The Government’s target to get tens of thousands of people off the Jobseeker benefit and into work by 2030 is not on track as the number of people receiving the support is on the rise.
The Prime Minister today admitted the situation was challenging but announced several measures to support people into work.
They include a more comprehensive needs assessment and a personalised job plan to help beneficiaries into work.
One of those receiving a Jobseeker benefit is Napier woman Suzzy Fairbairn.
A former truck driver, she’s spent the last nine months looking for work but has had no success.
The Government’s target to get tens of thousands of people off jobseeker benefits and into work by 2030 isn’t on track. (Source: 1News)
Note: The job search for “truck driver” in the video above is spelt incorrectly. There were 63 jobs for truck drivers in the Napier area advertised on Seek on 3 December.
“I’m a class two driver, got a class four learners, and I just haven’t been able to get anything for nine months,” she said.
“I’ve never experienced anything like that in my career ever.”
Fairbairn moved from Southland to Napier earlier this year to be closer to her parents, but said the struggle to find a job has been devastating.
“It’s just a constant battle. It’s just a daily exercise of just endless applying, you apply online, you hear nothing back,” she said.
“I’ve also got 30 years admin experience so I’ve even be trying to apply for that, but still nothing.”
Fairbairn is now one of more than 200,000 people receiving a Jobseeker benefit, with the Government today confirming 8000 people had signed up to the benefit in the last three months.
Earlier this year the Government set a target to reduce jobseeker numbers by 50,000 fewer people by 2030, to 140,000 overall.
Luxon today admitted that would be difficult.
“No doubt about it, it’s challenging, but all the targets there are deliberately ambitious and that’s why I tried to say upfront that’s why we’re doing targets like this,” he said.
But the Government believes there are jobs out there, and announced new support to help those on a benefit, including a more comprehensive needs assessment and a personalised job plan to help beneficiaries into work.
“Case managers will dig deeper and consider any education, transport, addiction, health and childcare issues that a jobseeker may also have,” Social Development Minister Louise Upston said.
But with extra support came extra responsibility, according to the Government, and failure to comply would see sanctions applied.
“All we’re expecting people to do is to deliver on their obligations which is quite simple, show up to your case management, get your resume together and show up for a job interview — they’re not rocket science,” Luxon said.
He said people may need to consider relocating if a job were available.
“You have got to show up for interviews. Now whether the interviews are in your region or outside of your region, you’re doing everything you can to find a job,” Luxon said.
Upston agreed and said support would be available for that.
“There is also assistance to help them relocate to where a job is available,” she said.
However, the Government said situations would be dealt with on a case-by-case basis.
“For some people they’ll have a house, they’ll have kids at school, there’ll be a whole bunch of life circumstances they have to deal with and MSD take that into consideration,” Upston said.
Green MP Ricardo Menéndez March said the Government needed to take a more compassionate approach.
“The Government decided to increase unemployment to deal with inflation, this is of their own doing, and now they need to address issues like inequality and poverty,” he said.
Fairbairn said her Jobseeker benefit barely covers her housing costs.
“That’s about it but I have to have flatmates to compensate, and I never really have enough money for food and so I always fall short.”
