“Labour’s policies designed to entrench people on welfare have well and truly bedded in,” says ACT’s Social Development spokesperson Karen Chhour.

“Today’s quarterly benefit numbers show that despite unemployment at 3.3 per cent, the number of people on benefits is stubbornly above 11 per cent. It was 9.7 per cent pre-Covid.

“Benefits should be a way of helping people find their way and get back into work, but Labour is making them a way of life instead.

“The number of people on a main benefit is now 345,762. That’s almost the population of Christchurch.

“Tens of thousands more Kiwis are at the mercy of handouts and Labour has incentivised them. They have pumped up the number of benefits but haven’t imposed obligations on recipients or tried to grow the economy with the same verve.

“There are 170,037 New Zealanders are on Jobseeker Support, with 98,934 of them classified as work-ready when businesses are crying out for labour. There should be no excuse for them to turn down suitable work.

“A culture of victimhood is perpetuating Labour’s welfare approach rather than the belief that people can make a difference in their own lives.

“The real tragedy is that Labour’s low expectations for beneficiaries is preventing them from creating a better life for themselves and their families.

“Instead of seeing benefits as the solution, Labour needs to get to the root of poverty by growing the economy and fixing our education system.

“Welfare is about helping people get back on their feet, it’s not a lifestyle choice.”

© Scoop Media