National red-faced as benefit numbers skyrocket – Labour

“Minister for Social Development Louise Upston has revealed the number of people receiving Jobseeker Support has surpassed the peak forecast for January next year. That’s 26,000 additional New Zealanders who are on the benefit since National took office and it’s only going to get higher,” said Carmel Sepuloni.

“Louise Upston casually mentioned in the House that under the National Government, the beneficiary forecast has grown to 214,000 in 2025.

“The backwards ‘tough on beneficiaries’ sanctions and Budget decisions will cause child poverty to increase from 12.6 percent to 13.4 percent this year alone. According to the Child Poverty Action Group, growing unemployment could mean an additional 20,000 children in poverty.

“It’s a tough time for New Zealanders and this government’s actions are making things worse not better. They have made the deliberate decision to lay off thousands of public servants, stopping the investment in infrastructure. We have lost nearly 8000 jobs in the building and construction sector, factories are closing and the health sector suffers under hiring freezes.

“National’s ploy to cook the benefit books by resetting goalposts is failing. Unemployment is up and GDP Is absolutely tanking, Ministers are mismanaging the economy at the expense of New Zealand families. They have no one to blame but themselves,” said Carmel Sepuloni.