3. Question No. 3—Social Development and EmploymentHon LOUISE UPSTON (National—Taupō) to the Minister for Social Development and EmploymentQuestion No. 3—Social Development and Employment3. Hon LOUISE UPSTON (National—Taupō) to the Minister for Social Development and Employment: How many more people if any received a main benefit for longer than one year in the December 2021 quarter compared to the December 2017 quarter and what is the impact of any such increase on the children of those households?Hon PRIYANCA RADHAKRISHNAN (Associate Minister for Social Development and Employment) on behalf of the Minister for Social Development and Employment: There were 62019 additional main benefit recipients in December 2021 compared to December 2017 who had been receiving a main benefit for a year or more. At the beginning of our COVID-19 response Treasury forecast benefit numbers would peak at 487500 in January 2021. However due to the Government's quick actions and investment in things like the wage subsidy the highest number of people receiving a main benefit was 391227 in January 2021—96273 fewer people than forecast. To the second part of the question this Government recognises the negative impact of child poverty and we're committed to addressing it. We have raised incomes for low-income workers and those on benefits more than any other Government and have invested heavily in employment and training programmes to support people back into employment. This has led to 39916 more people moving off a benefit and into work in the year ending December 2021 when compared to December 2017 and this is the highest number of exits into work for a December quarter since electronic records began in 1996. Hon Louise Upston: What responsibility if any does the Government take for the fact that almost one in five New Zealand children are now growing up in a benefit-dependent household under Labour's watch? Hon PRIYANCA RADHAKRISHNAN: Reducing child poverty as I've said in my response to the primary question is a priority for this Government. Since taking office in 2017 109000 families and whānau with children will be on average $175 a week better off as a result of income support changes that we have made on this side of the House. Since 2017 all nine child poverty measures have gone down we've turned each one of them and I could go on. I mean between 19000 and 33000 children are projected to be lifted out of poverty on the after-housing cost measures in 2022-23 as a result of the increases—DEPUTY SPEAKER: I think you've addressed the question. Thank you. Hon Louise Upston: Why as noted in yesterday's Salvation Army report has this Government allowed children living in benefit-dependent households to escalate to over 208000 an increase of 37000 since Labour came into office? Hon PRIYANCA RADHAKRISHNAN: Given that that member seems to be quite supportive of families on low incomes and their children perhaps she would actually support the minimum wage increases that we are bringing into effect on this side of the House and the work that we have done to increase benefits more than any other Government. I would also point out that in fact the State of the Nation report says we are making progress on reducing child poverty we're increasing the number of houses being built and our economy is resilient due to measures that we have put in place in response to COVID. Hon Louise Upston: Why given one-third of all people on a jobseeker benefit have been there longer than three years does the Government continue to blame COVID-19 for New Zealand's benefit dependency crisis? Hon PRIYANCA RADHAKRISHNAN: That member will know that with the jobseeker benefit there are those who are work-ready and there are those with health and disability issues so conflating the two is actually quite unhelpful. In fact 106000 of them are work-ready. Many of those actually are in part-time employment as well and are counted in benefit numbers and not the unemployment figure. We've also lifted the abatement thresholds so that people are better off and able to work as well and also as I mentioned in my response to the initial primary question this Government has focused heavily or significantly on getting people back into work as opposed to just punishing those—using sanctions as the previous Government did. Hon Louise Upston: Can the Minister explain what the Salvation Army could not when it said about the 185000 people on jobseeker benefit—and I quote—It is not clear why more of those on jobseeker benefits are not moving into employment particularly at a time when employers are searching for both skilled and unskilled workers."? Hon PRIYANCA RADHAKRISHNAN: I'd point to the response that was given previously in the House on that. We inherited a large number of people who didn't have the skills and training to get into work that was actually there—that was actually a response that the member has received just this week on that. In saying that we have focused on getting people into employment: 263 new front-line staff in Budget 2019 to help people into work $150 million in Budget 2020 to help people into work work-focused case management—something that previous Government abandoned when they were in office that we are focusing on—and we're actually seeing results. He Poutama Rangatahi has supported over 7000 at-risk youth into work. The Apprenticeship Boost scheme helps employers retain apprentices and has benefited over 40000 people. This is a Government that is actually focusing on getting people into sustainable work that pays them well—DEPUTY SPEAKER: I think you've answered the question. Thank you."