11. Beneficiaries—Reduction in Numbers of and Supporting People Into WorkHon LOUISE UPSTON (National—Taupō) to the Minister for Social DevelopmentBeneficiaries—Reduction in Numbers of and Supporting People Into Work11. Hon LOUISE UPSTON (National—Taupō) to the Minister for Social Development: Of the 276041 people currently on working-age benefits how many have been on a benefit for more than 20 years and how many people will she reduce it by in the next year?Hon CARMEL SEPULONI (Minister for Social Development): As of September this year almost 26000 people have been on a main benefit for over 20 years. It's clear to me that anybody reliant on a benefit for over two decades faces many barriers to employment. It is highly likely that the vast majority of these do not have work obligations due to disability ongoing illness or because they are caring for others. Where any of these people can work we will support them but we will not be setting crude arbitrary targets.Hon Louise Upston: How will the Minister reduce the long-term benefit receipt of the 67891 people who've been on a job seeker benefit for more than one year?Hon CARMEL SEPULONI: Some of the figures we weren't able to get going back 20 years but I do want to share with the member that over the last 10 years 45000 of the 63000 who have consistently been on benefits had a disabling illness or a disability that impacted on their ability to work. We are committed to working with all communities to get them into meaningful paid sustainable employment and as I've said before in the House one of the ways in which we will do that is by investing in upskilling and training and providing people with those opportunities.Hon Louise Upston: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I specifically asked about the 67000 on a job seeker benefit.Mr SPEAKER: And I think the question was addressed. It mightn't have been answered to the member's satisfaction but it was addressed.Hon Louise Upston: In regard to those on the job seeker benefit how will the Minister—how—reduce the long-term benefit receipt?Hon CARMEL SEPULONI: We're committed to providing people who find themselves in periods of unemployment with opportunity to upskill and train. Recently we have announced that we will be making the first year free for anyone that hasn't undertaken any study. That extends beyond just university training; that also includes polytechnic industry training and other opportunities. We want to encourage people who find themselves out of work to take up upskilling and training because in the long term they're more likely to go into meaningful better-paid employment and be able to support themselves and their families.Hon Louise Upston: How does the Minister reconcile her answers today with the briefing to the incoming Minister which states that the Minister's responsibility is for reducing long-term benefit receipt and supporting people into work?Hon CARMEL SEPULONI: Given that the social policy evaluation and research unit report that was completed under the previous Government's watch showed that a large number of people were ending up back on benefit after two years—having found employment but then ending up back on benefit—I think that our commitment to supporting people who are unemployed to take up upskilling and training is a better strategy for ensuring that they do not end up back on a benefit or become long-term welfare dependent.Priyanca Radhakrishnan: How does she plan to support people on benefits into work?Hon CARMEL SEPULONI: This Government will support people into genuine paid work by focusing on education upskilling and training those who find themselves in need of support and on a benefit. We will be focusing on people's potential and building skills and capabilities to help them into sustainable work. We intend for people to be better off not just off benefit.Hon Louise Upston: What advice has the Minister received about long-term benefit receipt and children in poverty and hardship?Hon CARMEL SEPULONI: Children in poverty and hardship benefit from having parents who have undertaken educational training and have higher levels of educational achievement. When parents role-model that in the home then kids are more likely to go on and achieve in those areas as well. That's something we as a Government will be supporting.