Rod Bell: Blue Light Youth Chief Operating Officer aims to break cycle of children staying on the benefit

It's thought that new beneficiary initiatives make huge financial sense for New Zealand. 

The Government's announced from November next year, parents who earn more than 65-and-a-half thousand dollars must support their 18 and 19-year-olds.

There's also a thousand dollar bonus for certain people who stay off benefits for a year.

Blue Light Youth Chief Operating Officer, Rod Bell told Mike Hosking we want to break the cycle of young people staying on the benefit for decades. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
So the jobs he could changes for eighteen nineteen year
olds have been brought forward. Eighteen nineteen year olds without
dependence will need to pass a parental assistance test of
the parents in over sixty five thousand dollars. We've also
got this thousand dollars bonus that's for eighteen to twenty
four year olds who stay off the benefit for twelve
months through the government's Community Job Service. Rod Bill is
the chief operating officer for Blue Light Youth and is

(00:20):
with us Rod morning.

Speaker 2 (00:21):
Good morning, Mike.

Speaker 1 (00:22):
But a carrot bit a stick. Do we like it
or not?

Speaker 2 (00:25):
Yeah? I think it's a good thing. I both for
a parental side of things that just because somebody turns
eighteen doesn't take that responsibility your way, but also the
incentive to get out and either obviously work is one way,
but also there's opportunity for training and trade or some
sort of other study. All of that has got to

(00:45):
be a good thing.

Speaker 1 (00:46):
My guess is it's going to be like the traffic
light system for the rest of beneficiaries, and that is
that there's a bit of expectation on you and you
need it tidy up if you're a bit slack and
this will be the same thing.

Speaker 2 (00:56):
Yes, and I think it's I think a big part
of not just the opportunity for not paying up the benefit,
but also the big dangerous if a young persons starts
down the track where a benefit becomes part of their life,
as a stat shows that they end up probably at
least a minimum eighteen years of their life. We want

(01:17):
to break that. You break that once and you've actually
paid them, probably for twenty people. So financially it makes
a huge sense. But for anybody they want to have worth,
and worth is doing something positive and proactive, whether it's
work or training or education, is what will make people
feel better about themselves. Make a difference to the young people.

Speaker 1 (01:37):
A little bit tricky at the moment given the economy.
Of course, how many of the people you deal with
are I really as and genuinely want work? I just
can't find any verses are well, never mind, I'll play
some PlayStation.

Speaker 2 (01:50):
Look, I wouldn't know the exact percentage, but yes, it
is certainly not. We know when we advertise ourselves we
probably get three times more applicants, and we did a
couple of years ago. But I don't think we should
just because it's difficult throw away the opportunity to make
a difference. And I think this is a positive things
for family to get behind the young people and get

(02:11):
them out there. And it not just work. There's heaps
of opportunities to learn a trade or get some sort
of into training, which would also inspire them to stay
away from the benefit.

Speaker 1 (02:22):
Yeah, there's no excuse. Actually, Rod appreciate it. Rod Bell,
who's the chief operating officer for blue Light.

Speaker 2 (02:27):
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