Louise Upston: Social Development and Employment Minister - on new benefit sanctions coming into place, including weekly five-hour training course

The government has announced more sanctions for those receiving an unemployment benefit. 

A new job search initiative requires individuals to complete a minimum of three employment searches a week and reporting to the Ministry of Social Development. 

In addition to this, a mandatory upskilling course has been implemented for five hours per week.

Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston talks to Mike Hosking about what the new sanctions involve. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
So we've got more sanctions coming for the unemployed. As
part of this traffic light scheme, we've got a job
search report that's been added. This is a minimum of
three search activities a week in reporting back to WEMSD.
They've also added an upskilling course for a mandatory five
hours per week. Louis Upston is of course the Minister
for Social Development and is with us. Very good morning
to you, Good morning Mike. What's a search activity?

Speaker 2 (00:22):
So basically what we're wanting to improve people's chances of
getting a job. So basically what the search activity is
is being more proactive in terms of spending time either
registering with the recruitment agency, going to interviews, actually proving
to MSD that they have been seriously engaging in job

(00:46):
seeking activities. So it's also about accountability.

Speaker 1 (00:49):
Right, So it's more than just clicking on an ad
on trade me.

Speaker 2 (00:53):
No, definitely not no. And again the end of the day,
we want more people off welfare into work, So instead
of a financial sanction, we are going to provide more
of an accountability mechanism, more support, more eyes on to
make sure that people are doing the things they need
to do to improve their chances of finding a job.

Speaker 1 (01:15):
The upskilling course upskilling to what do you get choice
in that or no, So.

Speaker 2 (01:20):
It'll be deliberately focused on what is appropriate for that
job seeker. So it might be that they need to
do a digital Passport, which is a course that MSDS
developed online that really just provides better opportunities for people
to be able to demonstrate they can work in a
digital environment. It might be something else that MSD has

(01:44):
on its box in terms of interview skills. There's a
suite of options. But again this is because we want
to see fewer people on the job seeker benefit more
people in work. But it's also holding people accountable. If
I look at the sanctions for the December quarter, three thousand,

(02:04):
three hundred were failing to prepare for work, so we
know that's a problem. These additional non financial sanctions mechanisms
to say actually, you can't sit there and do nothing.
You have to prepare for work, and we're going to
make it easier for you to do that. Rather than
just financially penalize you, we're going to give you options

(02:29):
to upscale or demonstrate what you are doing around your
job searching.

Speaker 1 (02:34):
Just quickly from your time in this job. What's your
assessment of the slackness? How many people who just can't
be bothered are you dealing with as a percentage of
all of those who are unemployed.

Speaker 2 (02:45):
Well, if I look at the traffic light system, we've
only got one percent in orange and one percent in red.
So actually I think the numbers are low, but look
at the end of the day. MSD is there to
support people get to get into work, but job seekers
have to do their bit. And what's been really positive
is frontline staff are saying they're doing less chasing good

(03:09):
and people are actually ringing up to say what do
I have to do. I don't want to fail an obligation.
What do I need to do next? So that's a
really positive step and I think that's why it has
contributed to much higher numbers of people leaving the job.
Seecret benefit into jobs. Our work exits are much higher
than they were a year ago, so it tells me

(03:32):
it's working, but we've still got more work today.

Speaker 1 (03:34):
Good to help Louis Upston, Employment Minister, among other things.
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