Christine Rankin: Former WINZ CEO on the 22% increase of people cancelling their benefit after finding work

There’s encouraging Jobseeker data for the long-term.  

Just over 33,000 people cancelled their benefits after finding work in the six months to December, up 22% annually.  

The Government's also looking at more changes, including non-financial sanctions on jobseekers.  

Former WINZ boss Christine Rankin told Ryan Bridge that young people cannot be left to get into the habit of relying on the benefit without taking action, which the Minister and department have done well to mitigate.  

She says the benefit is designed to help you get through a really tough time, it’s not to pay you for the rest of your life in style. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Right, we have numbers for you. Tens of thousands of
jobs seeking beneficiaries have ended up in work. New numbers
from the Social Development Minister suggest thirty three thousand have
canceled their benefits in the five months to December, yes, canceled,
and for those not pulling their weight, the government's up
to benefit sanctions by one hundred and twenty six percent.
This all despite the state of the job market at

(00:21):
the moment. Christine Rankin is the former WINS boss.

Speaker 2 (00:23):
Good morning, Good morning Ryan.

Speaker 1 (00:25):
So thirty three thousand beneficiaries back into work. That's got
to be a good thing.

Speaker 2 (00:30):
How fantastic is that? And doesn't it show you when
there is an incentive. You know, at the moment your
economy is considered really bad and there are no jobs
out there, but thirty three thousand people in six months
have gone back to work. How good is that?

Speaker 1 (00:47):
Problem is like, you look at the numbers for December
for job seeker two hundred and thirteen thousand versus one
hundred and ninety thousand for the December prior to that.
It's an increase of about twelve percent. You've got to
have jobs for people to go.

Speaker 2 (00:58):
To, yes, you do, but Look, they focused on young
people and the reality is benefit can feel very safe
when you go on it. It's hardly anything, but it's regular.
You don't have to do anything for it. Really. Look,
there is no doubt that, of course there are other
people on there, but young people cannot be left to

(01:19):
get into that habit. So in terms of that, it's
an absolute win. And if they keep those expectations in
the system and that the Department's done very well, The
Minister's done very well and people have heeded the call.
But certainly no one's going to sit on the benefit
now thinking that they're just going to be able to
do that as they have before. Some of them, I

(01:41):
think are taking their own action before the department does
anything to them at all.

Speaker 1 (01:45):
Further change is coming this year. You'll only get the
job seekert for six months and then you'll have to reapply.
Is that an annoying thing to do? A significant thing
to have to do?

Speaker 2 (01:58):
Well? It doesn't really matter if it's an or not.
I mean, this benefit is designed to help you get
through a really tough time. It is not to pay
you for the rest of your life in style. So
the fact that there are more checks and balances in
the system. Is really really good for the recipients letting
them rot on a benefit, as I always say, because

(02:19):
that's what happens. Nobody takes any interest, there are no expectations.
And this is the first government in a long time
that have had the courage to do this. I cannot
believe how quickly or how well it's worked. And yes
there are a lot of people still on benefit, but
you watch this space, it's not going to change. There
are jobs out there. In my town, there are employees

(02:42):
employers who cannot get suitable people to work.

Speaker 1 (02:46):
Who are these employers? What sort of jobs are you
talking about?

Speaker 2 (02:50):
I live in a town where are tourism topal, where
tourism is key, and so there are a lot of
retail jobs and a lot of tourism jobs. But the
reality is their first step jobs, and a lot of
the people on benefit are going into those base jobs.
There are some that are more complicated than that, but
a lot of them are first line jobs, and they

(03:12):
can't get appropriate people to turn up every day.

Speaker 1 (03:16):
That's the problem is turning up, turning up and turning
up consistently.

Speaker 2 (03:19):
Absolutely, and people get out of the good habits of
work when they've been on benefit for a short period
of time, and if they ever had any confidence, Ryan,
they lose it. So you've got to act quickly and
that's why the system is very positive for job seekers, very.

Speaker 1 (03:37):
Positive, Christine Rankin, thank you very much for your time.
That's the former WINS boss Christine Rankin and topel for us.
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