL SEPULONI (Deputy Leader—Labour) to the Minister for Social Development and EmploymentORAL QUESTIONSQUESTIONS TO MINISTERSQuestion No. 1—Social Development and Employment1. Hon CARMEL SEPULONI (Deputy Leader—Labour) to the Minister for Social Development and Employment: Does she stand by her statement Our Government will not tolerate people who accept the Jobseeker Support benefit but refuse to uphold their obligation to seek a job – it is not fair on hardworking Kiwis who pay their taxes that go towards those benefit payments"; if not why not?Hon LOUISE UPSTON (Minister for Social Development and Employment): Yes our Government believes that people on the jobseeker benefit who are supported by taxpayers have obligations in return for this support. That is why we are introducing a traffic light system to make clear to people whether they are complying with their work obligations and what steps they need to take to re-comply with their obligations if they have not fulfilled them.Hon Carmel Sepuloni: How many of the 202000 people currently on jobseeker support have refused to uphold their obligations to seek a job?Hon LOUISE UPSTON: I'm very pleased to announce to the House that of the job seekers currently on the jobseeker benefit only 1 percent are in orange and 1 percent in red.Hon Carmel Sepuloni: How many of the 202000 people currently on jobseeker support have a health condition or disability and are unable to work?Hon LOUISE UPSTON: The jobseeker benefit and the work obligations are clearly stated. Some job seekers who are on health condition and disability don't have work obligations. None of that has changed.Hon Carmel Sepuloni: Does she expect grandparents raising grandchildren who are on jobseeker support and also receive the Unsupported Child's benefit to work full time?Hon LOUISE UPSTON: I confirm again: none of the requirements that have existed prior in terms of work obligations have changed. The only thing that has changed is that this side of the House is actually making it really clear to those who are on the jobseeker benefit what their status is. Are they in green and they're complying; are they under a warning which is orange; or have they failed their work obligations which means they go to red?Hon Carmel Sepuloni: How could she expect a single grandmother on jobseeker support with her own 14-year-old and two grandchildren one of whom has ADHD and fetal alcohol spectrum disorder and for whom she is receiving the Unsupported Child's benefit to work full-time?Hon LOUISE UPSTON: I can only say it again because it appears the member wasn't listening to my answer: our Government has not changed any of the settings around what the work obligations are and who they apply to. All we have done is said actually where there are responsibilities that are not fulfilled we expect the Ministry of Social Development to take action.Hon Carmel Sepuloni: What has happened to the 1500 people that have been sanctioned and lost their benefits since she took office?Hon LOUISE UPSTON: I'm hoping that many of them have then re-complied got their benefit reinstated or hopefully more of them have got a job."