Sickness & Invalid benefits reach all time high

new-zealand-national-party

Tue Oct 09 2007 13:00:00 GMT+1300 (New Zealand Daylight Time)

Sickness & Invalid benefits reach all time high

Tuesday, 9 October 2007, 4:15 pm
Press Release: New Zealand National Party

Judith Collins MP National Party Welfare Spokeswoman

9 October 2007

Sickness & Invalid benefits reach all time high - again

It will be no surprise that the number of people collecting a sickness and invalid benefit has again reached an all-time high under Labour, says National's Welfare spokeswoman, Judith Collins.

"According to the latest figures from the Ministry of Social Development, the total number of invalid beneficiaries aged 16 and over is 79,859.

"That's a whopping 23,678 more than in August 2000.

"Based on current trends, that figure will be over 80,000 next month.

"Unsurprisingly, that trend is mirrored by the number of people on the sickness benefit.

"There are now 49,407 people aged 16 and over collecting this benefit. In August 2000, that number was 32,567."

Ms Collins says Labour has continued its woeful track record in this area, despite continued promises and a series of feel-good programmes to address this shameful trend.

"Steve Maharey recently announced a 'new' $10 million fund to assist sickness and invalid beneficiaries to return to work.

"He continues to deny that that initiative is spookily similar to his much-vaunted 2004 $20 million fund known as PATHS which he promised would result in thousands of sickness and invalid beneficiaries returning to work.

"He said that in Wellington alone, 4,700 people would benefit from the programme.

"The reality is less than 200 participants have registered for the programme since 2004.

"This alarming and disgraceful trend will only continue under Labour."

ENDS

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