From today, people on a main benefit like Jobseeker Support could be hit with money management and community work sanctions if they fail to meet one of their obligations, which involve preparing for or looking for work.
Social Development Minister Louise Upston is defending the introduction of more sanctions for beneficiaries who don’t meet their obligations, despite uncertainty about their efficacy.
The money management sanction would mean half of a person’s benefit would be put on a payment card for four weeks and could only be used at approved shops for groceries, transport, health, and education-related items.
The other sanction introduced today would require people to complete at least five hours of community work experience per week for four weeks.
Upston welcomed the sanctions as a “sensible move” while Act leader David Seymour lauded the money management sanction as an Act policy since 2017.
“If you don’t like the sound of having your benefit payments managed, then you’ll need to put the work in. Apply for jobs, show up for interviews, attend employment expos,” he said.
Earlier this month, RNZ reported Ministry of Social Development couldn’t say whether increasing benefit sanctions led to more people going into work.
The coalition Government had put a greater emphasis on benefit sanctions since coming to power amid its target to reduce benefit numbers.
Reducing the number of people on the Jobseeker benefit by 50,000 to 140,000 by 2030 was one of the Government’s public sector targets.
As of December, the number of Jobseeker beneficiaries had increased to 213,300 with the overall target considered at risk.
Upston, speaking to the Herald last week, accepted the trajectory was “pretty grim” but argued the efficacy of sanctions was hard to quantify given the number of touchpoints beneficiaries had with the system.
“In terms of hard evidence about sanctions only leading to that person exiting a benefit and into work, yeah, it will be difficult to do that.”
Upston said she had been pleased by the 98% of beneficiaries who were complying with their obligations and said the almost 4000 who weren’t immediately fulfilling them was a lower total than she expected.
“I’m very sympathetic for people at the moment who are looking for work, it is tough out there, but I want to ensure that when the economy is growing stronger, those who are on the Jobseeker benefit have taken the steps they need to, so they are better positioned to get a job when they’re available.”
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Even Australians get it - so why not Kiwis???
“Ten years ago, if a heatwave as intense as last week’s record-breaker had hit the east coast, Australia’s power supply may well have buckled. But this time, the system largely operated as we needed, despite some outages.
On Australia’s main grid last quarter, renewables and energy storage contributed more than 50% of supplied electricity for the first time, while wholesale power prices were more than 40% lower than a year earlier.
[…] shifting demand from gas and coal for power and petrol for cars is likely to deliver significantly lower energy bills for households.
Last quarter, wind generation was up almost 30%, grid solar 15% and grid-scale batteries almost tripled their output. Gas generation fell 27% to its lowest level for a quarter century, while coal fell 4.6% to its lowest quarterly level ever.
Gas has long been the most expensive way to produce power. Gas peaking plants tend to fire up only when supply struggles to meet demand and power prices soar. Less demand for gas has flowed through to lower wholesale prices.”
Full article: www.theguardian.com...
If even Australians see the benefit of solar - then why is NZ actively boycotting solar uptake? The increased line rental for electricity was done to make solar less competitive and prevent cost per kWh to rise even more than it did - and electricity costs are expected to rise even more. Especially as National favours gas - which is the most expensive form of generating electricity. Which in turn will accelerate Climate Change, as if New Zealand didn’t have enough problems with droughts, floods, slips, etc. already.
New BEGINNERS LINEDANCING CLASS
Epsom Methodist church
12 pah Rd GREENWOODS cnr. Epsom
Monday 9th February 7pm - 9pm
Tuesday 10th February 10am -11am
Just turn up on the day
Time to Tickle Your Thinker 🧠
If a zookeeper had 100 pairs of animals in her zoo, and two pairs of babies are born for each one of the original animals, then (sadly) 23 animals don’t survive, how many animals do you have left in total?
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